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Scooping the Lot. The Ultimate 'Big Game, Golf Safari'
The Grand Open Venues Tour needn’t leave too much to the imagination. The clue is in the title. This is an ambitious attempt to weave together all ten of the current links used for hosting the Open Championship in a single itinerary, but as you might have guessed, it’s kind of difficult to ‘get on’. In the first case, you won’t be able to 100% complete this tour in June or the first three weeks of July. By definition, at least one of the courses is going to be closed for preparation during this period. That’s not all. The next thing we’re going to require is to get the availability to line-up sequentially. These courses are regularly called upon to host other championships. It ain’t easy to find a window that snares the lot.
Our task is made harder still by a number of Open Championship venues operating visitor playing restrictions which push us onto certain days of the week, and critical timing windows within those days too. Royal St Georges, Royal Troon and Muirfield are very tight. Neither Hoylake or Royal Portrush are straight-forward either, whilst St Andrews comes with its own unique considerations we need to absorb. There’s only really Turnberry, Carnoustie and Royal Lytham who are relatively unencumbered.
Then there’s the issue of distribution. Whereas the three on England’s Lancashire coast, and the five Scottish venues aren’t too bad, Royal St Georges in the deep south-east of England, and Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland are outliers. This pair really don’t thread together very well at all. They require specific transport interventions to get there, and a consequential allowance made for travelling time in the itinerary. We’ll need to chop and change things. We” deploy a chauffeur-drive for the day-trip from London to Royal St Georges. The train from London to Edinburgh. Self drive throughout Scotland, with a car ferry to Northern Ireland, and finally flying back to Manchester from Belfast to pick up the northern English courses using a second self-drive vehicle.
All in all though you get a running order of Royal St Georges, Muirfield, St Andrews, Carnoustie, Royal Troon, Turnberry, Royal Portrush, Royal Birkdale, Hoylake and Royal Lytham. The grand open venues tour will be demanding, and difficult to assemble. We’ll need to begin circa late February for play the following year. If we can get the lot, that’d be great, but even if we come up short by a couple you’re still unlikely to ever get a better golfing experience
14 nights
Scotland, Ireland, England
Transport
Everything! Self-drive, chauffeur drive, train, car ferry & planeLogistics
‘Point-to-point’ touring structureNon-Golf Offer
Very Good - London or Paris, Edinburgh, St Andrews, Stirling, Liverpool & the Antrim CoastMileage
High - (Approx 1,450 miles) Approximately 27 hrs 30 minsTravel Class
Supports - Luxury, Premier and AffordableOld Course
Low/ Medium chance - through the ballot. Walk-Up-Rule likely to succeed
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MONDAY - London (or Paris!)
Royal St Georges has heavy restrictions on its terms of play. This pushes us onto a Tuesday. Being on the Kent coast, it’s not really doable on the day of arrival. It’s a day-trip instead from either London, or counter-intuitive as it seems, Paris is also feasible taking a ‘Eurostar’ to Ashford and transferring (London is easier). Either way the first day is probably best spent in either capital before the golf begins the following day
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TUESDAY - Royal St Georges
Royal St Georges was the first English course to host the Open in 1894, and has subsequently gone onto do so 14 times, hosting again in 2021. It’s list of previous winners is probably one of the weaker ones. It has thrown up surprises such as Ben Curtis, Bill Rogers, and most recently, Darren Clarke. This might be a testimony to capricious fairways. Royal St Georges undulates more than any other venue and can spit a good tee shot into strange positions. Golf was never meant to be fair, or designed to make us look clever!
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WEDNESDAY - Edinburgh on the 'Flying Scotsman'
Royal St Georges is one of two courses that is geographically awkward. We chalk it off early, and now head north on the ‘Flying Scotsman’. This is the iconic train that traditionally departed from London King Cross, at 10.00 each morning. It was immortalised in John Buchan’s “the thirty-nine steps”. It takes about five hours. We recommend a seat of the right-hand side for views of York, Durham and the holy island of Lindisfarne. We’ll spend the later afternoon in Edinburgh, and will need to process a vehicle hire as we now switch self-drive
THURSDAY - Muirfield
The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers (HCEG) was one of three founding clubs who began the Open (The R&A of St Andrews and Prestwick GC being the other two). The HCEG moved from Musselburgh to their new HQ at Muirfield, and it first hosted in 1892. Frequently ranked inside the world’s top 10, Muirfield is always immaculately maintained and doesn’t have any weak holes. The prestigious roll call of Muirfield Open championship winners is perhaps its best testimonial. It’s probably the strongest of any venue. Nicklaus, Player, Trevino, Watson, Faldo, Els & most recently of course, Mickelson. Muirfield is notoriously exclusive however, access is limited. Booking early isn’t just advised, it’s pretty well essential.
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THURSDAY - Musselburgh
Practicalities determine that we make the effort to ‘get to’ St Andrews by Thursday evening, but the line of travel actually takes us past Old Musselburgh if you wanted to add it?
Today Musselburgh is a flat, inexpensive, 9-holer played on the inside of a racecourse. However unremarkable it appears (and it does) it is still a genuine Open championship venue, last hosting in 1889. It’s also the oldest course in the world. You could hire 19th century clubs if you wanted to add some interest!
FRIDAY - St Andrews
St Andrews, the home of golf, needs little introduction nor hype from us. The first surviving record of the game being played here dates to 1522. The town oozes atmosphere and the course is soaked in heritage. The view from the iconic Swilcan Bridge looking back up the final fairway to the magnificent R&A headquarters and red bricked Hamilton Hall is one of the most instantly recognisable in world sport, never mind golf. ‘The Road Hole’, the 17th, is the signature assignment. No hole yields more bogeys in the Open than this one. Another unique feature are the massive double greens. The secret? don’t be over-awed. Keep out the 112 bunkers, especially so ‘Hell Bunker’ at the 14th. Then attack the course! St Andrews is actually one of the more obliging links, so don’t leave wondering what might have been. It can be tamed!
SATURDAY - St Andrews
We’ll make two ballot applications. Our chances of winning are crudely about 1 in 3. We’ll know the outcome at about 16.45 on the Thursday evening. This determines how we proceed. If we’ve lost we’ll need to use the walk-up rule. Our chances of making this work are 90%+. The walk-up rule however makes for a long day and requires a very early start. You’ll be tired by the evening. It’s why we’ve slotted a rest day to recover. We’d probably try and invoke the walk-up on Friday, and use the Saturday to recharge. We’d get a second chance on the Saturday too of course if we needed it
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SUNDAY - Carnoustie
American media commentators wasted no time dubbing the Tayside course ‘Car-Nasty’. First hosting in 1931, few would deny the claims of Carnoustie to the crown of toughest Open venue of them all. The enduring image comes from the 1999 Open, and is that of Jean van de Velde paddling in the Barry Burn that cemented Carnoustie’s legend. Sports Illustrated described the course as “a nasty old antique brought down from the attic by the R&A after 24 years” as scoring soared. Carnoustie revels in such notoriety. If the wind gets up you’re unlikely to ever play a tougher assignment.
On finishing we’ll spend the night in Stirling to take an hour out of the following day
MONDAY - Royal Troon
Troon is a traditional links and has hosted the Open a total of eight times having debuted in 1923. Make your score going out. The inward nine against the omni-present wind is always a trial. The par 3, eighth, described by Willie Park as “a pitching surface skimmed down to the size of a Postage Stamp” is the signature hole. The name stuck. It’s the par 4, eleventh, ‘the Railway Hole’, that’s most feared though. In 1997 Tiger Woods carded an eight here. Jack Nicklaus was even more chewed up. He returned a ten in 1962. More recently Troon staged the memorable 2016 Championship. Henrik Stenson edged Phil Mickelson in one of the most stunning displays of head-to-head play in Major Championship history. They pulled a remarkable 11 shots clear, both shooting record equalling 63’s en-route.
TUESDAY - Turnberry
The iconic Stevenson lighthouse sitting on its craggy headland in amongst the ruins of Turnberry castle, and with views of Ailsa Craig and the Isle of Arran, plus a tendency to put on spectacular sunsets, Turnberry is the most aesthetic of all the Open venues. In modern golfing legend Turnberry is forever etched in the pages of history as the location for the ‘duel in the sun’ from 1977 when Tom Watson narrowly prevailed over Jack Nicklaus with the rest nowhere. Myths are made in moments, but legends last a lifetime. Watson’s name was prominent again when it last hosted in 2009. A hard bounce denying the 59-year-old, a piece of history on the 72nd. It’s the easiest course to ‘get on’ and so an early time allows us to catch an afternoon ferry to Northern Ireland, arriving in Belfast early evening
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TUESDAY - Cairnryan to Belfast
It’s less than an hour from Turnberry to drive to Cairnryan. From here we can catch the “super-fast” catamaran to Belfast which crosses the Irish Sea in about 2 hrs 20 mins. We’ll usually be able play early at Turnberry (circa 08.45) which should ensure we can make the 14.45 check-in, for the 15.30 sailing that docks at 17.45. If we can’t, then we have a safety net on the 19.29 sailing, but would prefer the earlier one obviously given that we have to play Portrush in the morning
WEDNESDAY - Royal Portrush
Royal Portrush returned to the Open rotation in 2019 with huge expectations on Rory McIlroy to deliver a home town cheer. Suffice to say, he shot a quadruple on the first and missed the cut, leaving it to Shane Lowry to lift the claret jug having mastered some challenging conditions the best (notably on the Saturday). Before this the only other time the Irish course had hosted was in 1951, when the colourful Max Faulkner prevailed
WEDNESDAY - The Antrim Coast
The Antrim coast has two visitor attractions within 15 miles of each other, The Giants Causeway, and The Carrick-u-Rede Ropebridge. It’s worth spending the afternoon here and returning to Belfast in the evening. Rather than taking a night ferry (it might save you an accommodation, but it docks at 06.30 and could leave you feeling a bit spent), we think the better option would be to return the vehicle to Belfast airport the next morning and fly to Manchester on a more compassionate timing schedule. It’s 15 mins longer from Manchester to Birkdale, but this avoids the very early start that flying to Liverpool involves for an afternoon round. We’ll need to pick-up a new self-drive vehicle.
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THURSDAY - Royal Birkdale
Royal Birkdale first hosted in 1954 but has made up for lost time since and is widely regarded as England’s best links, played as it is amongst towering dunes. The course most recently hosted in 2017 when Jordan Spieth having got himself into an almighty mess at the 13th had the presence of mind to exploit a line of sight ruling to limit the damage to just a bogey before coming home with a ‘wet sail’ to beat Matt Kuchar
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FRIDAY - Hoylake
Hoylake first hosted in 1897, but was dropped in 1967 having hosted a total of 10 Opens, before being re-introduced in 2006. Since then it has hosted twice with Tiger Woods memorably winning and Rory McIlroy following him in 2014. It’s due to host again in 2023. Hoylake is normally regarded as the least striking of the Open venues, its first six holes being pancake flat. It’s a course you rarely ‘get’ first time as its challenge is in subtle undulations and nuance.
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SATURDAY - Liverpool (rest day)
We’ve had a fairly strong run between St Andrews and Hoylake, with some challenging transport arrangements. Liverpool on Saturday offers you the chance to recharge a bit. If you’re a music fan, than you probably need look no further than the Beatles story. The city is otherwise vibrant and there’s usually something you’ll find to entertain you.
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SUNDAY - Royal Lytham
Lytham is a strange course aesthetically, being sort of surrounded by houses. It’s the one links that hosts the open where you don’t get views of the sea. The course first hosted in 1926 and has done the honours a total of 11 times now. The most recent data that Faraway Fairways have compiled however using every shot played in the last edition of an Open and adjusting for prevailing conditions, would seem to suggest that Lytham, with its numerous bunkers was the toughest on the rotation now. With the resort town of Blackpool just a couple of miles up the coast, Lytham offers you chance to let off some steam as your final assignment
The St Andrews Links Trust don't publish ballot strike-rates. Faraway Fairways do occasionally succeed in extracting an off the record opinion however. In addition to this, we’re also able to draw on our own evidence, and that which we’re able to extract from credible co-operative partners (usually hotels) plus what other tour operators might tell us. We have a good guideline idea of strike rates by month of the year and by day of the week
It needs to be stressed that these are indicative averages only. Different parts of a month will behave differently dependent on any end of factors. The ballot is quixotic and unpredictable, Extended runs of good or bad luck can, and do, happen. They are provided in good faith, but can of course fail, and can't therefore be used as a basis for compensation
Multiply by the number of days you are available to give you a guideline
Ballot Strike-Rates
MONTH OF THE YEAR
| APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT |
| 59% | 21% | 20% | 16% | 14% | 17% | 19% |
DAY OF THE WEEK
| MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN |
| 20% | 21% | 16% | 23% | 15% | 30% | n/a |
St Andrews 'Guaranteed' Tee Times
There is a heavy price premium on a guarantee a tee-time. Plus they usually involve a minimum hotel stay in St Andrews of at least three nights, playing an additional St Andrews course is mandatory, and normally a minimum food & drink spend in a specified hotel. So are they worth it? The answer to that question really is "it depends ...". If money is no object, and you don't mind paying much more than you might need to, and you're short of time, then they might be. Otherwise Faraway Fairways wouldn't be convinced and would tend to encourage folk to try the 'advance guaranteed ballot' as a first resort
Handicap requirements
Muirfield & Royal St Georges - Both clubs ask for 18, the tightest of them all. So long as you can meet these you'll be OK everywhere else
St Andrews advise the following for the Old Course. “A current official handicap card (Golf Club affiliated to a Golf Union/Association) record or certificate must be presented to the starter prior to play. Maximum handicaps – 36 for both gentlemen and ladies. St Andrews will not accept letters of introduction from a local Club Professional”.
Carnoustie - 28 for gentlemen, and 36 for ladies respectively.
Royal Troon - 20 for gentlemen, and 30 for ladies
Royal Portrush 18 for gentlemen, and 24 for ladies respectively.
Hoylake 21 for gentlemen and 32 for ladies respectively
Birkdale requires the presentation of a handicap certificate/ book. They don't specify a limit, but so long as you can satisfy Muirfield you'll be Ok
Royal St Georges requires an additional letter of support from your home club
Some known issues to consider
One of these courses will be hosting an Open in any given season and will likely be shut from June 1st until it's finished in mid-July.
St Andrews, and Carnoustie, jointly host the Dunhill Links challenge in the first week of October
Muirfield open their diary at the end of March for play the following. Something like a 12-18 month lead time. The popular times sell-out within weeks. If you wish to include Muirfield, this is the planning timeline we'll need to observe
To get all ten to line up sequentially and avoid the numerous competitions and tournaments they all host every year is very tough. Don't be surprised if we struggle to get a full-set. Windows where we can get the lot are few
Royal St Georges only really permits fourball visitor play on Tuesdays. Muirfield only permits visitor play on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Troon only permits visitor play on Monday's, Tuesday's and Thursday's. Birkdale and Hoylake don't permit visitor play at weekends, and Birkdale limits their Friday slots to just five tee-times. Portrush barely permits visitor play on Saturday's, (sufficiently restricted to the point where we can't rely factor it in) but otherwise has a complex rotation of morning and afternoon times on different days of the week. St Andrews doesn't permit any play on the Old Course on Sunday's
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