Location: Pinehurst No. 2 (and really, Pinehurst, NC in general) is probably the epicenter of United States golf. Next to Augusta National Golf Club, it’s as synonomous with the sport in the States as the Old Course at St. Andrews is in the U.K. Still, it’s hard to argue with a location on the Firth of Anything with a hole known as the “Postage Stamp” that’s hosted some tremendous tournaments through the years. Pinehurst, however, has the Payne Stewart factor going for it. Edge: U.S. Open
Food and Beverage: I didn’t devote a lot of time, energy, or capital to sample all the offerings at the two locations. That said, Carol’s fish and chips at The Open looked delicious. The egg salad sandwich I had at the U.S. Open tasted better than the BLT and Southwest Avocado I had in Troon. Edge: Even
Ease of Movement: Pinehurst was not very hilly while Royal Troon had plenty of uneven terrain. Even some of the cart paths at Royal Troon were filled with large rock (likely to prevent muddying) which made for uneven stepping. Additionally, the links layout seemed to make it less conducive to larger grandstands which meant more foot traffic was required which equalled congestion. Edge: U.S. Open
Weather: I realize event planners have no control over this. That said, it matters to spectators. The heat and humidity of mid-June in North Carolina vs. the unpredictability of coastal South Ayrshire, Scotland, in July. Give me cooler weather every time (even if it means rain). Edge: The Open
Volunteers: Each was delightful in their own way. I really enjoyed those at the U.S. Open who greeted us as soon as we entered the main gate. They offered to take pictures and direct us anywhere we wished to go. Though The Open’s volunteers didn’t provide similar gate service, they were plentiful and helpful when asked and seemed genuinely interested in what brought us Americans to their corner of the world. Edge: Even
Fellow Specators: Both turned out en masse (as you’d expect) for these events. I applaud the heartiness of The Open fans, however. While we settled in at the No. 14 green grandstand, there were folks on sides of us that were there as long as we were and a few who were there before we’d arrived. They were prepared for the elements and brought full-on picnics in their bags to sustain them through the hours they sat. And, to the untrained eye, it sure seemed as though the U.S. Open fans were more apt to spend time in the luxury suites and hospitality areas (e.g. air conditioned spaces) than they were on the course with the players and us general population folk. Edge: The Open
Transportation: The park-and-ride system at each was similar. Get into a queue, park in a big field, and hop aboard a motor coach that transports you to the gate. Interestingly, the U.S. Open’s park-and-ride was included in the prices of your grounds pass; The Open’s was an extra charge (but here again, the grounds passes to The Open were less expensive). The deciding factor on this one is proximity to the entrance to the venue. For The Open’s park-and-ride handled the security checkpoint before boarding the coach and the drop-off was less-than 50 yards from the entrance. The U.S. Open it was easily a short par-4 walk to security from the bus stop and then another wedge shot to the entrance. Edge: The Open
Toilet Facilities: I’m all about the creature comforts. While neither provided bonafide indoor plumbed facilities for us commoners, The Open came closest with more of a mobile trailer set up for its toilet facilities while the U.S. Open was full-on port-a-John. The latter lacked any airflow and, while drained nightly, were still prone to overflows and messes. Edge: The Open
Overall: The Open gets the nod. Perhaps because of the exoticness of traveling overseas or, just maybe, because it’s done this 152 times now, but the Royal and Ancient Golf Club hit more of the right notes for golf fans. While the U.S. Open felt like many other major sporting events in the states, The Open still had a golf tournament feel about it.
Depending upon your perspective we were either blessed with “Open Weather” or we were cursed with “Open Weather” on our Thursday return to Royal Troon Golf Club for the opening round of competition.
This clip pretty much says it all about what the weather was like Thursday morning at The Open Championship.
We left our flat in a light rain and traveled the hour and a half to the course in similar conditions. It relented long enough for us to get to the bus and most of the way to the No. 14 green grandstand where we had determined we were going to set up shop for a spell.
And then the precipitation began falling again, the wind kicked up, and it – basically – felt like a late March day in southeast Michigan. Except, of course, it was mid-July and we were over 3,000 miles away from home along the Firth of Clyde’s coast in western Scotland.
Why No. 14?
Our view of the proceedings from the No. 14 green’s grandstand.
We made the decision to settle in at the greenside grandstand at the par-3, 14th hole based on a few factors:
The conversation I’d had with a local fella the day before when we watched a few groups play the famed “Postage Stamp.” He had attended three previous Open Championships at Royal Troon and believed No. 14 offered terrific vantage points of the action on the tricky par-3. It also allowed for viewing the hole’s tee shots as well as those at the subsequent No. 15.
It was not too far from the entrance, the Spectator Village (e.g. food and beverage), and the – ahem – facilities.
Based upon my prior experience at the U.S. Open Championship in June, I knew that attempting to follow players or just bounce around from hole to hole was not an ideal strategy to maximize our viewing of, you know, actual golf.
Weather aside, No. 14 treated us well. We arrived before lengthy queues to get into the grandstand began forming. We secured seats about halfway up just off the aisle. We needed only wait about 10 minutes before the morning’s first threesome made its way to us.
Our (well, My) Goals
Allow me to state, for the record, my wife, Carol, was absolutely great about the entire experience both days at Royal Troon. She is not a golf fan, but does enjoy an event and is supportive of my endeavors, no matter how quirky they may be. So when I mentioned that, in a perfect world (i.e. the weather holds up and/or we don’t become excruciatingly hungry), I’d love to stay in our seats until Game 20 played the 14th (about five hours later), she was accepting of the idea.
Clockwise from upper left (all action from the No. 14 green), Bryson DeChambeau prepares to putt, Justin Thomas follows through, John Daly does his best Big Lebowski impersonation, Justin Rose places his ball, Rory McIlroy sets up for a chip shot, Tony Finau’s par putt is about to drop, three balls all lined up, and Ludvig Aberg following his greenside chip.
The good news, lasted until Game 20!
The not so good news, we endured just about every element but snow while there. But the conditions were probably kinder to us than they were to McIlroy, who arrived at No. 14 already +5 for this round.
His tee shot missed the green short and right, but it didn’t stop the full grandstand from giving him hero’s welcome and he wound up chipping close and sinking his par putt.
From left, Rory McIlroy, Tyrrell Hatton, and Max Homa approach the No. 14 green.
Flight Pattern
The first couple of times it happened it caught me off guard and I was ill-prepared to capture it. The next time, I heard the low rumble in the distance and pointed my camera skyward.
You see, No. 14 is (or at least was, on this day) in the flight pattern for aircraft approaching nearby Gatwick International Airport. I cannot image standing over a putt and one of these aircraft buzzing my tower (so to speak).
My only regret was not keeping the recording going to see the plane literally vanish beyond the No. 14 tee grandstand. Crazy!
Break Time
Following better than five hours in the elements, a visit to the Spectator Village and the covered seating was, indeed, a priority.
Lunch wound up being sandwiches and chips (er, crisps), but each played second fiddle to being under cover and out of the wind for a spell. We also found a high-top table that afforded us opportunities to stretch our legs after being in a grandstand for so long.
We also shared our high-top space with a couple from London (she via Denmark) and, among the myriad experiences at events like this, often times it’s the opportunity to meet and interact with folks from across the globe. This pair, it turned out, have a son who met an American in college and now lives near Asheville, NC, so there was discussion about the Great Smoky Mountains, Dollywood, and even the Durham Bulls. Turns out the couple had attended a baseball game when there to visit and could not believe how long it took to complete.
I spotted Justin Rose doing an interview on the way to lunch.
Returning to the Course
Following our break, I made the pitch to Carol about heading out to see if we could catch a glimpse of Tiger Woods. She was game so we ventured back into the sea of humanity.
Along the way we lingered at the No. 16 tee for a bit where we caught glimpses of Italy’s Guido Migliozzi, and Americans Sean Crocker and Tommy Morrison. Morrison, an amateur from the University of Texas, wound up making the cut and finishing 60th at The Open and, in so doing, raised his world amateur ranking to No. 19. I thought he looked tall, but figured it was due to the elevated tee. Turns out he’s 6-foot-9!
American amateur Tommy Morrison stands a whopping 6-foot-9.
After making our way to the opposite side of the 16th tee, we found an open spot along the undulating rough of the No. 4 fairway where the galleries were swelling; a telltale sign that Tiger approached.
A quick look at sea of people following the afternoon’s marquee groups at Royal Troon Golf Club.
Woods’ group, which included eventual 2024 Open Champion Xander Schauffele, was next to arrive and Woods looked – in a word – miserable. Though one under upon arrival, the rapidly deteriorating conditions were not doing the 48-year-old legend any favors. He wound up bogeying No. 4 and double-bogeying No. 5 on his way to an opening round +8.
Regardless, it was still a memorable moment to be part of the gallery – at a Major Championship – watching Tigers Woods, the best player of his generation. And, as noted above, a happy accident was getting the chance to see eventual champion Schauffele keeps my streak alive of witnessing competition shots from the would-be winners at the two Majors I’ve attended (DeChambeau at the U.S. Open and now Schauffele).
Spotted along the No. 4 fairway, clockwise from upper left, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Collin Morikawa, Shane Lowry, Xander Schauffele, and Tiger Woods. (Woods photo by Carol Hill)
Finishing Hole
After catching a couple more groups following Woods and chatting up a fella from Knoxville, TN, who was sporting a Detroit Lions hat having lived in the area for several years back in the early 2000s, we began heading for the exit, but first a check on No. 18 to see what was cooking.
The answer … pretty much nothing.
The grandstands were mostly empty and not likely to build again until the marquee afternoon groups made an appearance. We did happen upon an errant tee shot by Dan Bradbury, a player on the DP European Tour. Bradbury was in the closing moments of shooting an 11-over-par opening round 83. The good news is that he striped his second shot from the rough and was able to get up and down to save par.
Despite the crush of people around the marquee groups, there were opportunities to get extremely close to the action. Here, on No. 18, Dan Bradbury and his caddie survey the lie and what lie ahead.
That’s All Folks
And that was pretty much it. We made our way back to the Spectator Village nearest the entry gate and I lingered trying to soak as much in as I could, realizing this might be my last time at The Open Championship. If so, it was a remarkable time spent with my partner for the past 29 years. No, we didn’t get to experience any of the roars that are synonomous with golf’s majors or see a trophy presented to the champion golfer, but we did witness the lion’s share of the world’s top 25 players, spend two days on one of golf’s great courses, and, in so doing checked off the Event No. 2 on Around the World in 80 Sporting Events.
A few final looks at Royal Troon Golf Club and The 152nd Open Championship, clockwise from upper left, the master manual scoreboard in the Spectator Village (every players hole-by-hole score is posted), Ludvig Aberg works on his short game at the practice green, Justin Thomas owned the first round lead when we departed, the Marine Hotel sits adjacent to Royal Troon, and the Troon beach and ferrish wheel in the distance.
A final look at Royal Troon Golf Club before we headed to the bus.
Well, so far, that does seem to be the case, doesn’t it? Event 1 was the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, NC, and here I am about to tell you about Event 2, The Open Championship in Troon, Scotland.
(Sort of like The Ohio State, the Brits have chosen to capitalize the ‘T’ in ‘the’ and simply omit the word British from the title, altogether. Odd, I know.)
There are other sports on the list (see it here) and, in fact, the next three will be non-golf events. Having said that, there is a Solheim Cup and President’s Cup – both golf events – on the horizon later this fall.
But I digress.
My calendar and the sporting event schedule dictates what I’m able to attend and, thus far, that’s been two of golf’s Major Championships. So, just like Xander Schauffele I’ve got a pair of golf majors under my belt this year.
Why The Open Championship?
As previously stated, it is one of golf’s four Major Championships.
But beyond that, it’s one of those iconic events that always seemed so surreal, so distant, and so out of reach to my younger self as I’d click on the television Saturday and Sunday mornings of The Open weekend and find myself pleasantly surprised to be able to watch live golf while enjoying my morning bowl of Fruit Loops.
It became more tangible in 2022 when – purely because I already had tickets to a Pearl Jam concert in London’s Hyde Park around the same time – I submitted my name for The Open’s Ticket Ballot (e.g. lottery) and was successful in securing four passes to the Tuesday practice session of the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews, the birthplace of golf. Our family made a United Kingdom holiday out of the two events.
A few shots from our family’s 2022 trip to the United Kingdom. Clockwise from upper left, Alnwick, Scotland; the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh; the Swilcan Bridge on the 18th hole at the Old Course in St. Andrews; Diagon Alley at the Warner Brothers Studios in Watford, England; the Achilles Statue in London’s Hyde Park; the clocktower at Edinburgh’s Heriot School; and London’s Battersea Power Station.
Now famililar with the Ticket Ballot process, I decided to tempt fate last fall and submit my name for the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon. Fate was, apparently, on my side as my request was successful for practice sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday as well as Thursday’s competition day.
With these tickets secure before 2023 turned to 2024 and before I’d decided to retire, The 152nd Open Championship became – by default – the first confirmed event for Around the World in 80 Sporting Events.
Where to Stay
Troon sits along the west coast of Scotland and as I began researching possible travel routes, it became clear that flying into and out of London’s Heathrow Airport didn’t make much sense. Proximity wise, it’s about 430 miles away which would be a lengthy drive and connecting through Heathrow to either Edinburgh or Prestwick wasn’t appetizing either. Furthermore, the airfare into and out of Heathrow from Detroit Metropolitan Airport was considerably higher than that to Manchester, England, (especially from Windsor, Ontario’s airport) which lies in the northwest of the country.
Once it was decided to fly to Manchester, the next big decision was to rent a car or rely on the train system to get to the sights we hoped to see. Our family had an interesting experience with the U.K.’s rail system in 2022 (see post here), so after lengthy consultations with my wife Carol (who would be the primary/exclusive driver) it was determined we’d rent. From there, I built out an itinerary of our time abroad that included time in northwestern England as well as the western part of Scotland and the Scottish Highlands.
What I quickly determined was not in my budget was staying near Troon. I kicked the tires on hotels and Air BnB’s in and around Glasgow, but because many didn’t offer parking, I finally settled on a flat in the village of Balloch at the southern end of Loch Lomond which appeared to be about an hour to an hour-and-a-half drive to Royal Troon.
Some of the sights around Balloch, clockwise from left, our flat sits in the dormer window above the Blue Lagoon restaurant; Balloch Castle sits in the park near our flat; the harbor near Balloch; and a look out into Loch Lomond at sunset.
Traveling to Troon
By the time we’d arrived in Scotland – following four days in England – Carol and I had developed a pretty good rhythm for handling driving not only on the opposite side of the car but also the opposite side of the road.
We knew the route our GPS would take to get us from Balloch to Troon would be the most direct route which would, no doubt, include smaller and – as such – narrower roads. With this knowledge we decided to override our GPS – which we’d named Effie for many reasons (what letter does it sound like?;-) – and stay on the more heavily traveled – and wider! – thoroughfares.
It was helpful in that we weren’t confronted with multiple roundabouts on small roads, but it did add about 15 minutes each way to our drive and provided us with an Effie moment when it didn’t exactly state what it meant (or, perhaps we didn’t understand what was intended) that allowed us to see some parts of Glasgow we weren’t expecting to see.
Once back on the highway, it was smooth sailing until we found the inevitable traffic that comes with major events such as this. Still, it was a fairly issueless trip into Troon and to the Park & Ride Lot.
Clockwise from upper left, The Open’s Park & Ride Lot, the view from upstairs in the shuttle bus, the shuttle bus queuing at the Park & Ride Lot, and some random signs as we idled through stop-and-go traffic toward said lot prior to Wednesday’s Practice Session.
The Postage Stamp & Other Troon Sights
Unlike our trip two years ago to the Old Course at St. Andrews, I didn’t have too many memories from my youth and that bowl of Fruit Loops about the Royal Troon Golf Club.
If there were any it’d probably be the short par-3, eighth hole, known as “Postage Stamp.” It plays as the shortest hole of the courses regularly hosting The Open (just 123 yards by the book) and its green’s landing zone is tiny, angular, and surrounded by the ubiquitous pot bunkers (e.g. the moniker Postage Stamp).
So if there was one spot to see at Royal Troon it would be the eighth.
It was a trek to get back there. Like most links-style courses, the front nine go out in relatively linear fashion and the back nine come in similarly. That said, No. 8 was just about as far away from the entry point as a hole could be.
A multitude of views of No. 8, from left, a shot of the massive grandstand surrounding the tee, the robotic camera cable seen overhead, a look at the green with players, and the view of the green from the grandstand.
It did not disappoint. There were queues to get a seat – on a practice day! – and the views from tee to green were spectacular. We lingered to watch a few groups (including Keegan Bradley, Viktor Hovland, and Adam Scott) move through.
I also took advantage of having a local and 3-time attendee of Royal Troon Opens to get some tips for where to set up shop the next day: His choice, the 14th green’s grandstand. His rationale, it’s a par-3 so you’re able to see the tee shots, all of the action on the green, and tee shots at No. 15 as well.
Following his recommendation, we did venture to No. 14 and checked out both the tee and green grandstands in an effort to see how our Thursday might be spent.
We also worked our way over to the massive grandstand at No. 18 and climbed to the top to get a 360-degree perspective of the course and the town of Troon. We were headed to the No. 1 tee grandstand but discovered it was closed for the day:-( Foiled!
Clockwise from upper left, the view of the first tee and the Firth of Clyde from atop the 18th grandstand; a player hits out of a greenside bunker at the 14th; a look from ground level through the rough to the 18th green and grandstands; the Firth of Clyde and Little Craigs Island; the scoreboard atop the 18th grandstand (can you spot the author?); the Marine Troon Hotel sits adjacent to the course; 2023 Open Champion, Brian Harman; a ferris wheel sits along the beach in the town of Troon; the Royal Troon Clubhouse behind the 18th green; the view from the 14th tee; a look back up to the seventh tee; and the view from the 14th green.
All in all, spending the final non-competition day on the grounds at Royal Troon was time well spent. It’s a more relaxed atmosphere, less crowded than competition days, and – it turned out – the best weather of the week. It also allowed us to do some reconnaissance for our return trip on Thursday.
Now if only the partly sunny skies we enjoyed Wednesday would have had the same foresight!
Next Time: The opening round of competition at the 152nd Open Championship
