When I say “golf trip,” I know what’s popping into your head. A bunch of testosterone sitting around, drinking beers, and insisting that they’re usually better at this sport than they’re playing that day. Maybe that’s you, and you’re feeling triggered right now.
But that’s not us, probably leaving you wondering why we’d fly nine hours across the ocean and watch a golf tournament.
For golf enthusiasts and uninterested patrons alike, a trip to The Open is one of the most unique and incredible experiences you can have, and I’d encourage you to incorporate it into a summer European adventure.
The Open (or The British Open to us Yanks) is one of four Major Championships played on the PGA Tour each year. It’s the most prestigious tournament played on European soil every calendar year, and is played on a rotating set of courses in either England, Scotland, or occasionally, Northern Ireland.
Outside of some wind and occasional rain (maybe slightly more than occasional), July is an ideal setting for an English holiday, so if you’re there anyways, you might as well join the 100,000+ people that visit The Open over the course of the tournament!
Like I said, the course for The Open changes every year. You can find the upcoming course schedule here, and while few of the venues are in major UK cities, all of them are pretty easy to get to!
The tournament is most likely going to be in either England or Scotland - Northern Ireland has only hosted twice, most recently in 2019, meaning it’ll probably be a while before they head back.
Between London, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, there are a ton of international flight options for any budget. And, best of all, once you’re there, the trains are an amazing resource for getting around.
Personally, I’ve found that flying into Manchester is often cheaper than the major Scottish airports, so if you are trying to get to one of the courses on the northern side of the island, consider still flying in and out of Manchester, and then using the trains as a resource to save some money. It’s definitely worth getting to see the English countryside, as well!
Manchester is also a fantastic train hub! Here, you can see a rail map of the entire island, and easily purchase tickets to get where you need to go. Purchasing advance tickets (i.e. buying your tickets ahead of time) is a great way to save money, and the time train you get on is still flexible, in case your flight gets delayed or there’s a long line coming into customs.
Overall, train travel in the UK is really affordable outside of the London airports. So, at least for The Open portion of your vacation, if you can avoid the London airports, you’ll save yourself a good bit.
As an American visiting The Open, I was ready for some sticker shock as to how expensive the passes would be. Fort Worth’s PGA Tour event every year starts at $50/day, and if you’ve ever tried to visit the Masters, you’ve probably considered a second mortgage on your house to be there.
So, I really thought it was a typo when I looked to find that one day at The Open would set me back a whopping 20 pounds. Surely, it meant to say 200. But nope, with a small discount for purchases on Mastercard (one of their official sponsors), we visited Saturday and Sunday of the tournament, which are the final two rounds, for $100. More information on tickets can be found here, and if you’re really interested, sign up for their emails to be the first to know when they go on sale.
The small towns that many of these courses are settled in does make finding a place to stay harder than, say, finding somewhere to stay in Edinburgh. One strategy could be to stay in the closest major city and just rail in every day. But, there’s also something really awesome about the way these towns light up with the energy of all the visitors, and The Open sets up exhibits and things to do all over the place.
Affordable hotels and Airbnbs do tend to book pretty quickly, leaving higher priced inns and cottages, but still, you don’t see a surge in prices the way you do around major American sporting events. Plus, staying in town, the bus systems set up free rides to and from the course, making it super easy to get around.
Best of all, every year, The Open sets up a Camping Village near the course.
They set you up with a tent (already pitched) and a sleeping pad, meaning all you need to bring is something to lay your head on and a sleeping bag. If you’re over 25, you can still stay at the Village, but for a small fee.
Imagine the Quidditch World Cup scene from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. We walked up and stood in front of what looked like endless rows of uniform tan tents, young witches and wizards mingling and playing games everywhere. I mean, I think we were all muggles, but one can dream, right?
At the front of the campground was a hospitality tent, filled with tables and chairs, TVs airing the afternoon of golf, and a bar with a few local taps and daily food specials. There’s also bathrooms with showers set up, like those really fancy restroom trailers you find at nice weddings or outdoor events.
If you’re up for it, the Camping Village is absolutely the way to go. Outside of maybe a music festival, I literally can’t think of another situation where you’re surrounded by young people from around the globe, just hanging out, and enjoying the energy and excitement of everything that’s going on around you.
Rumor: I’ve read The Open may be adding Glamping - no info on price or anything yet, but that may be another option soon!
Similar to tickets, you aren’t going to get gouged on food the way you would an American sporting event. There are a number of really great options set up on the course grounds, and you can also find breakfast and dinner in town before and after you hit the course.
Drink options were also pretty standard - Stella is a sponsor of the event, so their vendors were everywhere. But, most of the beer stands also had local tap options, and were located all throughout the course.
With the final round ending around 4pm on Sunday, we found it tough to get food. We were busy watching the tournament, and all the food stands had closed by the time the final stroke was played. Back in town, there was really nothing open. I honestly can’t remember what we ended up eating, but I do remember it not being fun to figure out. So, before you head to the course on Sunday, make sure you know of a place that will be open for dinner afterwards!
