The Open - Part 1 What is The Open?
Welcome to this blog entry by GFI GOLF, I hope you are doing well.
We will be publishing Three Parts to this blog entry and explore The Open along with Links Golf. You are welcome to come back!
Just as a reminder and a general rule, we will publishing the 1st of every month from here onwards. However having said that if time permits, in addition we will also post additional entries time permitting.
Part 1- What is The Open?
What is The Open?
Well this is one of golf's greatest tournaments and rotates across several courses within the UK annually. It is also known as one of the 'Majors', the 'must win' batch of trophies that cements a Pro among the best. Win several Majors and you are certainly up there.
Due to the covid situation last year, the tournament was sadly postponed, the next one is at Royal St Georges Sandwich Kent (https://www.royalstgeorges.com/).
The last one was in Northern Ireland at Royal Port Rush, a fantastic venue and strongly recommended (https://www.royalportrushgolfclub.com/). I managed to attend this one prior to a good friends wedding. Sitting in the gallery watching several golf holes from an excellent vantage point, there was a tremendous buzz and great atmosphere.
The first Open was played in Prestwick Scotland in 1860!
When is the Next The Open?
We are super excited that the next tournament is very soon indeed! It is on between the 15th-18th of July 2021.
What is the Prize Money for the Winner?
The purse for the tournament in 2021 will be circa 10.7 million USD spread across the best finishers.
Where is The Open Traditionally Played?
The tournament takes place on golf courses of exceptional championship level quality and of 'links type' found on coast. The beauty of links golf is that the weather conditions can change wildly from one day to the next, from the front nine to the back nine, time of day and tidal direction (ie wind impact) can also come into play.
To date there have been many The Open Championships, an incredible history that captures the imagination of all players.
Golf Tips
How Do You Adapt to a Links Golf Course?
Links golf is a true test of skill and creativity. Professionals usually know their club distances and can 'dial in'. Yet with changing wind conditions, the player needs to go up or down a club length to get the same outcome as if there was no wind!
An extreme example would be using a driver on a par 3 if the wind was against you. If chipping to the green, you need to know the strength and direction of the wind. Many players 'bump and run' keeping the ball low but you run the risk of hitting an uneven contour on the course. It is a trade off vs the wind impacting the flight of a high ball.
Links greens can often be quite expansive in size giving the player ample area to aim for but commonly well defended by round destroying pot belly bunkers, with very steep inclines.
What Should I Wear or Pack for Links Golf?
It is recommended you try to plan for all occasions and pack several items in your car! Generally a golf umbrella, water proofs (to protect from any intense rainfall), a cap (to protect from the sun), and a wind breaker top (to protect from any blustery wind).
It is also worth checking the 'bounce' classification on your wedges, depending on the firmness of the green approaches this can play a major role and prevent the 'topping of the ball'.
Next Blog Entry
In Part Two we will be looking into The Open further and past winners....
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Are you a fan of Links Golf? Tell us in the comments below what you like or dislike about this type of golf.....
Take good care and have a great day. Get some birdies!
Best regards,
GFI GOLF