Open Golf 2008, Royal Birkdale

[stevie lee]

more details here http://www.britishopengolf.co.uk/index.php
this tournament is on July 17-20, 2008 at Royal Birkdale


A few of the golfers have already shown up in Southport and Birkdale, in my travels I haven't seen any yet - the golf course is 2 miles from my house and some golfers are renting houses around the corner, yey! (don't ask which, legally we're not allowed to say)

pretty much all of the hotels are fully booked, just a few of the smaller B&B's have still got rooms..



so - is anyone from HEXUS going? any HEXITES going? anyone care about golf? watching it on TV?

[No.72]

I'm going, I went to the last two of them! But I haven't booked a room yet....whoops, can I put a tent up in your garden

[stevie lee]

gardens a bit full of ducks, fallen over 50ft trees and 8ft grizzly bears, not much room..

if i find any hotels that still have rooms left i will let you know.. part of my job is delivering mobility scooters to hotels, i'll ask around over the next week or so.. just for you..

[No.72]

Did I mention I will pay you for the pleasure of using your garden?

[stevie lee]

hotel availability in july...

Balmoral lodge - full
Best Western Stutelea - full
the Penkelie - full
Alexandra & Victoria - full
Cambridge house - full
Crimond - full
Formby Hall Golf Resort & Spa - full
the Chadwick - full
Scarisbrick – full
Prince of wales – full
Bold – full
Royal Clifton - full

I will try and check the B&B's out for anyone who's interested.. theres a couple more smaller hotels, I'll check them too..

you can always rent a house: they're going from £3,000 up to £30,000 - yup we are a bunch of greedy barstewards in southport

dont ask about my garden: full of ducks, dont want to disturb them, protected nesting species and all that jazz.. so I can't rent it out even if I wanted to...
_________________________



back to golf news:

interview with Mark O'Meara: southportvisiter.co.uk

thats all for now..

[No.72]

My friend knows Bart Bryant who is probers renting a house, so I might be able use their garden.

[stevie lee]

other accommodation availability in july..

B&B's down Bold street & Bath street - everyone is full, no rooms, nuffink wotsoever..

only options:

sleep in car after finding an area where no-one is likely to call police - not near town center though, police patrols, rowdy drunk yobs, been a couple of shootings/stabbings this past year..

find a friend in southport who has room in their house.. (I dont have room so dont ask!)

check Liverpool hotels out - Liverpool is 45 minutes away on train.

thats's all for now..

[No.72]

I have found a B & B in Southport thats 10 mins drive to teh golf, through the power of good old mum.

[stevie lee]

I only checked the town centre ones..

glad you found a B&B though.. (interesting avatar!)

(forgot i made this thread.. oops)
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players entry list for the open... http://www.opengolf.com/Championship...EntryList.aspx..

website for info on the course itself .. http://www.royalbirkdale.com/home.asp

any other HEXITES coming to lovely southport.. we don't all bite..

[stevie lee]

information from http://www.southportvisiter.co.uk/so...1022-21320859/
PARKING:

The R&A has organised four official public park and ride sites located in Birkdale and Southport town centre. Buses servicing the park and ride sites will only be available to Championship spectators.

On July 13, 14, 15 cost for Park and Ride is £5.

On July 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 cost for the Park and Ride is £10.

Weekly reserved spaces £45 are available from R&A ticket sales on 01334 460010.

Southport - Esplanade Park & Ride & Princes Park & Ride Sites

Traffic will be directed to these park and ride sites via the Formby by Pass/A565 and Coastal Road from the south and via Water Lane/A565 from the North.

From Esplanade a dedicated bus service will then shuttle spectators to Royal Birkdale via Victoria Way - Rotten Row - Weld Road - Westbourne Road - Grosvenor Road - Trafalgar Road before arriving at Greenbank Drive.

From Princes Park, the shuttle service will run along Victoria Way – Rotten Row – Weld Road – Westbourne Road – Grosvenor Road – before arriving at Trafalgar Road.

Birkdale - Carr Lane Park & Ride

Traffic arriving from the east and south east will be directed to this park and ride site via the A41/A55/A483, M53 (junct 11), M56 (junct12), Runcorn Bridge, A5300, M57 (J7), A59, A5147, New Cut Lane, Guilford Road before entering the park & ride site at Carr Lane.

From Carr Lane, the shuttle service will operate from a collection point situated on Liverpool Road and run along Waterloo Road – Gainsborough Road – Trafalgar Road - Selworthy Road – Sherringham Road – Cromer Road – Trafalgar Road before arriving at Selworthy Road.

Birkdale - Bedford Park and Ride

Traffic arriving from the east will be directed to this park and ride site via the M6 (junct 26), M58 (junct 3), A570, A506, Long Lane, B5197, A59, A570, B5243/Birkdale Cop, Moss Road, Guilford Road entering Bedford Park at Lyndhurst Road.

The shuttle service will operate from a collection point situated on Bedford Road Liverpool Road – Arundel Road – Waterloo Road – Gainsborough Road – Trafalgar Road - Selworthy Road – Sherringham Road – Cromer Road –before arriving at Trafalgar Road.

Parking along park and ride routes to and from the golf course will be restricted.
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PEDESTRIANS:

THE main entrance to the course will be located on Waterloo Road at the main entrance to Greenbank High School.

To assist pedestrians cross Waterloo Road there will be a temporary footbridge erected across the highway.

Pedestrian signage will be located along all the main thoroughfares to the course from Hillside Station, Waterloo Recreation Ground Car Park, designated taxi drop off areas and the park and ride drop off area situated at Greenbank Drive.
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[stevie lee]

deserves a post on its own..

MOBILE phones will not be allowed to be taken into Royal Birkdale for The Open.
To enforce this policy, the R&A will be locating mobile phone search at all the main park and ride sites as well as at the main entrance to the course on Waterloo Road.

Mobile phones can be left at the designated checkpoint and will be returned on departure from the course.

People caught using phones inside the course face being ejected.

[No.72]

park and ride was free the last two years. And if you clever, just put a mobile in a funny place in your bag where they wont look .

[bigblue]

I always think it's safer not taking a phone in at all. I just leave it in the car.

Theres always the risk that you'll forget to switch it off And you'll then get turfed out on your ear!

[No.72]

I always think it's safer not taking a phone in at all. I just leave it in the car.

Theres always the risk that you'll forget to switch it off And you'll then get turfed out on your ear!

I will always remember watching seve Ballesteros putting and this guys phone went off (nokia tone).
Seve went to lay into him but realised he was on a golf course, so just gave him plenty of verbal abuse in stead.

[bigblue]

I will always remember watching seve Ballesteros putting and this guys phone went off (nokia tone).
Seve went to lay into him but realised he was on a golf course, so just gave him plenty of verbal abuse in stead.

I've seen it happen once or twice too

A few years back, at the Dunhill, one of my mates went into one of the hospitality areas where phones were allowed. He finished his call, forgot to switch his phone off, came back out to the side of the green. Then we heard the dreaded "beep beep" of a text. He quickly turned and gave some dirty looks at passers by, shook his head, then hastily fumbled inside his jacket to switch the thing off!

Since then, I've always left the phone in the car. Quite glad to be away from the thing for a few hours!

[stevie lee]

getting close now..

alot of the golfers and business boss type people are already here, swaggering around the place, showing off in their bentleys and porsches - according to my mate, they have bombarded the other courses in the area to get some practice in and acclimatise to the climate..


I'll try to get photos if I see anyone famous.. daily score sheets too if I remember..