The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Tourist economy gets in swing for Open
Hotels and attractions on alert for influx as council forecasts £70m windfall
It’s a highlight in any golf fan’s calendar, but The Open is also a giant feather in the cap of the local area in which it is hosted. And with more than 170,000 people expected to descend on Carnoustie between July 15 and 22, it is not just the Angus town itself that is expected to receive a boost.
Council officials expect a £70 million injection into the region’s economy during the week of the championship, as visitors flood in to enjoy one of golf’s most anticipated annual events.
For Angus Council, championship organisers The R&A and hosts Carnoustie Golf Links, this year’s Open will see many months of careful planning and preparation come to fruition, with nothing left to chance.
Alison Smith, head of economic development at the council, said: “It’s a multipartner effort, bringing together representatives from Angus Council, The R&A, the emergency services, transport providers and communications professionals. We also have our own internal group at the council where you see the breadth of departments involved.
“At a council level, we probably began formally meeting to organise the event 18 months ago. Cross-partner meetings have been taking place over the last year.
“We have people in the team who have been involved in hosting The Open before so we have looked at previous plans and, to a certain extent, you can update and refresh, but things move on, there’s new infrastructure in place and the event itself is increasing in size.
“We held a table-top exercise a few weeks ago where all the partners looked at different scenarios so that we are fully prepared. It’s common practice for every major event and it just shows the scale of what’s involved here.”
Part of preparing for an event of this size is learning from what has gone before in order to take The Open to new heights.
Alison said: “It’s fascinating because there’s a lot of good practice from previous events, but the global reach increases with every Open.
“We went down last year to spend time with Sefton Council who hosted the Open at Birkdale so we were able to learn a lot from there. And we have a team from Portrush in Northern Ireland, who are hosting next year, shadowing some of our work so there’s a lot of information sharing between teams as well.”
For the team at Angus Council, the aim is not only to create an event to remember for all the right reasons, but also to use the opportunity to generate a longer-term economic boost.
Alison explained: “To have a global event taking place in your county is huge in terms of economic development. The golf course at Carnoustie itself is world-famous, but people don’t always make the connection to the wider Angus area, and that’s critical for us.
“It’s about creating a legacy that will bring people back. We hope they’ll come and visit for The Open and then they’ll come back again and bring family and friends.
“In that sense, The Open is not just one week, it’s the legacy that it creates and it’s about getting (the event) right so we can make sure it comes back because it’s competitive in terms of other areas and other courses.
“It’s so important that we create a fantastic event, and that people around the world who are watching the golf, who see the images of other things filmed in the area think ‘this is a place I want to go to.’”
To help local businesses get ready, the council has been running training and roadshow events to ensure accommodation, catering and service providers capitalise on all the opportunities available and that there is the best possible mix of activities and hospitality for visitors.
Alison added: “Right from last year we’ve had information online about where to stay. That’s one thing that came out of being down at Birkdale, one of the main questions being asked was ‘where can I stay in Angus and Dundee, Perth and Kinross?’
“We’ve been really trying to make sure we can get that mixture of local activities, for people who are not just here for the golf but are here for a week at The Open camping village, or for six months as a contractor.
“We’re encouraging businesses to be creative and innovative to give tourists the best possible experience. We have fantastic products in the area, we want to make sure the welcome is good, the food is good and we really want to sell the assets that we have.”
The Championship Course at Carnoustie Golf Links has already hosted seven Open Championships – its first in 1931 – a Ladies British Open, and two Seniors Opens, as well as the Dunhill Links.
For head greenkeeper Craig Boath preparing for major events is a familiar part of his job.
Expectations on the standard of the green are very high at this level, with routine inspections carried out by The R&A to ensure the course is up to scratch.
Craig explained: “We’re always preparing for a major tournament and we’ve been quite lucky to have a good number of them here recently. This is a big one now, but we’ve been preparing for it really since the last Open in 2007.
“We work closely with The R&A and their Sports Turf Research Institute. They come round and do testing on the course – measuring firmness, moisture and smoothness. This year we’ve got six visits from them.
“Last year we had four and any other year we have two or three usually so we’re always in contact with them.
“The stats from the tests are there to see how we’re doing. They collect data from all Open venues so we know between the courses where we all are and what we’re trying to achieve. It’s competitive, but it’s a friendly competitiveness, we all talk to each other and are looking to borrow ideas.”
Seating at Carnoustie has been designed to ensure spectators can see the course from all vantage points, with thousands of grandstand seats available.
The largest stand has been constructed on the north side of the 18th, where there will be large pavilions for hospitality.
A new viewing area has been set up between the 7th, 8th and 12th holes, from where spectators can also view play on the 13th.
Fans are being encouraged to bring their families, with tickets free to children aged 15 and under, and discounts for 16 to 24 year olds.
A camping village, twice the size of last year’s Open, will include readypitched tents, inflatable beds, and even glamping options, with youth ticket holders eligible to camp for free. And with food and drink outlets on site at the spectator village, kids play area and giant screens, free golf lessons, putting, and the HSBC grassroots skillzone for children to develop their skills, The Open promises to offer all-round entertainment for visitors of any age.
For Alison and her team of organisers and partners, it will be the culmination of a lot of hard work.
“The eyes of the world will be upon us and this is a really good showcase opportunity,” she said.
“I think we’ve shown as a council that we can work together, we’ve worked well with The R&A and that’s part of our approach, proving we can facilitate large events of this kind.
“It’s going to be a busy summer for everyone involved and I’m looking forward to it.”