Open golf at Birkdale; ticket ballot

[CaptJohn]

As a follow on to the World cup ticket topic has anyone received tickets in the Open golf ballot? I, along with my son and son in law applied and none of us has received any. They were stupidly priced TBH but I was going to push the boat out and get tickets for either the Thursday or Friday. No such luck and lots of my friends at Chester golf club haven't received any either.

[Big Vinny K]

As a follow on to the World cup ticket topic has anyone received tickets in the Open golf ballot? I, along with my son and son in law applied and none of us has received any. They were stupidly priced TBH but I was going to push the boat out and get tickets for either the Thursday or Friday. No such luck and lots of my friends at Chester golf club haven't received any either.

Me and my mate both applied for 4 each for one of the practice days and for the Friday too. Plan was that if we both got them we would only go ahead with one of them. I didn’t get them but my mate did so we got lucky.

Think the prices are ridiculous though. They’ve gone up by around 70% since Covid - pretty much like everything else.

If you want a great alternative try the Scottish Open. Fantastic field and venue and much cheaper.
Ladies Open is at Lytham next year too and that’s really cheap.

[CaptJohn]

Big V; lucky you. I know friends who've got practice days but no one with one of the actual competition days. It's a far cry from the "good old days" when you could pay at the gate. Sound familiar?? I go up to St Andrews every year playing golf so I don't want to do the trip twice but will definitely go to the Ladies Open at Lytham. Cheers.

[dushanbe]

I got three in the ballot for the Tuesday or Wednesday practice day, but then decided against bothering when given the chance to buy them. Last time it was at Birkdale I just went over on the Wednesday and paid on the gate. I suspect it'll be same this time around. They try to put a scarcity value on the tickets by using a ballot to sell them but I'd be surprised it you can't just rock up on the day of practice.

[Big Vinny K]

Big V; lucky you. I know friends who've got practice days but no one with one of the actual competition days. It's a far cry from the "good old days" when you could pay at the gate. Sound familiar?? I go up to St Andrews every year playing golf so I don't want to do the trip twice but will definitely go to the Ladies Open at Lytham. Cheers.

For sure.
Remember going to Lytham on the Friday when Seve won and just paying on the gate. It actually got cancelled after a couple of hours due to torrential rain but we got to go back on the Saturday for free.
Unfortunately golf has become like a lot of sport these days - overpriced, far too busy and full of people who are going there on either corporate or just to drink and have no interest in the golf.

[jrgbfc]

We went to one of the practise days at Hoylake in 2023. Was enjoyable enough, surprised at how relaxed it was. Players would stroll out, join a group for a few holes then wander off. I can remember still just being able to rock up and pay when Tiger won at Hoylake, about 2005/06?

[Andreshotboots]

Just go to Hillside Golf Club then walk over the dunes, sorted!!

In all seriousness though golf, cricket and many other sports are rapidly flying down the same route as football in terms of extortionate costs to attend live. There will be a point in the not too distant future where people will just say no...

[Winstonswhite]

I got two for the Sunday. £140 each. Not sure I even want to go on that day though as it’ll be ridiculously busy and probably better on tv, but it was a spur of the moment thing as I never expected to get them in the ballot.

I would highly recommend trying the resale platform the week of the tournaments as that’s how I got some for Hoylake. Good luck.

[quoonbeatz]

Yep, got Thursday/Friday.

[Claretforever]

Four of us got Wednesday and Thursday. I prefer the Wednesday as it’s very relaxed and the player have a laugh with you. I just think you get to see more. Hoping for nice weather.

[Scott Arfield's Swag]

I was lucky enough to get 2 for the Thursday. Just working on the logistics. Probably going to stay in Liverpool on the Wednesday and Thursday nights. Haven't been since it was last at Royal Lytham. That was a brilliant day.

[exilecanada]

Just go to Hillside Golf Club then walk over the dunes, sorted!!

In all seriousness though golf, cricket and many other sports are rapidly flying down the same route as football in terms of extortionate costs to attend live. There will be a point in the not too distant future where people will just say no...

Didn’t Tommy learn his trade at Hillside Golf Club? I’ve only ever been to one Open, 2001 at Royal Lytham, still have the wind jacket I bought, still fits I’ve volunteered at three Canadian Opens though.

[Burnley1989]

Just go to Hillside Golf Club then walk over the dunes, sorted!!

In all seriousness though golf, cricket and many other sports are rapidly flying down the same route as football in terms of extortionate costs to attend live. There will be a point in the not too distant future where people will just say no...

Yup, its the way they feel the need to squeeze every penny they can out of an event by making it bigger every year, all it does is drive the cost up and drive away your life long fans.

[Big Vinny K]

Didn’t Tommy learn his trade at Hillside Golf Club? I’ve only ever been to one Open, 2001 at Royal Lytham, still have the wind jacket I bought, still fits I’ve volunteered at three Canadian Opens though.

Might be wrong but thought it was Formby Hall that Tommy grew up playing.
I know he’s got a car park spot there and the day after he won his first PGA event a few weeks ago they were interviewing members there about him.

I’ve played Formby Hall every year for the last 20 years in a comp we enter.

[CaptJohn]

I've seen Tommy practising at Heswall golf club as his coach at one time was the pro there. I've never like Formby Hall GC. Too much water.

[exilecanada]

Might be wrong but thought it was Formby Hall that Tommy grew up playing.
I know he’s got a car park spot there and the day after he won his first PGA event a few weeks ago they were interviewing members there about him.

I’ve played Formby Hall every year for the last 20 years in a comp we enter.

After further research you are correct, Tommy did started at Formby Hall.

[Tribesmen]

I an sure i read somewhere that it was around $850 for a day at the Ryder cup in New York ?

[Cheshireclaret]

Two us applied for 4 tickets each for the Wednesday and we both lucked out, but I know a good many people that have missed out entirely including, unusually, the practice days.

As for The Ryder Cup, 2 of my mates went on the Friday and Sunday this year and paid £500 for each ticket, so £1,000 each, but both said money well spent!

[exilecanada]

I am sure I read somewhere that it was around $850 for a day at the Ryder Cup in New York ?

I read $750/day but ya, whatever the amount was it was waaay too much considering many of the attendees were so pi**ed up they probably don’t remember being there