I had the immense privilege of being offered a game at Dean Wood Golf Club in the rural villages of Up Holland and Orrell, on a walk around Royal Birkdale on the day before The Open.
This James Braid gem in inland Lancashire is one of the many local golf courses honoured with sending marshals to The Open to hold the ropes and direct spectators across the baked Southport fairways this July.
Gary from Dean Wood started his volunteering stint on Sunday, and all seemed quiet before a tidal wave of fans followed Scottie Scheffler down the hill towards the par-3 7th green. The World No.1 had the benefit of an extra day’s practice after missing the cut at the Scottish Open.
Gary had just had a haircut, something he might regret during this week’s heatwave. 2011 Open champion Darren Clarke gave Gary and his fellow club members an early highlight of the week, telling stories in the only way Clarke knows how.
It is one of the great traditions of The Open. When the sheet goes up in the clubhouse of courses near to the host Open venue, members rush to pen their name to volunteer at the best golf tournament on the planet.
It is these volunteers that essentially prop up The Open, and they are all too happy to do it. Clothed head to toe in complimentary Hugo Boss merch, these volunteers and grassroots golfers essentially give up a whole week in the summer to get near to the best players in the world, and some exciting action.
As you can see below, this year, each golf course with marshals has been honoured with official labels up and down each hole. I went out and took a picture of all of them. It was a pleasure to discover the spectrum of clubs represented.
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I shamefully confessed to having never heard of Southport Old Links, even having lived in the northwest of England for the best part of a decade now. It’s not Southport Municipal either – the member I asked told me they have visitors to Old Links who make the same mistake and actually drive to the wrong golf course to begin with.
He was standing on the crosswalk in the dip short of the 9th green. He’s seen long drives reach this walkway already this week, such are the baked and firm conditions at Birkdale.
A married couple from Penwortham Golf Club near Preston were manning a walkway by the 10th green. The husband is determined to steal one of these precious yellow covers by the time the week is out. Can you blame him?
These volunteers are absolutely crucial in the organisation of The Open. The scale of their work and the coordination is no joke, and as much as it is a privilege, it also requires hard and long hours.
Take a look below at each golf course that is present here and Birkdale this week, and raise a toast to their endeavours.
1. Hillside
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2. Hesketh
3. West Derby Golf Club
4. Grange Park Golf Club
5. Formby Hall
6. Birchwood Golf Club
7. Dean Wood Golf Club
8. West Lancs
9. Southport Old Links
10. Penwortham Golf Club
11. Childwall Golf Club
12. Ormskirk Golf Club
13. Ashton-in-Makerfield Golf Club
14. Formby and Formby Ladies
15. Hurlston Hall
16. Huyton and Prescot Golf Club
17. Southport and Ainsdale
18. Leyland Golf Club
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