Hoylake To Host 2014 British Open

Originally Posted by BBC News

Royal Liverpool Golf Club is set to host The Open Championship in 2014, the 12th time the Hoylake links has hosted golf's oldest Major competition.

When The Open returned to Hoylake in 2006 after a 39-year absence, Tiger Woods became the first back-to-back champion since Tom Watson in 1983. The event drew about 230,000 people, a record for the championship in England.

"We are delighted the Open is returning to Royal Liverpool," said David Hill, the R&A's Director of Championships. "In 2006 Hoylake showcased links golf at its best and players, spectators and officials were united in their praise for the course and for the venue as a whole," he added.

Originally Posted by BBC News

Paul Cassidy, captain of Royal Liverpool Golf Club, added: "We are very proud of our club's rich heritage and the many memorable golfing moments staged at Hoylake since our founding in 1869. "We are extremely thrilled to be invited to host The Open Championship in 2014."

With The Open Championship estimated to boost the local economy by £70m each time it is played in the north west of England, the news has also been welcomed by councillor Steve Foulkes, leader of Wirral Council.

"This is fantastic news for Wirral. We look forward to getting ready to welcome new visitors to the peninsula, as well as returning golf fans who enjoyed themselves so much with us four years ago," said Mr Foulkes. The return of one of the world's biggest sporting events to Royal Liverpool Golf Club is not only great for Wirral but the whole of the North West."

Originally Posted by BBC News

In 1885, Hoylake hosted the inaugural Amateur Championship - the first of 17 to date - and, in 1921, it staged the first international match between Great Britain and the USA, a contest which would later become the Walker Cup.

The venue has witnessed a string of unique Open Champions.

In 1907, Arnaud Massy became the only Frenchman to have won the title, Fred Daly became the first Irishman to do so in 1947 and Argentine golfer Roberto De Vicenzo became the first South American to win a Major when he lifted the Claret Jug in 1967.

When Tiger Woods appeared in 2006 he said the Wirral course was a "fantastic test" of golfers' skills and "lent itself to amazing creativity".

This is fantastic news, and after the success of 2006, I had high hopes we would get it again one day. I actually really enjoyed it the last time round, though had to watch it on TV like most people lol. More revenue to the local economy and a boost for tourism, lets just hope the council don't go stupid again and waste all the money on cobbles and the like!

BBC News Report

I wish they wouldn't call it Royal Liverpool. Its not IN Liverpool

Of course there will be a plethora of reasons for calling it that, I know. But still...

With the Womens Open in 2012 as well this is good news.

I drove past today and they had 2 diggers on the fairway making new bit for the course by the looks!

I am not a golf fan but it is great news for The Wirral.

It was terrible last time. I lived in Hoylake when the last one was on and I couldn't literally couldn't get out my own flat to go the shops. God I hated it. I think it's a bad idea myself sends every one loony. Suppose I'm glad in a way i've moved now because of it but do miss the area lol

I'm with you snooze. I've always wondered why it's call that!

I think it's good news for the area as long as they don't go cobble crazy again!!

Maybe now they can update the sign when you got through the tunnel!

Im with EternalBlossom on this one.

I was a taxi driver up there at the time, what an absolute nightmare. We had arguments with the council as they wanted to shut our base down for a few weeks, go figure that one??? There was more trouble, the bars doubled the prices for food and drinks, there was shallow people looking for rich people to cling on to everywhere, drugs were rife as were prostitutes.
It was badly managed, badly thought out and badly executed on all levels. Maybe as an outsider just visiting it seemed ok, but trust me the whole thing was a complete shambles.
All it ended up being was a big jolly for the council boys who set everything up so they had a good time with the boys, stuff the public.

Horrible event organised by half wits.

I was told the old Arrowe Park roundabout was changed to the current traffic light system to make it easier for tourists to get to the Open last time it was here. That traffic light system is now no more than a cause of massive hold ups which also prevents ambulances getting to the hospital quickly when they have an emergency case on board. Which moron thought it up? Still, it will help the tourists get to Hoylake quickly in 2012, that's the most important thing, eh?

I have passed the Arrowe Park junction at all times of day, apart from the initial hiccup with the timing clashing with the timing at the cemetery, I think it is a huge improvement.

Queues from the Motorway junction are shorter at evening rush hour, queues from Thingwall in morning have shortened in time. The staff exodus from hospital can't be cured but I think even that passes through faster now as well.

Before the lights were fitted, the roundabout just let the busiest lanes pass and everybody else was at a standstill or crashed while trying to push in.

Its not ideal where you turn right from hospital towards Thingwall, or the right turn from the motorway into the top end of the Woodchurch. And visibility is poor on the give-way when you turn left from motorway towards Thingwall but at the end of the day, it is a very busy junction and the traffic keeps moving.

I hated it and to be fairly honest i am glad well i am hoping i will not be living in the area come the golf open again as much as i want to move back to the area, going to get my weekly shop pushing passed arrogant stuck up ye nose foreigners drinking on the streets outside the bars/pubs because they were so full. I ended up going to stay with a friend over in liverpool but even when i came back i had to come back to the WHOLE ENTIRE platform of hoylake trainstation rammed packed and had to force myself through the bunches of arrogant foreigners to just get off the train and they were so eager to get a seat on the train they were forcing me back, this resulting in me screaming at everyone to get the fook back and let me off before i hurt someone, this didn't go down very well. I am all AGAINST this again, it was a complete SHAMBLES. Hoylake was a nice quiet area that not many people knew were it was and i liked it like that. This subject winds me up too much lol

It was pretty obvious the area was going to be fully packed that week, didnt your common sense suggest to you to do some shopping beforehand?

I drove through it many times (my best mate lived in Hoylake at the time, right opposite the Golf Club) and yes it was slow and tailbacks, made worse by the intense heat, but it wasnt any different to many places on the Wirral during rush-hour.

I would however, like to think that they may have learnt some lessons from the last time it was, to help them manage it better this time around. It should be something to be proud of to be on the hosting cycle, and it will help house prices in Hoylake and the surrounding area's increase now that it appears to have placed itself in the hosting cycle. A weeks worth of hassle on the roads every 8 years for a nice increase in the value of ones home and investment into the local area isnt a bad price to pay. It was just as bad as when the Open was on in Hoylake, in Moreton a few months back, and all that was caused by bloody roadworks!!!

Once every 8 - 10 years is hardly the biggest problem in your life, just get over it and get on with life lol. Most people have more pressing worries in their lives lol.