The Open Venue - Royal St George's Golf Club

Address: The Royal St. George's Golf Club, Sandwich, Kent CT13 9PB.
Telephone: 01304 613090 (Option 1)
Fax: 01304 611245
Website: www.royalstgeorges.com
Email: general@royalstgeorges.com

For ticket sales and Corporate Hospitality enquiries, contact the R&A directly on 01334 460010, or via the website www.opengolf.com

Since 1872 The Open Golf Championships have been played at venues which followed a course rotation. Initially there were three courses in the rotation, Prestwick, St Andrews, and Musselburgh, but currently there are nine courses in the rota, St Andrews, plus another four in Scotland and four in England. Royal St George's Golf Club is located in the town of Sandwich in the county of Kent in South East England and in 1894 it became the first Open Venue outside of Scotland. It last hosted The Open in 2003 and will host it again in 2011 on July 14th.

Royal St. George's Golf Club is one of the premier golf clubs in the United Kingdom and it'll be the 14th time the Championship will be played at the Club since 1894, when it became the first club outside Scotland to host the championship. Past champions include Ben Curtis, Greg Norman, Sandy Lyle, Bill Rogers, Bobby Locke, Reg Whitcombe, Henry Cotton, Walter Hagen (on two different occasions), Harry Vardon (twice), Jack White and John Henry Taylor. It has also hosted The Amateur Championship on 13 occasions. It's a great venue for golf from a spectator's point of view due to the layout of the course and the many natural vantage points affording great views of the action.

Dr Laidlaw Purves of the Royal Wimbledon Golf Club, designed and established the Club in 1887 in a setting of wild duneland and the Club was intended to serve the needs of London golfers who were only able to play their golf on crowded and unkept courses in the area. Named St. George's, it was to become the English rival to Scotland's St. Andrew's. Royal status was bestowed on the Club by King Edward VII in May 1902.

To tee off at the Par 70, 7,211 yard Course at Royal St George's, is to embark upon one of the sternest tests in Golf. In mid-July, fairways are firm, the greens are fast and the rough is up. The front nine is characterised by blind shots, scary dunes and terrifying bunkers, including the enormous bunker on the fourth, set into a sand hill that rises almost 50 feet into the air. The back nine, which occupies the northern half of the course, has less dunes but there are still plenty of undulations and the greens are arguable trickier. Holes 14, 15 and 16th, are perhaps the most daunting, and the 15th can stake a claim to being the toughest hole in Open Championship golf.

This Links Course provides a severe test for the best of golfers and the fact that only three Open winners, Bill Rogers in 1981, Greg Norman in 1993 and Ben Curtis in 2003, have managed to be under par after 72 holes, speaks for itself. Many holes feature blind or partially blind shots, although the unfairness element has been reduced somewhat, after several modifications in recent years.

Gate Opening Times

• Thursday 14 July - Friday 15 July - 6am
• Saturday 16 July - 7am
• Sunday 17 July - 7am

Police are advising all motorists travelling to The Open Championship by road to use the designated routes and these are as follows:

Travelling from the M25. Exit the M25 at Junction 2 and follow the A2(M2) coast bound. At Junction 7 of the M2, all vehicles should take the left hand slip lane and follow the signs turning right onto the A2 (towards Canterbury/Dover). Drivers should follow the A2 towards Dover and the ferry terminal. Drivers will then be clearly directed to the Park and Ride or towards their allocated car parks via either the A256 or the A258.

Travelling from South Kent

It is not recommended that any drivers other than local traffic from South Kent use the M20, A20 route through Dover Town Centre. Local traffic using this route should follow the signs onto the A2 (Jubilee Way) after which they will clearly be directed along either the A258 or the A256.

Travelling from East Kent

It is not recommended that any drivers other than local traffic from East Kent use the A257 Sandwich Road (via Wingham) or the A256 Sandwich Road (from Thanet). Local traffic using these routes should follow the signs.

Park and Ride

A Park and Ride facility is to be located off the A256 at Barville Farm. This will reduce delays for motorists who can park at a reduced rate whilst travelling free to and from the course on buses. The Park and Ride facility will be clearly signposted.

Parking Charges

Weekly Car Parking labels are available at a cost of £50.00. Weekly labels are only available in advance from The R&A and are subject to availability. Daily car parking, payable on arrival only, will cost £5.00 from Sunday 10 to Monday 11 July and £10.00 from Tuesday 12 to Sunday 17 July. Discounted car parking will be available in the Park and Ride facility from Tuesday 12 July. Operating times will be displayed on www.opengolf.com Daily coach parking, payable on arrival only, will cost £40.00.

Travel By Coach

National Express will take you direct to Royal St. George's especially for The Open Championship. For more information and to book visit www.nationalexpress.com. Services are available daily from 14 - 17 July 2011.

Travel By Rail

Southeastern will operate train services from London and throughout Kent, to Sandwich Station during the event. High Speed services will also be in operation from London St Pancras. Additional trains will serve Sandwich during the Championship. The course is approximately 15 minutes walk from Sandwich Station and a limited shuttle bus service will be in operation for elderly spectators and those with disabilities. For information on Train times and Ticket Prices closer to the event, visit www.southeasternrailway.co.uk or call National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50.

Travel By Air

The Open Championship's official helipad, located just a few minutes drive on private road from the nearest paygate, is operated by Helimates, which can be contacted on telephone 07890 026682 or by email helimates@tiscali.co.uk.