Martin Dempster: No excuse for Open to milk fans

Viewing the likes of Sergio Garcia at an Open Championship has become a pricey business. Picture: Getty

The main reason that an event won by Phil Mickelson attracted a disappointing attendance of 142,036 was a price increase that led to the cost of a daily ticket rising to £75 and a weekly pass going up to £260. On the back of what happened in East Lothian, it was no surprise that the R&A froze prices for this year’s event at Royal Liverpool, where, despite that, the attendance sent out a mixed message. Yes, at 202,917, that was well up on Muirfield. At the same time, though, it was around 26,000 down on the event’s last visit to Merseyside in 2006.

Based on the last two stagings, the Open Championship has peaked in terms of its pulling power. Golf, like many other sports, is starting to feel the pinch at the gates as people find their disposable cash has been reduced by a rise in the cost of living across the board.

The money that might have been put aside in the past for a day out at golf’s oldest major and a splurge in the merchandise tent simply isn’t there any more for a lot of people.

Yet, as they go on sale today, the ticket prices for next year’s Open have been increased again, the daily admission going up another £5 to £80 if bought after 31 May. Purchased before then, the cost is £70, with concessions, in fairness, remaining untouched from this year and kids under-16 continuing to get in free.

It’s a policy the R&A have implemented for a number of years now and deserve praise for doing so at a time when the game needs every encouragement that can be given to kids to become the next wave of club members and, in turn, paying customers at tournaments.

So, why has the R&A hiked the daily ticket price up again so soon after fans voted with their feet at Muirfield? Simple. Next year’s Claret Jug joust is, of course, at St Andrews and any staging of the event at the game’s spiritual home is the proverbial cash cow.

Despite the fact it’s one of the worst viewing courses in golf – due to its flat terrain and crowds always being on the outside and, most of the time, a fair distance away from those massive double greens – the numbers are always through the roof for St Andrews.

In 2000, it set a new record of 230,000 (subsequently matched by Royal Liverpool in 2006) while the 2010 figure, although only the fourth highest for the Old Course since the R&A started keeping figures at Royal Troon in 1962, also broke the 200,000 mark.

At 82,500 more than the figure for the previous year at Turnberry, it is easy to see the importance to the organisers in commercial terms alone of the event being held at St Andrews, hence why it is now on a five-year cycle there as opposed to the approximate ten-year wait between visits for every other course on the rota.

“There is always a special atmosphere at St Andrews and we will be working hard to deliver an outstanding experience for spectators once again,” said Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at the R&A.

I’m sure they will because, in the likes of Cole-Hamilton, who cut his tournament teeth with the PGA in Scotland, the R&A undoubtedly has individuals committed to trying to ensure the event is on par, if not better, than the three other majors. It is disappointing, though, that a decision has been taken to increase the price again, especially for its first staging back in Scotland since that significant dip in East Lothian.

On making this point on Twitter, I was swiftly reminded that £80 is still significantly less than the £145 for a last-day ticket at this year’s Ryder Cup.

Correct. A Ryder Cup in Europe only comes around once every four years, though, and, on the strength of being a team event and one that grips the attention of non-golfers like no other, it still has enormous pulling power.

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Don’t knock Coltart for telling the truth

While the comment now appears to have been deleted, ‘Who does Andrew Coltart think he is?’ was a question asked on Twitter following a story on these pages just under a fortnight ago from an end-of-season Scottish Golf Union chat with a handful of scribes.

It involved some honest opinions being expressed by the likes of Coltart, Steve Paulding and Stephen Docherty, all three of whom are involved in trying to get Scotland’s leading amateurs performing at their best at every level.

Refreshingly, the trio sent out a clear message that, while pleased with an undoubted improvement this season, they aren’t going to be resting on any laurels and believe a bid to change a culture of Scottish golfers thinking the game owes them has only just begun.

Coltart has since been criticised for comments he made about Ewen Ferguson, last year’s British Boys’ champion, the inference being that he had been unfairly singled out. That wasn’t the case. Take Bradley Neil, for instance.

He may have won the Amateur Championship this season but neither Coltart, Docherty or Paulding spent the session blowing smoke up his backside.

While pleased to see a talented youngster claim the amateur game’s blue riband title, they also spoke about how Neil needed to improve as a stroke-play golfer given that format is the bread and butter in the professional game.

In his role as a special advisor to the SGU’s performance committee, Coltart isn’t there to fuel hollow dreams. He’s there to help talented youngsters, ones with a definite chance, to make the most of their ability.

In answer to that question, he was a winner as both an amateur and a professional, played in both the Walker Cup and Ryder Cup and knows the game inside out. If I had someone like that willing to offer advice and support, his phone would be red hot and not, as he revealed, almost stone cold.

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