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The Open Championship is always one of the highlights of the summer holidays for my son Hogan. For the past few years I’ve made our trip to the Open a fun start to his summer break by planning a mini adventure for the two of us.
This year’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale was undoubtedly one of the best we’ve been to in terms of how much enjoyment Hogan got out of the two practice days we attended. At 12-years-old he’s now of the age where he actually understands the significance of what the players are competing for, to recognise the world’s best players who he watches on TV (and their funny challenges on YouTube) and to really have an appreciation for their skills, as he’s fast becoming a really decent player himself.
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Playing off a 10-handicap (and coming down) he has a keen eye for technique, which meant that when we were sat in the driving range grandstand watching the players hit balls and then following them for a few holes of their practice rounds, Hogan was able to pick up on the intricacies of shot selection, watching club choices, and bump-and-run options to navigate Birkdale's hard, bouncy links. Sharing that technical appreciation with my 12-year-old son, golfer to golfer, made this trip very special.
In years gone by the main attraction of the tournament for Hogan was always the tented village. He loved taking part in all of the fun games like the Longest Drive and Nearest the Pin contests, and of course the mega Long Putt!
Although he definitely still enjoyed the games, the highlight this time around was the big outdoor skills zone where we got to play ‘real golf’ as he described it, putting on the same style greens as the players and testing out our chipping and short game skills in competition zones.
This interactive element really made his day, I think he thought he was preparing to take part in the Open himself! Regardless of their ability level every kid was having a great time here, you could even get a free bunker lesson from a PGA pro and I know plenty of players who would benefit from that!
Although the food and drink in the tented village are always a bit pricey (a margarita pizza and a portion of chips set me back £20 and a single Mr Whippy ice cream £6) the entry ticket is so inexpensive for kids that it’s still a cheap day out, especially if you plan ahead and bring your own backpack and a picnic.
The excitement of autograph hunting is also a thrill, especially if you come away with a flag full of signatures. Hogan got his hat signed by Bryson DeChambeau, who ironically went onto be the tournament villain with his controversial two-shot penalty for trampling down the long grass and improving his lie in the deep rough.
All I can say is that DeChambeau was a delight to chat to briefly, polite and engaging, and stood for over an hour in the baking heat at the end of a long practice day, making sure that every single fan who wanted an autograph, a picture, a high five or simply a ‘hello’ wasn’t disappointed. I’ve made my judgement of his character from that.
My advice to other parents who are considering planning a trip to next year’s Open Championship is to start now. The tournament returns to The Home of Golf, St. Andrews, in 2027 and it’s going to be epic! The famous university town is packed with entertainment and fun attractions for kids. We were lucky to attend the special 150th anniversary of the Open Championship last time the tournament was in town and enjoyed the beach, the castle and R&A museum amongst other things.
There’s also a brilliant public swimming pool that does a fun inflatable splash session for kids and several well-positioned holiday parks where you can book a budget stay or go glamping in the Open village. In fact, I’d better get booking my accommodation now before you’ve all read these ideas and the best places are reserved!
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