Open fever might not have taken grip just yet, but it won’t be long until we start picturing long sunny afternoons on the links. As a Formby Golf Club member, I’m already doing so, as is much of the golfing community in the north west of England, where the 151st Open gets underway at Royal Liverpool (Hoylake) on 20th July. And my anticipation for golf’s oldest Major Championship has only gone up a notch after playing the famed course this week. It’s going to be special – that’s for sure.
So, how did a 7-handicapper (more like 10, which is how many shots I got) get on around the same layout that the world’s best players will face this summer? More importantly, what can we, as fans, expect from an Open course that will look a little different in places to how it did back in 2014, when Rory McIlroy got his hands on the Claret Jug?
