ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – Linnea Strom’s assigned locker number in the most famous clubhouse in the world is No. 124. Past champions of the AIG Women’s British Open and amateur champions have name cards on their lockers this week in the Royal and Ancient Clubhouse. World No. 1 Nelly Korda’s, for example, is situated next to Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific champion Wu Chun-wei. The rest of the field simply has a hand-painted gold number.
This isn’t the first time LPGA players have used the iconic clubhouse, which dates back to 1854 and is situated directly behind the first tee and 18th green at the Old Course. It is, however, the first time the best in the world have utilized the clubhouse since the membership voted to admit female members a decade ago.
Last April, the clubhouse reopened after its most extensive renovation in 100 years, adding new women’s facilities among other upgrades. This week, LPGA players are actually utilizing the larger men’s locker room space as well as the new heritage lounge, where they can recover in comfort with compression boots and locally made protein bars and balls.
“Probably the nicest locker room we’ve had, ever,” said Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh, adding, “They smell quite nice. Usually we get old lockers that smell like old feet and stuff.”
Jenny Shin called the stately locker room area “absolutely phenomenal,” giving a small group of scribes details on the toilet stalls, down to the look of the toilet paper holder and handles.
The new club storage room can handle up to 500 bags, and players drop theirs off daily this week. Players also have a chance to shop in the new Royal and Ancient Clubhouse Shop, which is normally open only to R&A members and their guests and features items with the exclusive R&A logo.
In addition to the facilities of the R&A Clubhouse, there’s also a nearby Players Clubhouse, a temporary structure designed to meet a variety of needs for players and their guests.
“In terms of the services,” said past champion Georgia Hall, “the players’ lounge, it’s the best Women’s Open we’ve had, like, facility-wise.”
Open two hours before the first tee time until 9 p.m., players can eat three meals a day in the stylish, first-class tent, which features a coffee bar (with free alcohol) a full gym and cold-plunge tubs.
While players can bring their caddie and two guests into the Players Clubhouse, there’s a players-only black-out room that offers a quiet respite. The mental health room includes Infrared light, eye masks, weighted blankets, coloring books and Ishga spa beds that heat up and pulse waves for those needing to block out the world.
In the makeshift salon, players can have their nails and makeup done or get a facial after a long day in the elements.
Doctors onsite can look after most ailments and even have an MRI machine at their disposal. There are three tournament-provided physios on hand to stretch and massage, though many players travel with their own.
The dermatologist offering free screenings for players, caddies and staff is booked solid and has detected cases of melanoma in recent years.
Players can look up information on everything from the benefits of an ice bath to what’s recommended for lunch using a QR code. The dining area includes food descriptors in English, Japanese and Korean. Forget cold cuts, chefs are on hand to make any kind of specialty dish a player might desire. There are egg stations and smoothie stations. The Sashimi salmon plates are especially popular.
Last year, players asked that instead of ready-made salad bowls, they have a build-your-own salad bar, with plain protein – grilled fish and chicken.
They also asked that everything open 30 minutes earlier so there’s not such a rush to eat breakfast and prepare for the day. Tournament officials took each request to heart, such as removing treadmills from the pop-up gym and adding heavier free weights.
Stacy Lewis was on the phone near the ping pong table on Thursday afternoon after her round, unwinding after a brutal day in the wind. The nearby concierge desk, which books free tours of the area, takes care of laundry and sorts out transportation, spent quite a bit of time this week tracking down lost luggage on behalf of players.
Lewis, who didn’t realize they could’ve helped, mentioned that daughter Chesnee’s bag had only arrived that day.
“This is the R&A effect,” said Lewis, “the resources and knowing the right people.”
While the public often measures progress on the quality of the course and the weight of the purse, and rightly so, these behind-the-scenes amenities go a long way toward making the best in the world feel like they’re being taken seriously as athletes.
Doors that were once closed to women have begun to crack open. Even the Royal and Ancient ones.
Check out photos from the iconic R&A Clubhouse as well as the Players’ Clubhouse:
