R&A and MSc Sports Business and Management present: Planning the 151st Open
On Tuesday 6 June, the current students and alumni of MSc Sports Business and Management welcomed Alex Olsson and Charles Ratcliffe from the R&A to discuss, broadly, the planning of the 151st Open, held this year at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
The event was organized and chaired by current MSc Sports Business and Management candidate Alex Hives.
The presentation discussed the scale of ‘the Modern Open’ - now an event broadcasted worldwide with attendees from over 100 countries – highlighting the importance to ensuring infrastructural reliability and the challenges this posed. As Charles Ratcliffe (R&A) put it:
"Imagine building a full-scale, temporary town… in three months’’ Charles Ratcliffe, R&A
Key takeaways for our students included:
- Attention to Detail: It is key to work with both local and national infrastructure and environmental agencies to ensure that the ever-changing legislation is followed. From large-scale changes to golf holes working with world-class architects to specific instructions on how to deal with moving a Natterjack Toad (!) - no details are spared at a procedural level
- The Year of an Open at Royal Liverpool: A 24-week process for 6 days of action., working with contractors to build grandstands and hospitality all the while golfers continue to play the golf course. This is the key point where planning a Golf event differs from other professional championships, imagine trying to build the new Everton Stadium with ‘5-a-side’ games happening each hour on-site!
"The restitution period after The Open is always a bit sad, seeing all of the work that has happened over the build period be, quite literally, ripped apart’’ Alexander Olsson, R&A
- Engaging the local Golf community: Volunteers are selected from local clubs around the Liverpool region, from marshals to walking scorers, none of The Open would be possible without the keen golfers within local communities and this keeps the global event firmly grounded in its roots in local sport. This year, The University of Liverpool Golf Team is represented by 30 current students and alumni either as spectators or volunteers across many different areas during Championship week
- Sustainability: Like many global events, sustainability measures are key in the planning processes. From a renewed focus on renewable energy and a wholly electric fleet of transport for spectators and players to The Open Water Project, the R&A position itself at the forefront of a sustainable golf event
- Economic Impact of the Open Championship: During The Open at Royal Portrush, it is estimated that over 100m GBP was generated for the local area.
MSc Sports Business and Management Director of Studies Dr David Cockayne commented: “A huge thank you to Alex and Charles from the R&A for their time and sharing their insights and experiences of operating this calibre of a sporting event.
"Special mention also to Alex Hives who organized and chaired the event – I believe strongly in giving our students the opportunity to shape their learning experience and build their professional network while here at Liverpool, and tonight’s event is another great example of this!”.