Royal Liverpool questions

[mike_beene]

Does the club own what looks like another course across the street? Is the practice range set up there? During normal times is the OB practice ground set up like a range?Is it large enough to hit full shots? Do the members use to often? My guess is that it is similar to the Muirfield practice area,but that is just speculation. How many acres does the championship course fill? Looks like a tight property.

[David_Tepper]

Mike -

I believe RL does not own the property across the street. RL's practice ground is the area within the "copse" that is surrounded by the 1st and 16th holes in the normal routing of the course. That is the area that is out of bounds and is filled with tents & grandstands for this week.

Yes, the RL property is fairly tight, surrounded by houses on 3 sides and the beach on the fourth side. Looking at the view of the course in my old copy of the World Atlas of Golf, the property is more shaped like a triangle, with houses on 2 sides and the beach on the third side. 

DT  

[Bill_McBride]

The area inside the cops is a practice used by the members and guests.  IIRC we were hitting full shots.  Perhaps the current crop,of professionals would hit it too far.

I'm pretty sure the course nearby is a public access course which is used for the practice tee during the Open. 

[David_Tepper]

"I'm pretty sure the course nearby is a public access course which is used for the practice tee during the Open."

Bill M. -

It is Hoylake Municipal GC.

http://www.visitwirral.com/attractions-and-activities/hoylake-municipal-golf-club-p18426

DT

[mike_beene]

Thanks. You don't often see pros in wrong fairways.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Mike,

I did yesterday. I was marshalling on the 11th hole where the drive landed or finished. several balls came over from the 10th tee and several were send from the 10th tee onto the 11th fairway.

[Ivan Lipko]

I saw those huge spectator stands (or whatever those places where the spectators are sitting are called) and got a questions - will they remove them after the tournament is over? They don't look like a nice fit to the dunescape.

[Adam Lawrence]

I saw those huge spectator stands (or whatever those places where the spectators are sitting are called) and got a questions - will they remove them after the tournament is over? They don't look like a nice fit to the dunescape.

Errr....yes.

[Ivan Lipko]

yes they will remove them, or yes they don't look like an integral part of the course? ))

[mike_beene]

The R and A has some big stands that they move from site to site.Mark, now far in yards is it between some of the parallel fairways?Doesn't look like much room.Hope you didn't get hit and got to see some shots up close. Anyone have any idea how many acres?Looks like a tighter property than Muirfield, for example.Finally, without me going through the search engine, can someone tell us how far the par 3 green was moved on the front nine( I think hole 9 for the tournament but 7 usually) was moved to get away from the boundary. How tight is the left boundary on the holes like 8? Are there more boundaries in play here that Merion?

[Sean_A]

Mike

The proper 7th green is quite a ways from OOB now as the back 8th tee is just left.  I am not sure, but I don't think the green was really moved, just the OOB shifted and the banl hard left broken up a bit - could be wrong though.  I seem to have a memory of OOB still being left and quite boggy (not hard left, but 10-12 yards left - say the far side of the 8th tee) when I first played Hoylake circa 1990.  But, the OOB seemed to be quite arbitrary, meaning I think the cub owned the land in question.  I also seem to remember the 8th tee shot being tighter than today with OOB and horrible vegetation left.     

Royal (proper 17) was no question far tighter to the OOB and the road than now.  That was changed for the 2006 Open, but to be honest, I bet there was some pressure to change the green anyway.   

Ciao

[Bill_McBride]

The tee shot on 8 was very intimidating because you had to get the drive up to carry a wall of gorse right in front of the tee.   With OOB in front and left, you had to play dangerously close to the bunkers right.  

Hoylake offers a challenge on almost every tee shot.   It would be great to be a long hitter so you could lay up a lot!

EDIT:  I just saw Duboisson's tee shot at 8.  For those who have played Hoylake, does it appear some of the shrubbery in front of the tee has been cut back to reduce the blindness of the shot?  It's been a few years, but I remember that tee shot as completely blind.   Anyone?