Royal Aberdeen - Open Venue

[Josh Stevens]

I am only watching on pirate internet feed, so not getting it at its best, but Aberdeen seem impressive.  It is testing the pros, lots of interest and variety, is in a decent sized town and has pleasant views.

Why is it not considered an Open venue?  What am I missing, it  certainly is more interesting to watch than the likes of Lytham for example. Is it logistics?

[Niall C]

Josh

Almost certainly. I don't think Aberdeen has ever been considered as a location but after Portrush who knows. Whether or not it's got the room for an Open, I don't know, but it will be interesting to see how it copes with the Scottish Open.

Niall

[Adrian_Stiff]

I always think that the Amateur championship is the fore runner of the Open itself. I think any course that stages the Open has had the Amateur before, and courses that have had the Amateur and not an Open is more a case of the logistical reasons as the staging of an Amateur seems to tick the boxes that the course is good enough.

Royal Aberdeen has not staged the Amateur. It does look an interesting course so maybe there are happy times ahead.

[Greg Taylor]

Too far north... Wouldn't attract the crowds I suspect, and doesn't have the "cachet".

It's been said on the coverage but when the wind is in to your face the back nine is a brute. The fairways are too narrow however there is less "quirk" some other courses on the open rota. The 2nd is a lovely hole.

[Jonathan Mallard]

Too far north... Wouldn't attract the crowds I suspect, and doesn't have the "cachet".

It's been said on the coverage but when the wind is in to your face the back nine is a brute. The fairways are too narrow however there is less "quirk" some other courses on the open rota. The 2nd is a lovely hole.

Dornoch has hosted the Amateur.

[Steve Okula]

I've been watching it on television, and it occurs to me we don't get to see nearly enough Tour stops on links courses. Whatever the conditions, it's far more compelling viewing than 95% of the courses we the pros play.

[Tom_Doak]

There are probably 50 links courses in the UK that could host The Open -- with a bit of lengthening and tightening by Mr. Dawson, but of course the same caveat applies to courses which are already ON the Open rota.

The thing is, they don't need 50 different sites for The Open.  They've already got plenty, if not too many.  There are none of them I want to see left out of the rotation for 10+ years so they could put Royal Aberdeen in.

[Sean_A]

There are none of them I want to see left out of the rotation for 10+ years so they could put Royal Aberdeen in.

I would happily see Aberdeen replace Troon, Lytham or Turnberry. 

Ciao

[Jonathan Mallard]

There are probably 50 links courses in the UK that could host The Open -- with a bit of lengthening and tightening by Mr. Dawson, but of course the same caveat applies to courses which are already ON the Open rota.

The thing is, they don't need 50 different sites for The Open.  They've already got plenty, if not too many.  There are none of them I want to see left out of the rotation for 10+ years so they could put Royal Aberdeen in.

Tom,

Of the 50, if not Aberdeen, which ones would you put in?

I'd start with Royal County Down.

[David_Tepper]

It is a little surprising that Royal Aberdeen has never hosted the Amateur Championship, especially since it has been held at both Nairn and Royal Dornoch, which are even further off the beaten path.

Royal Aberdeen did host the 2011 Walker Cup and hosted the 2005 British Senior Open.

[Thomas Dai]

It would be nice to see RAGC hold The Open. "...a noble links...". The cities infrastructure should easily be up to it, the course too. We'll see.

BTW, I heard on TV today that the Scottish Open's going to Gullane in 2015 (using a composite course made-up of holes from G1 and G2 says the BBC), and then to Castle Stuart in 2016. There was also I think a comment about it visiting other courses around Scotland in the years to follow, although I may have this last bit wrong as I was kinda half-snoozing at the time!

atb

[Mark Bourgeois]

There are none of them I want to see left out of the rotation for 10+ years so they could put Royal Aberdeen in.

I would happily see Aberdeen replace Troon, Lytham or Turnberry. 

Ciao

You must really hate Aberdeen to push its architecture into the clutches of the R&A.

[Ivan Lipko]

If your well being depended on the scores you shoot you would say the same thing.