The rota of courses playing host to the Open Championship are close to ‘their maximum length’ according to R & A CEO Peter Dawson.
This year’s Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St. Annes will play 181 yards longer than when American David Duval won the 2001 Open when last staged at the Lancashire county course.
The course measured 6,905 yards eleven years ago but will this year will play 7,086 yards and will remain at a par 70.
“We are very close to the maximum length that allows us to extend all the Open Championship venues,” said Dawson.
“Royal Lytham has been lengthened 181 yards compared to the last time we are here and that’s two-and-a-half percent.
“So instead of hitting it 100 yards the players will now have to hit it 102 and a half yards.
“But the course will still be a challenge for the modern player and players will have to remember there are over 200 bunkers on Royal Lytham.”
Dawson, in his now annual pre-Open press conference, revealed there has been three significant changes to the course and particularly dealing with the seventh, 10th and 11th holes.
“Thirty-five yards has been added to the par five seventh while there has been a completely new green installed and now located some 20 yards from where it was in 2001,” said Dawson.
“The 10th has been lengthened 52 yards and we have installed a new raised tee at the par four 11th while the hole will now play close to 600 yards at 592 yards and that is 56 yards longer that before.”
In fact, there is only two holes on the course that players will find have not been changed and that is the par four fourth and par three 12th holes.
Dawson also revealed the BBC is under pressure with regards to the renewal of their contract to film The Open.
The BBC contract is up for renewal at the end of 2016.
Also at present the BBC coverage of golf is very limited with the TV network covering The Open, the BMW PGA and the Scottish Open.
However from 2013 the BBC is dropping TV coverage of the BMW PGA at Wentworth and the Scottish Open.
“Given the present financial constraints at the BBC it is a concern for coverage of the Open Championship going forward,” said Dawson.
“They know we have an eye on that and besides they need to be in the practice of covering golf to do it well.”
Dawson was asked his reaction to hearing former Ashes Cricket winning captain, Michael Vaughan being used by the BBC as an analyst during the recent Masters coverage.
“That seemed rather unusual,” said Dawson.
And is a big change of practice Dawson indicated as well spectators attending this year’s Open Championship will now be allowed to bring mobile phones with them to the course.
The R & A first banned the use of bringing phones to The Open in 2007 at Carnoustie.
“Spectators will be allowed this year to bring their mobile phones with them as there will be designated sites where they can use them,” said Dawson.
“We have taken advice from the various tours and spectators so we have taken the opportunity to reintroduce them.
“We had taken the decision reluctantly some years ago to ban them, and while we know it will not be easy for marshals, we are allowing them back on the course based on trust.
“Also we are hoping there will be peer group pressure if people do use the phone in places where they shouldn’t”.
