COURIER OPINION: Is St Andrews prepared for the 150th Open influx?

With less than a month to go, final preparations are being made ahead of the 150th Open at St Andrews.

The Fife town, recognised across the world as the Home of Golf, is no stranger to putting on big events.

But, given the anniversary, this year’s championship is extra special and the crowds will reflect that too.

More than a million people tried to get tickets and, while the numbers are limited, galleries of some 290,000 golf fans across the week will still be the biggest in living memory.

That puts an enormous strain not just on the on-course infrastructure, but on the town itself – swelling it to several times its normal population.

Roads, restaurants, pubs and hotels will all be under siege during Open week and residents will have to be patient.

It is heartening therefore to hear from the police and the organisers that they are ready for the influx.

We hope that proves to be the case.

The championship deserves to be remembered as a celebration of golf and for the positive spin-offs it brings in terms of prestige for the area and the multi-million-pound
economic benefit it promises.

It will be a sad day if it is remembered for any other reason.