An OPEN Championship Preview By Mike May As Scotland gets ready to host the 152nd OPEN Championship at the Royal Troon, the 36th Senior OPEN Championship at the Carnoustie, and the Women’s OPEN Championship at the Old Course at St. Andrews, one of the best ways to understand and appreciate the nuances of classic links golf is to give you a glimpse of one specific Open Championship venue, Royal St. George’s Golf Club, which I was fortunate enough to play during a trip to England, in 2018. During that fact-finding mission, I played the Royal LOCATION: Located in the county of Kent, the course overlooks Sandwich Bay with stunning views of the iconic White Cliffs, just outside the charming medieval coastal town of Sandwich. In fact, Royal St. George’s is often referred to as ‘Sandwich.’ HISTORY LESSON: To date, Royal St. George’s has hosted 15 OPEN Championships, 13 British Amateur Championships, five British PGA Championships, two Walker Cups, plus a Curtis Cup. St. George’s Golf Club, located in the extreme southeastern English county of Kent. It was a stunning day and the starter told me from the outset, “Expect a day of millionaire’s golf.” It truly was just that. ORIGINAL PLANS: Built in 1887, Royal St. George’s was designed to be the ‘St. Andrews of the South’ and has hosted more OPEN Championships, 15 in all, more than any other golf course outside of Scotland. Indiana Golf Journal
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