The Open golf championship is coming to Southport and free golfing activities and fun will be offered to people as part of the Summer of Golf. During the championship, free activities will be going on in Southport town centre. The Town Hall Gardens will be hosting free golf lessons, first-tee experience, the American golf bunker challenge, are some of the many free events for visitors. They are invited Town Hall Gardens, on Lord Street, to take up one of the 6,000 fee lessons and other attractions during the championship.
Some of them are- a first-tee experience, a coaching zone, a bunker challenge, a nearest the pin, a mini putting course and long put challenge. Magnetic Activation and Provision Events (MAPE), the Southport sports marketing firm, has been hired to run the series of free events to engage golf fans, local residents and the more than 200,000 visitors expected to arrive.
Visitors can also find here live entertainment, food and drink stalls and also bars and cafes nearby. The Summer of Golf is an event being hosted at nearby Royal Birkdale, by the Sefton Council to coincide with the championship. Councillor Ian Maher, Sefton Council leader, said by hosting one of the biggest sporting events in the world, they wanted to use it to boost the local economy, ensure the benefits are reaped by businesses, grow opportunities and add to employment.
Mark Catherall, service manager of Sefton Council Tourism Investment & Employment, said they are happy to work with MAPE, as their track record, quality of offering, delivering of sports activations, really sold it for them. The free events and activities are to be run from 16 July (Sunday) to 23 July (Sunday), the final day of the Open golf championship. Over 200,000 visitors are expected here and to take up tickets to witness the 146th Open golf championship and the 10th at Royal Birkdale, being played.
