Today, I've give up my two tickets for The Open

Why?

Have I gone off golf? No.

Because I have something else on? Sort of, but that's not the main reason.

The reason is because I can't stomach the traffic getting out of major sport events.

I was at Silverstone at the weekend and the thought of going through all that again just a week later was too much. Yesterday, we waited 90 minutes until after the race and it still took us nearly 5 hours to do 110 miles.

I was at RSG in 2003 and it was poor getting out then, too.

I have no idea why the evacuation can't be organised better at these events, but I've had my fill for the moment.

Merc if you've not yet ditched your ticket, the Open comes around once a year. Surely a little traffic isn't the end of the world.
If you hate it that much get the train!

What day did you have tickets for?

Isn't it a shame all these beautiful 100+ year old golf courses weren't built beside the busy motorways to make them easier to drive to and from.......

I'm down at Sandwich this week and have to say that the park and ride system they set up is the most efficient system anywhere.
I got to the PnR at around 6.15am in 2003, waited no more than 3 mins for a bus and 5 mins later we're at the entrance, coming out was a similar story, no traffic chaos at all - of course the joy of leaving is that people will be spread out from 5pm to 9pm, I left around 7pm and had no problems at all.
I heard today that additional trains will run from Ebbsfleet to Sandwich too...

Grizzly, presumably that's to watch the practice? Can't have been many out today were there?
Is that park and ride from the official car park or from the train station?

MustPuttBetter wrote:Merc if you've not yet ditched your ticket, the Open comes around once a year. Surely a little traffic isn't the end of the world.
If you hate it that much get the train!

What day did you have tickets for?

As I said, it's too close to yesterday. I woke up this morning and thought "I just don't want to do the drive". On a good day, it would mean at least 4 hours in the car. Life feels too short, right now. I'll enjoy it on TV.

The tickets were for Saturday. I've given them to my mate - he was going anyway but was going to pay for his son. Now his son's going gratis.

The train is generally the best way to travel to The Open.
The R&A seem to have that one nailed.

The last Open at Troon I was sitting at home in my armchair less than an hour after leaving the course and I live 18 miles from the courses.

I read somewhere that special trains are being organised for RSG from London and the South Coast.

PS
I think kids under 18 still go free.

Doon the Water wrote:PS
I think kids under 18 still go free.

He's at Uni.

MustPuttBetter - no I'm down there from Thur.
The Park and Ride is on the A256 which is the road that runs from Dover to Ramsgate, I assume it's farmland they use but it's easy to get in/out (at the time I drove anyway), buses run every 5 mins or so and are no more than 5 mins from the course.
M2/A2 then it's signposted, unless they've changed it since 2003.
I can't believe there'll be more people this year than in 2003 given the financial state of the world so I'm not expecting travel to be difficult.

I can understand why Mercurio would feel how he does. Having been to a British Grand Prix I felt like never wanting to go to a sporting event again. Picked up at about 6 from a hotel to sit on a hillock for 8 hours to occasionally catch a glimpse of a car driving past...then sitting in a coach and then a car for another 5 hours.......seeing plenty of cars you dont want to.

Why anyone would want to go and watch F1 live I've no idea. I'd rather go to the nearest karting centre and watch members of the public go round in circles.

If you like a well thought out transport system for a sporting event then get yourself over to Wembley. It generally takes around an hour of staggered walking to get back to the tube which means by the time you have got the tube back to one of the main central London stations to get anywhere you will have missed the train that you want so end up jumping on any train in the remotely right direction and cabbing it. Decide to drive and its a couple of hours to get out of the car park and onto a major road.

I can excuse Silverstone and the Open as they have been there long before the infrastructure needed changing. Wembley is fairly new and still completely thoughtless...

sharrison01 wrote:If you like a well thought out transport system for a sporting event then get yourself over to Wembley. It generally takes around an hour of staggered walking to get back to the tube which means by the time you have got the tube back to one of the main central London stations to get anywhere you will have missed the train that you want so end up jumping on any train in the remotely right direction and cabbing it. Decide to drive and its a couple of hours to get out of the car park and onto a major road.

That is a commonly-levelled accusation at Wembley. All I can say is I have NEVER had that problem myself. OK the car parking is ridiculously expensive, but it's never been a couple of hours to get out of the car park, and once you get out of the car park it's pretty free flowing onto the North Circular

I've been to the old and new wembley many times for both the Stadium and Arena. One Saturday I was very concerned about transport and parking as I was going to the Arena for an evening gig (doors open at 6:30) and there had been a sell out crowd for an England international at the stadium with 3:00 kick off.

I arrived at the car park around 6pm and the football crowd had totally dispersed. Only a few drunken fans left sleeping on the underpasses.

Davie - i have to tell you that EVERY single time i've been to the new Wembley (around 10). It genuinely does take at least an hour to out of the car park gates and then another hour to reach any sort of main road with moving traffic.
I've not been for a while as i vowed never to go after the hassle getting home last time.
If you've not encountered that you must have been VERY very lucky!!

They're major sporting events, what were you expecting?

Okay that's a bit extreme for Silverstone but then you know how many people go? Surely it's comon sense to expect a bit of a wait getting out?

As for Wembley, I think access to / from is very good when you think you have nearly 100,000 people all going the same way.

I had intended going to practice day today and looked at the PnR option which seemed pretty good. Then I watched the weather forecast last night and it was dire to say the least so we decided not to go and to save our £60 plus petrol. Now it looks as though we made to wrong decision although there's still time ...... Got the day off anyway

Trains from St Pancras to Sandwich (which I read is a good 15 minute walk from the course) are the high-speed ones and pretty pricey. I looked at the price of the ordinary train and even using His Lordship's Freedom Pass for some of the journey it was prohibitive - and we'd have to go to London Bridge first to pick up the service - that's going backwards to go forward.

As for other sporting events, my worst experience was the London Golf Club a few years ago which must have the worst infrastructure in the world. Took us hours to get in and hours to get out (down a single-track lane). Kent Police tring to control the traffic were swearing "never again" (it was the day they let everyone in for nothing)and so it has proved. Went to Goodwood weekend before last and although getting in was a bit of a pain, getting out was fine as we were in the marshals' car park and were able to leave by the back roads.

Looking forward to four days of watching in HD on large TV! Glass in hand, of course

I think with the big sporting events, the amount of cameras they have on the courses, the best veiw is in front of the box with the slippers on and a glass of whatever your poison is in your hand

Lady, interesting that you experienced that at The London Club - the course is virtually built on an M25 slip road!

As for Wembley, I went to every England WC qualifier for the '10 WC and just found it really frustrating. I think that it is more to do with the event organiser's poor organisation with public transport because they could solve most of the problems by increasing the frequency of tubes and trains so that you can actually get back to central London at a sensible time to jump on a train home. My average journey was leaving the stadium at 10pm, getting to the tube for 11pm, getting back to central London for 11.40 and then having to get the wrong train home and a cab. If there were more tubes available then all of this would have been solved.

And as for concerts that can go on to 11-12ish the options are to leave early and miss the end, drive and not have a drink or stay up there and come back the next day. Again, could have been solved with a higher frequency of public transport.

JPX - re Wembley, i think the old Wembley could be excused as it had been there forever. But in building the new one they surely should have considered the road exits. You still have to drive half way round a bloody inductrial estate?! I don't think i've ever come across a more poorly designed venue in terms of congestion getting home.

You don't have the same problems for example at Old Trafford. The San Siro, even with the fiesty Italian drivers, is easier to get home from!

I have been to many Opens up here in Scotland. Troon,Turnberry,Muirfield,St Andrews to name a few. The biggest logjam is always the car park exits, especially on the last day when every one leaves at the same time. I always find that "the polis" seem to do an ace job on traffic management up here. Once out the car park (which can take an hour and a half) it's free flowing generally

JPX wrote:They're major sporting events, what were you expecting?

Okay that's a bit extreme for Silverstone but then you know how many people go? Surely it's comon sense to expect a bit of a wait getting out?

I expected a wait (but it doesn't mean I enjoy it) and for that reason I'm not going to The Open.

I still don't understand how it takes 45 minutes to travel less than a mile to get to the exit of the circuit and then nearly another 2 hours to get to the M40. Especially, when it is 90 minutes after the end of the race and over 20,000 people are staying behind for the post-race party.

I refuse to accept it can not be done much quicker.

I'm not sure how the crowds for The Open will compare to the crowds at Wentworth for the BMW (obviously there will be more at The Open but I'm not sure how many more). However I was amazed at how good the organization was at Wentworth.

I stayed to the bitter end of the final day, including the presentations, and then it was about a 10 minute walk back to the car park. We got in the car, drove straight out with no delays and the roads, while busy, were moving freely. I was home in about half an hour!

Bit off topic maybe, but I remember going to a Ryder Cup at the Belfry in '93.

We stayed in a travel lodge or something like and drove in everyday parking on another course. I remember it taking a while to get out but most people just waited patiently in line.

Of course there is always one idiot who thinks he can jump the queue. This time it was an impatient soul in a Ford Sierra who decided he could see an opening. Unfortunately driving the wrong way down a hole was unable to see a fairway bunker and ended up beached.

Laugh? Boy it was worth the waiting in traffic alone.

Mercurio wrote:

JPX wrote:They're major sporting events, what were you expecting?

Okay that's a bit extreme for Silverstone but then you know how many people go? Surely it's comon sense to expect a bit of a wait getting out?

I expected a wait (but it doesn't mean I enjoy it) and for that reason I'm not going to The Open.

I still don't understand how it takes 45 minutes to travel less than a mile to get to the exit of the circuit and then nearly another 2 hours to get to the M40. Especially, when it is 90 minutes after the end of the race and over 20,000 people are staying behind for the post-race party.

I refuse to accept it can not be done much quicker.

Bloody hell talk about a negative outlook. When not just make a few ipod playlists in anticipation of the wait and enjoy rocking out in the car with some mates. Hardly the end of the world and worth it to see some great sporting events. Some people would think it a dream to get tickets to F1 GB and the open in the same summer.

I will be attending an F1 race later in the year and will see a wait in the car park as a small price to pay.

McLaren wrote:

Mercurio wrote:

JPX wrote:They're major sporting events, what were you expecting?

Okay that's a bit extreme for Silverstone but then you know how many people go? Surely it's comon sense to expect a bit of a wait getting out?

I expected a wait (but it doesn't mean I enjoy it) and for that reason I'm not going to The Open.

I still don't understand how it takes 45 minutes to travel less than a mile to get to the exit of the circuit and then nearly another 2 hours to get to the M40. Especially, when it is 90 minutes after the end of the race and over 20,000 people are staying behind for the post-race party.

I refuse to accept it can not be done much quicker.

Bloody hell talk about a negative outlook. When not just make a few ipod playlists in anticipation of the wait and enjoy rocking out in the car with some mates. Hardly the end of the world and worth it to see some great sporting events. Some people would think it a dream to get tickets to F1 GB and the open in the same summer.

I will be attending an F1 race later in the year and will see a wait in the car park as a small price to pay.

Yeah that's a good point. This bloke (I assume) gets to see the British GP Live (not my cup of tea but amazing if you like F1 I'd assume) and had tickets to see the Open and comes on here moaning.

Do me a lemon.

what's wrong with getting road bikes?

LadyPutt wrote:I had intended going to practice day today and looked at the PnR option which seemed pretty good. Then I watched the weather forecast last night and it was dire to say the least so we decided not to go and to save our £60 plus petrol. Now it looks as though we made to wrong decision although there's still time ...... Got the day off anyway

Right choice I think LP, it's been wet and windy down here all afternoon!

I went to Friday's play 8 years ago and remember the P+R as being pretty good, but I know a few non-golf people who moaned about the congestion on the local roads around Sandwich and Dover. Hoping to get down either Thursday or Friday this time round, I'll see how it goes.

sharrison01 wrote:Lady, interesting that you experienced that at The London Club - the course is virtually built on an M25 slip road!

It might be adjacent to the A20/M20 (several miles from the M25) but you have to go down a long single track road to get to the entrance to the course. During ET competitions, the police turned the road into a one-way street (not a lot of fun for the people who live there) and reversed the direction at the end of play. Chaos ruled and that's one of the reasons even the Senior Tour don't play there any more.

By the way, the reason the course came to be built in such an out-of-the-way place (and be given such a grandiose name for somewhere near a village called Ash in Kent) is the original Japanese owners saw it was in somewhere called Stanstead Lane and thought it was near Stanstead Airport. The airport signs they had seen were for Biggin Hill!

LP, that is absolutely brilliant! No wonder they lost all their money on the place and had to sell it on.

I was only joking about the M25 slip road - it's just that when you play there all you hear is the constant buzzing of cars on the main roads close by. Not my idea of good value at £120 a round...

You can also hear the cars and/or bikes buzzing around Brands Hatch when there's something on - all adds to the atmosphere, I suppose!

Hibbz wrote:This bloke (I assume) gets to see the British GP Live (not my cup of tea but amazing if you like F1 I'd assume) and had tickets to see the Open and comes on here moaning.

You're going on as if they're as rare as rocking-horse shit!

Mercurio wrote:

Hibbz wrote:This bloke (I assume) gets to see the British GP Live (not my cup of tea but amazing if you like F1 I'd assume) and had tickets to see the Open and comes on here moaning.

You're going on as if they're as rare as rocking-horse shit!

No they are not rare but you must realise that you are lucky to have both the time off to attend these events and the money to buy what are expensive tickets. Whatever way you look at it you are lucky to have the chance to attend these two events in the same summer.

Mercurio wrote:

Hibbz wrote:This bloke (I assume) gets to see the British GP Live (not my cup of tea but amazing if you like F1 I'd assume) and had tickets to see the Open and comes on here moaning.

You're going on as if they're as rare as rocking-horse shit!

You'd probably moan about having to pick it up if they were.

McLaren wrote:

Mercurio wrote:

Hibbz wrote:This bloke (I assume) gets to see the British GP Live (not my cup of tea but amazing if you like F1 I'd assume) and had tickets to see the Open and comes on here moaning.

You're going on as if they're as rare as rocking-horse shit!

No they are not rare but you must realise that you are lucky to have both the time off to attend these events and the money to buy what are expensive tickets. Whatever way you look at it you are lucky to have the chance to attend these two events in the same summer.

We get weekends off in England, McLaren.

Have I got lost and found my way onto the Benefit Claimers' board or something? Seriously, if people can't afford to go to the GP and The Open if they wanted to, this country is seriously fucked. It's not about cost, it's about priorities.

Grizzly wrote:I'm down at Sandwich this week and have to say that the park and ride system they set up is the most efficient system anywhere.
I got to the PnR at around 6.15am in 2003, waited no more than 3 mins for a bus and 5 mins later we're at the entrance, coming out was a similar story, no traffic chaos at all - of course the joy of leaving is that people will be spread out from 5pm to 9pm, I left around 7pm and had no problems at all.
I heard today that additional trains will run from Ebbsfleet to Sandwich too...

hmmmmn

Used the park and ride on Wednesday's practice day. No problem, quick and easy to get in and out. Decided to do the same yesterday.... oh dear... massive queues everywhere. hour long queue to get into the car park, 30 mins to queue for a bus, bus then took 45 mins to get to the course, then another 30 mins waiting to get in. On the way home had to wait over an hour for a bus back to the car park, even though it was after 8pm and all the crowds had dispersed. All in all, not a pleasant experience!

raycastleunited wrote:

Grizzly wrote:I'm down at Sandwich this week and have to say that the park and ride system they set up is the most efficient system anywhere.
I got to the PnR at around 6.15am in 2003, waited no more than 3 mins for a bus and 5 mins later we're at the entrance, coming out was a similar story, no traffic chaos at all - of course the joy of leaving is that people will be spread out from 5pm to 9pm, I left around 7pm and had no problems at all.
I heard today that additional trains will run from Ebbsfleet to Sandwich too...

hmmmmn

Used the park and ride on Wednesday's practice day. No problem, quick and easy to get in and out. Decided to do the same yesterday.... oh dear... massive queues everywhere. hour long queue to get into the car park, 30 mins to queue for a bus, bus then took 45 mins to get to the course, then another 30 mins waiting to get in. On the way home had to wait over an hour for a bus back to the car park, even though it was after 8pm and all the crowds had dispersed. All in all, not a pleasant experience!

I'm sorry to read about your problems, fella, but it clearly justifies my decision.

Mercurio wrote:Have I got lost and found my way onto the Benefit Claimers' board or something? Seriously, if people can't afford to go to the GP and The Open if they wanted to, this country is seriously fucked. It's not about cost, it's about priorities.

Reminds me of a comment my boss made of an employee who had financial problems "I just can't understand how people get into so much trouble with money, just spend what you earn, simple"

.......he says with no mortgage, a company car with fuel paid for and £4000 a month coming in, while everyone else is lucky to take home a grand, put £50 a week into their old banger, and mortage / rant averaging £700. I know, let's spend £300 odd quid on tickets to F1 and golf, then complain how long I'm going to be sat in queues for.

Talk about blinkered!

JPX wrote:

Mercurio wrote:Have I got lost and found my way onto the Benefit Claimers' board or something? Seriously, if people can't afford to go to the GP and The Open if they wanted to, this country is seriously fucked. It's not about cost, it's about priorities.

Reminds me of a comment my boss made of an employee who had financial problems "I just can't understand how people get into so much trouble with money, just spend what you earn, simple"

.......he says with no mortgage, a company car with fuel paid for and £4000 a month coming in, while everyone else is lucky to take home a grand, put £50 a week into their old banger, and mortage / rant averaging £700. I know, let's spend £300 odd quid on tickets to F1 and golf, then complain how long I'm going to be sat in queues for.

Talk about blinkered!

I don't spend thousands on beach holidays or have any children. As I've already said, it's not about cost, it's about priorities.

Mercurio wrote:I don't spend thousands on beach holidays or have any children. As I've already said, it's not about cost, it's about priorities.

So having a family is where I went wrong! darn it.

It's another debate, but one thing I hate about this country is that you are no better off being a law abiding, hard working, family man than the unemployed lazy get next door who somehow has managed to get a council house and has been on two holidays this year, one to Egypt!!!!!!!!!!

JPX wrote:

Mercurio wrote:I don't spend thousands on beach holidays or have any children. As I've already said, it's not about cost, it's about priorities.

So having a family is where I went wrong! darn it.

I met a pension adviser a few years ago. We were talking through my life plan and she asked, "Do you have children?". "No", I replied, "and I won't ever be having any either". "Ah well, in that case, you're going to be loaded" was the good news she gave.

Mercurio wrote:

JPX wrote:

Mercurio wrote:I don't spend thousands on beach holidays or have any children. As I've already said, it's not about cost, it's about priorities.

So having a family is where I went wrong! darn it.

I met a pension adviser a few years ago. We were talking through my life plan and she asked, "Do you have children?". "No", I replied, "and I won't ever be having any either". "Ah well, in that case, you're going to be loaded" was the good news she gave.

:yahoo:

Maybe I could suggest the purchase of a helicopter to avoid the traffic then? And how did you get Flip (yes I know it'll change it to flip on my comment) to stay in your earlier comment?

Hibbz wrote:

Mercurio wrote:

JPX wrote:

Mercurio wrote:I don't spend thousands on beach holidays or have any children. As I've already said, it's not about cost, it's about priorities.

So having a family is where I went wrong! darn it.

I met a pension adviser a few years ago. We were talking through my life plan and she asked, "Do you have children?". "No", I replied, "and I won't ever be having any either". "Ah well, in that case, you're going to be loaded" was the good news she gave.

Maybe I could suggest the purchase of a helicopter to avoid the traffic then? And how did you get Flip (yes I know it'll change it to flip on my comment) to stay in your earlier comment?

I had to purchase the profanity package.

Mercurio wrote:

Hibbz wrote:

Mercurio wrote:

JPX wrote:

Mercurio wrote:I don't spend thousands on beach holidays or have any children. As I've already said, it's not about cost, it's about priorities.

So having a family is where I went wrong! darn it.

I met a pension adviser a few years ago. We were talking through my life plan and she asked, "Do you have children?". "No", I replied, "and I won't ever be having any either". "Ah well, in that case, you're going to be loaded" was the good news she gave.

:yahoo:

Maybe I could suggest the purchase of a helicopter to avoid the traffic then? And how did you get Flip (yes I know it'll change it to flip on my comment) to stay in your earlier comment?

I had to purchase the profanity package.

Ha ha quality answer. Nice one geezer. By the way, I thought I'd said earlier but it appears I didn't, I agree entirely you can spend your money however you please especially if you've (wisely I again agree) chosen not to burden the taxpayer with unwanted children.

Like Raycastle I went on Thursday...we were at the park and ride at 7.00am and at the course to see Jimenez tee off at 8.09am. Did hear that later on people were getting off the buses and taking a 25 minute walk to the course because the traffic was snarled up and nothing was moving.

It was pretty chaotic on the way out as Ray has said...we left at 7.30pm and did not get back to the park and ride until 9.30pm. Great day though...followed Lewis on the back nine and saw the 4 straight birdies, what a brilliant performance. Going again on Sunday...getting there really early and prepared for a late return home and a tired and grumpy day at work on Monday!

I went today and just parked in the 'green' car park which cost £5 and was a 5 minute walk from the course entrance. No problems getting in or out. The best Open i've been to yet for congestion

MPB -

used the park and ride today. All went well til the bus got towards Sandwich, and ground to a halt at least a mile from the edge of the town. From there we were stop-start till we were almost at the entrance, must have sat on the bus for a good hour, and most of the passengers had given up, got off in Sandwich town and walked the last stretch. And we had another hour wait in an enormous queue of people waiting to get on a bus back at the end of play. Could've been worse though... we didn't head down to the car park til 10am. Heard some complaints from people who parked up at 7:30 and didn't set foot on site for another 3 hours.

Seemed to me there were two fatal problems:
1) They put on extra trains running through Sandwich in both directions. Good idea in theory... but overlooks the fact that the p+r buses, and the vast majority of cars, enter town over a level crossing. So the main road to the course was essentially being shut for half the day.
2) The double-decker p+r buses were set on a route that took them to the drop-off point and back out the same way they'd come in. Which meant that suburban roads and narrow country lanes, crowded with pedestrians walking to the gates, also had to contend with double-deckers trying and often failing to squeeze past each other.