A specially designed campsite aimed at making attending major golf tournaments affordable, has been hailed as a great success.
The site, based at Carnoustie high school, has space for 1,250 campers, as well as 50 ‘glampers’ and provides food, entertainment and high quality showers and toilet facilities.
The project is the brainchild of the R&A, as they seek to nurture the next generation of golf fans, and is free to people under 25, and charges affordable rates to those over the age of 25, although residents must have a ticket for the Open in order to book a tent.
Manager Tom Critchley explained: “Our standard tents have an inflatable mattress and a lantern, while the glamping version is a slightly larger tent with a proper bed, mattress, duvet and towels.
“We have had a huge amount of interest, and we are at capacity over the weekend, which was booked up months in advance.
“The feedback we have had is almost 100% positive, and people just go ‘wow’ when they walk through the door and see the site.
“It’s all about making it affordable for families to come to the open, so rather than spending a few hundred pounds on a generic hotel an hour away, we charge a family of four £80 per night.
“It’s a very social place, so it means that the event carries on into the evening.
Campers also enjoy entertainment in the evening, including a live band featuring local artists, and a pub quiz.
Golf highlights are shown on the camp TVs, and a digital golf simulator provides a more hands-on experience and a putting course.
The food features a number of locally sourced products, as well as drinks from local gin suppliers and brewers.
Mr Critchley continued: “Although we have some access to the school building, all the showers and bathrooms are portable and brought with us, it takes quite a lot of infrastructure to wash and feed 1,000 people.
“I’m very happy with how things are going here, and everyone at the R&A is delighted with it, and they see it as an extension of their brand.
“It is hoped providing affordable accommodation, that this environment will inspire people to become golfers, as well providing a fun, nice experience at a major golf tournament.
The remit is to be affordable for youth and families, so that means we ensure that prices are kept low at the bar, and for food, so that everything is positive.”
Visitors staying at the site gave it their approval.
Vic Massmanno, whose family are at the start of a two week holiday from Florida, said: “This provides a great opportunity for a large family of six, as we might not have been able to come otherwise.
“It’s really well put together, and it’s great to have entertainment as well – it’s convenient, and the tents are good, it’s a great start to our vacation, and we will be travelling to the Shetland Islands after this.”
Ross Bradley, from Newcastle, added: “It’s much better than I expected, the tents are bigger, the bar is cheaper and the toilets are nice too.
“I like the entertainment – the playlist from the band was great, it was my kind of music.
“We’re also going to get some golf in while we are here at one of the local courses.”
