Frilford Heath Golf Club is to host regional qualifying for the Open Championship this summer for the third consecutive year.
The 110-year old club, with is set among 500 acres of heathland just south of Oxford, boasts three courses, but Open qualifiers will compete over the Red Course, which was originally designed by five-time Champion Golfer JH Taylor, on June 25.
Club chairman Alistair Booth said: “We’ve held a few R&A events in the past, but to secure Regional Open Qualifying in 2016 was obviously a great thrill to us all at the club. We’ve worked hard to ensure the club is at a level that would be acceptable to the R&A to be able to host an event like this for the most prestigious tournament in the world.”
He added: “The Open is the ultimate event, and it is important that we put on an event that is not only acceptable to the R&A, but to give the players the feeling that they’ve played on a good quality course. The Red Course is now over 7,000 yards off the championship tees, and will test all areas of a player’s game. You can’t just simply take a driver out on every par four or five and blast it – it does require a little bit of strategic thinking.”
Last year’s Open qualifier at Frilford Heath attracted a field of over 100 players, who competed for just eight spots in final qualifying.
Frilford’s membership is always keen to get involved in the event, with many volunteering to help ensure the tournament runs smoothly. Booth said: “The members do still get excited. People want to know what volunteering positions they can help with, whether it’s out on the driving range or marshalling out on the course. We’ve got some excellent people who absolutely love doing the starting at these events.”