The eyes of the golf world are on Hoylake this month. Jade Wright looks at how the town is clubbing together to welcome the crowds
The first time Royal Liverpool Golf Course hosted The Open was in 1897 when Harold Hilton from West Kirby was crowned champion golfer and walked the mile home with the trophy under his arm.
2023's 151st Open will see the world’s best golfers heading to Wirral for a week. The action begins with practice days from July 16 to 19, with the competition running between July 20 and 23.
Organiser the R&A is expecting some of the biggest-ever crowds for the competition, dwarfing the 6,000 people who live in the seaside town. Last year, 290,000 fans watched the action at the Old Course in St Andrews,
As the Hoylake doesn’t have a large, luxury hotel, players, officials and TV crews rent out residents' homes, with properties near the course going from upwards of £25,000 a week for a five-bedroom house, to £3,500 for a one-bedroom apartment.
For a more budget-friendly option, Hoylake Rugby Club is giving up its pitch and training fields for caravans, motor homes and tents. The site on Carham Road is a 15-minute walk from the course, and the clubhouse will be open for showers and toilet facilities.
‘We’ve done it for previous Opens and it’s a really friendly, fun way to come and see the golf,’ says Neil Ruecroft, a committee member for the rugby club. ‘Everyone gets together in the evening, we open the bar and have a barbecue, and people from all over the world sit and have a chat and a drink together.’
They already have more than 50 bookings, but Neil won’t be drawn on whether any of them are Hollywood A-listers. When the tournament was at Royal Liverpool in 2006 George Clooney was seen enjoying a pint at the Ship Inn, on Market Street, along with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Bruce Willis.
‘Daniel Craig used to play here, so you never know, he might pop in if he’s here to see the golf,’ says Neil.
The club is keen to encourage visitors to try all the local independent businesses Hoylake has to offer. ‘One of Hoylake’s big selling points is how many great independent restaurants, bars, pubs and shops we have here. I can’t think of another place this size with so many small businesses on one street, says Neil'
‘We will put together a list of places to try. There are pubs like the Ship and the Plasterers Arms, and great restaurants, plus newer places such as the Black Toad.’
Micropub and bottle shop the Black Toad opened back in 2019, serving beers brewed locally. Michelle and Robin Jackson’s small but perfectly formed bar in Market Street was a solicitors' office and this is the first time they will welcome the Open crowds.
‘We have no idea what to expect but we’re looking forward to it,’ says Michelle. ‘We’ve been told to prepare for a lot more footfall, so we will be expanding on what we usually offer.
Robin adds: 'Hopefully people will want to try out a few local craft beers. We have great breweries all around – one of our beers is brewed in one of our customer's back gardens, about five minute’s walk away. You can’t get much more local.’
The tiny pub takes its beer seriously, was runner-up as CAMRA's Wirral Pub of the Year and is listed in The Good Beer Guide.
As well as the draft beers, there’s a good range of bottles and Dough Bros' Neapolitan-style pizzas to eat in or take away.
Are they expecting any high-profile guests to pop in and try a pint of Hoylake’s finest and a pizza or two?
‘I don’t know about that, I’m not sure I’d recognise them if they did, but we get the lads from Tthe Coral in a lot, and a fair few other musicians as regulars,’ says Robin.
‘As well as the people here for the golf we are expecting lots of our regular customers too. We’re really lucky we get a great crowd, week in, week out and sunny evenings bring everyone out. The local independent businesses and the community have really welcomed us in.’
Community is also a huge part of the Quirky Cafe's ethos. The bustling coffee shop, at the other end of the parade where Market Street becomes Birkenhead Road, is getting ready to serve up breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and coffee to the visitors.
‘We are so excited to see so many new faces,’ says owner Suzanne Rippon. ‘Hoylake is such a welcoming place, I think first-time visitors will be surprised how many small businesses we have on this one road alone, with every type of food and drink, plus lots of great independent shops.
‘You hear about the high street struggling, but I think here there’s a real focus on shopping local, and as a result, we have so many great independents, collaborating together.’
The Quirky Cafe, which runs community activities including a book club, walking group, sessions for home educators, dementia and carers’ workshops, knit and natter meetings and a new community allotment has recently moved from a side street to the main parade. Suzanne says: 'During the Open we hope to be a welcoming space where people can come for a meal or a drink and a chat. Sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming, but we try to make sure everyone gets a warm welcome when they come in through the door.’
pitchero.com/clubs/hoylake
theblacktoad.co.uk
facebook.com/quirkycafe
