Welcome to GOLF.com’sseen and heardOn Deck This Week: The 2023 Royal Liverpool Golf Club Open Championship. Let’s Go!
There is something unique about traveling abroad, right? Whether it’s about a different culture, adjusting to an unfamiliar pace of life, or just enjoying the local flavor not available in the States, any time you get a chance to cross the pond, it’s special.
It’s no different for our crew on site at this week’s Open from Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
Before the madness begins and the real pros get in on it, Golf’s Shawn Zack and James Colgan get an experience that will last a lifetime. No, I’m not referring to the downpour that greeted them before a round at Allerton Manor Golf Club, but the chance to play the same course that Beatles John Lennon and Paul McCartney grew up on.
“We checked in, and the pro shopkeeper said, ‘There are no more idiots on the golf course today,’ which I guess means we’re going to be idiots,” Zack says. “But, look, it’s our only day in Liverpool.”
The boys didn’t seem to mind the wet conditions.
Despite the backwaters on the greens and plenty of knee-catchers from Colgan, the round was a success – particularly with the view from one of the tee boxes, which was just a wedge away, from the view of Lennon’s boyhood home.
Given the setting and history of this week’s Open Championship, even players like Rory McIlroy are showing some love for the Beatles, with the four-time main champion rocking some custom kicks while practicing some drills.
After the tour, Zack and Colgan found out what else Liverpool has to offer, getting to hear some of the sights and sounds and interact with some of the locals.
If you need travel suggestions, Zack seems professional now that he’s spent his summers in the UK, showcasing his favorite bakery in town, Thoughtfully Cafe.
With their bellies full and another day of golf, the boys make their way to Hoylake with a few other GOLF staff, Dylan Dethier and Josh Berhow, as they play in nearby West Lancashire, which recently hosted a qualifying event for this year’s Open.
The Links golf course was a real beauty, the gentlemen with their drivers par and playing strategically around the greens.
In the end, though, Monday Open was all about reconnecting with friends and enjoying a true bonding tournament.
Golf links, man, nothing beats it.
You can get a rundown of the golf crew’s highlights from day one of the Open Championship in the video above. thanks for watching! We’ll be back with more from Royal Liverpool’s Seen & Heard throughout the week – so be sure to stay tuned!