The plan is generally for the greens to be at the desired speed and level of firmness a few days in advance of that first tee shot being struck, ideally so that the course can be presented in true summer links conditions but with the ability to adapt the course set-up to deal with any adverse weather. And adverse weather is exactly what 2024 in St Andrews had in store as a forecast for strong winds led to a change to the planned green speeds and hole locations across the Old Course to ensure the lay-out remained playable and fair throughout the duration of the Championship.
Alongside the course set-up preparations, detailed plans are put in place months in advance to ensure the Championship can operate effectively from a Rules of Golf standpoint. Firstly, as with many major golfing events, a number of temporary structures are placed on the golf course. TV towers, advertising boards, hospitality and catering units, signage and grandstands are just a few examples of temporary fixed structures which are erected for the AIG Women’s Open and these have a potential significant impact on the way the course can play. Many of these structures are classified as Temporary Immovable Obstructions (TIOs) and these have a specific set of Rules associated with them due to the fact that these are large temporary structures that are not intended to be part of the challenge of the course.
The most impactful of the special Rules relating to TIOs is the potential for players to get relief from such as structure when it is on the line of sight between their ball and the hole. This means the positioning of these structures is of paramount importance and planning is undertaken to ensure their positioning is effective from an operations perspective, while also trying to limit the number of times that a player will have interference from such a structure. A good example of this at Royal Porthcawl are TV towers at the rear of greens. The towers on some greens could interfere with lines of play for other holes on the course so they are positioned and angled in a manner to minimise this impact.
Advanced planning is also undertaken with regards to local rules for the Championship and the marking of the golf course. For example, how and where any boundaries, penalty areas, potential dropping zones and crossing points will be defined and marked, how much paint and stakes are required to carry out that marking and if local rules need to be applied. Clear local rules and course marking are imperative to ensure that players and referees alike can apply the Rules of Golf in a consistent manner and formulating a plan of how to achieve that well in advance of players arriving is vital to achieving this.
Preparations are well underway at Royal Porthcawl for the next edition of the AIG Women’s Open and we look forward to another exciting Championship this August in South Wales.