The OPEN

Wow, got to join the rest of the golfing world at the OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP at Royal Birkdale last Saturday. Please don't call it the "British Open". that is a no, no! - just the OPEN! We had so much fun. The wind, as you may have heard, was FIERCE! Even having lived in west Texas for a time, I have never experienced such high winds for such a sustained time. I have so much respect for how those pros played. They were exceptionally difficult circumstances. Marshalls even walking around with wind monitors trying to figure out if they should stop play due to winds. We were there on Saturday and got to see all the players we were interested in. Greg Norman, looking very dapper and VERY THIN! The course looks so different than what I am accustomed too. Like a nice fairway mowed in the middle of a weed patch with hundreds of deep, small sand traps everywhere. (I'm sure the grounds keeper would just love that description!) The surrounding grass around the fairway isn't groomed or pretty or even green, just brown weeds. Maybe the brownest of any area we've seen in England. It's funny after watching such beautiful courses like the Masters on TV and then walking around Royal Birkdale, such a difference. The crowd was there, but was very manageable - we could walk right up to the course at any spot and stand right at the rope. I would love to have posted some great shots, but unfortunately all cameras and mobile phones were banned on Thursday - Sunday, so our only shots are of outside the entrance. One bonus, the kids got in free. Maybe the only good deal in England. Of course, they more than made up for it buying food and souvenirs in the shop.