The Open Camping Village is offering Free Accommodation to Young Golf Fans

The R&A has announced that this year's Open Championship at Royal Troon will be more accessible for young people and families than ever before, with the introduction of a Camping Village that offers free accommodation.

The Open returns to the historic Ayrshire links from 10-17 July and will see the world’s best players competing to become Champion Golfer of the Year.  Now spectators aged 25 and under will be able to take advantage of the new accommodation option free of charge.

The Open Camping Village, which will be run by The R&A’s official accommodation partner, will be located a short walk from Royal Troon at Marr Rugby Club. It will feature two, four and six person pre-pitched tents along with inflatable camping beds for each guest. There will be 500 camping places available each night with the facility set to be open from 10-17 July.  There will be food and drink options and shower facilities on-site, as well as free parking. Security will be operating 24 hours a day.

Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at The R&A said, “There will be an exciting festival atmosphere at Troon throughout the week of The Open as thousands of people come together for a true celebration of golf. The new Camping Village will provide a fun and safe accommodation option for young people within easy walking distance of Royal Troon.

“The Open is a wonderful opportunity for young fans to get up close to their favourite players and we know this will help inspire future generations to pick up a club and take part themselves. Our aim is to make The Open as accessible as possible and the new Camping Village along with discounted Youth Tickets and the Kids Go Free programme are key parts of this commitment.”

Families can also take advantage of the free accommodation at The Open Camping Village, with children under the age of 16 required to be accompanied by at least one adult of any age, to a maximum of two adults.

The Open offers a variety of ticketing options including a discounted Youth Ticket for spectators aged 16 to 21 that ranges in price from £5 on the first Practice Day to £25 for Championship Days.

This year sees The Open celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Kids Go Free initiative, which allows children under the age of 16 free admission to the Championship when accompanied by an adult. More than 300,000 children have experienced The Open for free since the programme was first introduced at Royal Troon in 1997.

Tickets for The Open are currently available at early season pricing, with prices set to rise after 31 May.

Spectators can register their interest now at http://www.theopen.com/Spectators/Camping with bookings to be taken from early May.