The R&A are offering to help golf fans with the cost of travelling to Turnberry for this year's Open Championship. Despite the prospect of Europe's Padraig Harrington going for an unprecedented hat trick of Open titles, the credit crunch has threatened to undermine the popularity of this year's event.
Corporate hospitality has plummeted by around 15-20% and as such, tournament organisers are looking to provide incentives for spectators to make the journey to Scotland, in the hope of boosting attendance figures.
"We are encouraging clubs to bring members and the R&A will pay £250 towards the cost of a coach," said Director of Championships David Hill.
A daily ticket for the Open will cost £55 and Hill added: "When you compare that to other sporting events I believe it's fantastic value."
This summer will see the famous event return to Scotland's Ayrshire coast for the fourth time in it's illustrious history. The last time that Turnberry hosted the Open in 1994, crowds in excess of 115,000 gathered to witness Nick Price capture his first Open title and regardless of the problems facing the R&A, organisers remain confident that the calibre of the tournament will continue to attract a healthy audience.
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