Temporary traffic and travel measures will soon be in place for The Open in Hoylake.
Wirral Council say the aim is to improve safety, cut congestion and ease traffic flow to make it easier for visitors to get to and from the golf, while minimising as far as possible the impact on local residents and businesses.
Trains
There will be significantly increased train services to and from Hoylake to accommodate the thousands of visitors expected. A service will run every 10 minutes every morning and of a late afternoon from Wednesday 19 July – Sunday 23 July.
As on previous occasions when The Open was held at the Royal Liverpool Golf Course, trains will terminate at Hoylake station and a rail replacement bus will continue the route to and from West Kirby. This will be accessible for people with a disability. The line will be closed from 7pm on Wednesday 12 July – Tuesday 25 July due to a temporary crossing being placed over the rail tracks at Morpeth Road to facilitate access between the practice ground and the golf course.
Manor Road station will close mid-afternoon each day from Wednesday 19 July – Sunday 23 July. This is to ensure the special timetable can operate effectively.
To accommodate the extra trains needed to support the event, there will be a reduced timetable for passengers on the New Brighton and Ellesmere Port lines. From Wednesday 19 July to Saturday 22 July there will be a 20-minute service between New Brighton and Liverpool Central, and a 30-minute service will be in operation between Ellesmere Port and Hooton.
On Sunday 23 July there will be no New Brighton services, and a rail replacement bus service will operate. A 30-minute service will be in operation between Ellesmere Port and Hooton.
Connections from the wider rail network to the Merseyrail Wirral Line are available from Bidston, Chester, Ellesmere Port, Liverpool Central and Liverpool Lime Street.
National rail strikes may impact those travelling to The Open on July 20 and 22 – but Merseyrail services are not affected.
For those using the train, Hoylake Station is 800m from the main spectator entrance to The 151st Open, while an accessible shuttle bus will be available to help passengers with reduced mobility getting to and from the course.
All visitors are encouraged to use public transport where possible. Information on train times is available on the Merseyrail website.
Buses
For those using the bus, a map of the local bus network is available to view on the Merseytravel website.
Car parking
There will be no public car parking available at Royal Liverpool Golf Course or in the immediate surrounding area. All public parking will be provided at managed Park & Ride sites. Details of these are on The Open website.
While parking will be prohibited or restricted in some of the roads in Hoylake and surrounding the Royal Liverpool Golf Course, the short stay parking bays on Market Street will be retained to support local businesses and residents.
Carr Lane car park will be closed temporarily and there will be no access to North Parade from The Kings Gap.
Traffic restrictions
The temporary traffic restrictions will operate during the week of the event but some will need to be introduced in advance and continue for a short while after to facilitate event management. All traffic arrangements have been agreed in consultation with Merseyside Police and other Emergency Services.
In addition to the temporary arrangements, essential services will have access to the area and council officers are liaising with the police, health and care providers, pharmacists and other essential service providers, to ensure arrangements are in place to maintain access as required.
Access will also be provided for trades people, however, they will not be able to park on the road in some areas.
A list of affected roads can be found at https://www.wirral.gov.uk/local-information-about-open/parking-restrictions-during-open.
Local residents may see slight changes to their bin collections – those being affected will receive letters.
West Kirby – Hoylake footpath and cycle way
The ‘cinder path’ route from Greenbank/Anglesey Road in West Kirby to Carr Lane in Hoylake will be closed on Thursday 13, Friday 14 and Tuesday 25 July.
Further information
Council staff are based in the council’s Drop-In Office at Hoylake Municipal Golf Club, Carr Lane, Hoylake, CH47 4BG to provide detailed information to residents on general traffic managements and deal with any specific enquiries. The opening times of the Office are:
- June & July – Monday to Friday, 9am to 12pm and 1pm to 4.30pm
- August – Monday to Wednesday, 9am to 12pm and 1pm to 4.30pm
Further information and ongoing updates are available at www.wirral.gov.uk/open2023.
You can also email the Council’s Open Championship Delivery Team at open2023enquiries@wirral.gov.uk.
