A day in front of The Open

Here we give you the lowdown on everything you’ll need to enjoy a perfect full day in front of the telly watching the action unfold in The Open Championship at St Andrews.

Preparation is key

Firstly, you have to make the correct people aware that you’ll be unavailable for any other activities for the duration of your golfing TV marathon. A good technique, if you are of the techy persuasion, is to make a relevant announcement/status change on social media.

It might be appropriate, however, to tell those closest to you about what’s happening in person. So sit wife/husband/partner (plus any children you may have) down and explain the situation. It’s best to do this in quite a matter of fact way, allowing no “wriggle room.” You must be quite steely here, don’t be swayed by disappointed statements like, “You promised we could go to the zoo today,” or, “But it’s my mother’s 75th birthday party.” This is a time to be resolute.

Make sure your phone is set to direct calls straight to voicemail. In no circumstances should you check voicemail through the course of the day. Your phone can be used to communicate, via text or other social media, but all comms should be purely golf-related and with like-minded Open fans.

Equipment Guide

Obviously you’ll require an extremely comfy chair or sofa, plus a footstool and extra cushions for propping yourself up and changing your position. This will help prevent the on-set of bedsores.

You need a putter and perhaps a wedge. Have these within easy reach so you can grip them regularly and imagine you’re attempting the shots you’re watching. If possible, set up a “putt-returner” or lay down your putting rail in order to recreate testing 5-footers. You can also chip from the carpet back into the dent you’ve left in your armchair.

It is quite important to stand up once every hour or so to keep the blood circulating and prevent deep vein thrombosis. Hitting a couple of putts or chips is the ideal way to do this.

You will require sustenance of course. A good idea is to set up a small beer fridge within reach of your seat. Fill this with sugary drinks to keep the energy levels up, plus a couple of pre-made or bought sandwiches that can be steadily consumed through proceedings. Chips and dips are also a good idea. Alcohol can be consumed, but only in moderation as it could send you to sleep and you don’t want to miss any of the action.

Be sure to have takeaway leaflet(s) handy for later in the day when you’ve eaten all the chips and dips…. It’s fine to use your phone here.

Comfort breaks will be a necessary evil, but these must be timed to perfection. Be sure to go immediately before the leaders tee off. If you can’t hold on all the way through, then turn the volume up to its max and make a dash for it. You may be able to set up a system of mirrors to maintain visual contact.

Course guide

You should have a Strokesaver that was included with The Open issue of Golf Monthly. This can be referred to throughout the day to gain a full understanding of the shots players are facing. If you don’t have this, keep your computer or other device handy and you can check our hole-by-hole guide here…

You’ll need various devices set up as you’ll require one on the leaderboard so you can keep a check on what players not featuring in the coverage are up to. Luckily there’s also a live scoring link on the Golf Monthly website – here.

Make sure you have easy access to a reminder of the huge number of bets you will have doubtless placed – traditional slips if you’ve actually been down to speak to the bookmaker, another device with your online betting account open if you favour the modern way, or scribbled notes if you prefer to speak to your turf accountant in person on the telephone.

Hopefully that should provide you with the basics. Each individual will, obviously, need to tailor this template guide to suit their personal requirements… Happy viewing!