It’s Open house to find a den for Tiger

Feb 19 2008 by Harold Brough, Liverpool Daily Post

THE ARRIVAL of the Open at Royal Birkdale is great news for golf fans, for local tourism chiefs – who will again have Southport in the world spotlight – and for local traders who will find their cash tills jingling.

But it is also being eagerly awaited by scores of local people, including the non-sporting who think a wedge is something to keep the door open and a birdie means the pigeons on fashionable Lord Street.

Many indeed know little or nothing about golf.

But they know that when the Open comes to town it is the chance to rent out their homes to golf fans, those in the media and many others, including the players.

It is, as one homeowner put it, a “nice little earner.” It is indeed, a few thousand pounds for vacating your home for a few days.

So, not surprisingly, hundreds of people living reasonably close to Royal Birkdale links have been contacting the official letting agents in town, Ball and Percival, of the Venmore Partnership, estate agents and valuers, to offer their home to rent.

The man looking after the job is Ralph Jackson, who had the same task when the Open was at Royal Liverpool two years ago.

Tiger Woods had only just held the famous Claret Jug a loft when Jackson began the job of finding homes around Southport for the arrival this July of the greatest event in world golf.

The enthusiasm among homeowners to rent their property is great.

More than 1,000 offered their homes for rent. Jackson has so far listed 500 to help clients make their selection, from three-bed semis to grand places, so he can match the homes with the requirements of the clients, such as number of bedrooms etc.

The job is about 60 per cent completed, although there will continue to be later demands. A player may qualify. Golf fans may suddenly find they have the chance to come to the Open or someone may be given a late hospitality or marketing job, which means staying in town for a few days.

So Jackson is still on his home inspection tour although he says: “We have basically got what we want now, a really fantastic selection of properties. Royal Birkdale is such a well-known venue we expect the letting to top more than 300 places.”

So who are the customers?

He says: “Many are the same people who rent somewhere each year, wherever the Open is held. There is one retired couple from the South who have been to more than 20 Opens and always want a four-bedroomed house. Some people coming to Southport want to rent the same house they had when the Open was here in 1998.”

So who is moving out and moving in at Open time?

Jackson says that homeowners have different reasons but gives three examples.

Some, living close to the course, decide to go on holiday during the Open, escape the crowds, and decide that, since their home will be empty, they will make it available for rent.

He knows of one family where the wife takes the children away on holiday while the husband, a keen golf fan, helps with the marshalling job during the Open.

Thirdly, some decide that letting the house is the spur to getting some long-delayed job in the house finished. If someone is moving in, it becomes the urgent incentive to decorate the lounge or the back bedroom, at last.

Then, of course, there is obviously the income.

Jackson had just rented a three-bedroomed semi, within half a mile of Royal Birkdale, for £3,500 for the 11 days letting period. At the other end of the price range some are rented for “in excess of £20,000.”

The lettings range from modest one-bedroomed apartments to guesthouses and small hotels.

Jackson says: “We rent on an exclusive basis, so there are clients who will rent an entire guest house or small hotel.

”People want privacy. I suppose that goes particularly for the players. They will enjoy the attention of the spectators but when it is all over some will want to be on their own, think about what has gone on and plan the next stage.

“So some will rent one place and maybe somewhere else for their caddy or friends.

“The age of the property does not matter. But it must be clean and well-presented, at the right price and fit the customer’s requirements.”

Letting your home to a stranger seems to carry some risk. But while Jackson makes the homeowner aware of that possibility, of perhaps the house being misused, he reports that such cases are “extremely low.” Anyway, he takes a deposit from whoever is moving in.

Many are spectators. The largest group is the media, television, newspaper and radio, staff. Then there are the patrons and management groups who look after the players and, of course, the players.

He has most of the famous golf names on his list.

So where will the Tiger stay?

Jackson, of course, gives no clues. “Confidentially remains the priority,” he says.

But he adds: “One of the myths is that players want to spend a fortune on renting somewhere. But then the Open is work for them and while they may be doing well one year it might not be like that the next. So there is a limit to what they can spend. We have let three-bedroomed houses to players.”

What, Tiger Woods in the semi next door? Probably not.

But there may be Southport home owners who, in Open week, find the neighbours moving out and that, suddenly, and just for a few days, they have a famous golf star next door.

In the great buzz of Open time, one of the great guessing games in town will be just where is the Tiger’s den.