Hospitality

The 149th Open will be played at Royal St George’s from 12–19 July 2020.

We want to ensure that fans enjoy an outstanding experience of attending one of the world’s greatest sporting events when it returns to the Kent coastline in summer 2020. Therefore, we are warning fans of the threat posed by unofficial providers of hospitality.

Each year, fans attending The Open purchase hospitality packages from unofficial operators. These packages are not authorised or provided by The Open. The only official hospitality packages available to purchase that are situated within the venue are offered by The Open or its official Authorised Providers.

The R&A receives complaints each year from customers who have bought unofficial hospitality packages in the belief they were purchasing official hospitality at The Open. Unofficial hospitality packages are not situated within The Open venue or on the golf course and fans who purchase unofficial hospitality packages may find that, on arrival, they are not provided with tickets or the tickets they are provided with have been cancelled.

In addition, there is a no re-admittance policy at The Open and therefore fans who purchase offsite unofficial hospitality will not be able to re-enter the venue without having another ticket. Unofficial operators are not clearly communicating to customers that their packages do not include tickets or that customers may not be able to re-enter the venue. Any supply of tickets by providers of unofficial hospitality is in breach of the ticketing terms and conditions and such tickets are therefore liable to cancellation.

Championship Day tickets will not be available to purchase on the gates at The Open. The R&A is aware of the following operators who are either currently offering unofficial hospitality packages to The Open in 2020 or sold unofficial packages to The Open in 2018:

• Pavilius Hospitality
• European Golf Hospitality
• Alliance Racing Group

Fan should look out for:

• Unexpected call from agents selling a “special” offer for hospitality at The Open due to a cancellation
• The use of aggressive sales techniques
• The Open Authorised Provider logo not shown on the agents’ website
• Refusal to provide proof in writing that they are permitted to provide entry tickets as part of a package

We strongly advise all fans to carry out due diligence prior to purchasing any hospitality following any unsolicited approaches. We recommend that fans either purchase directly from TheOpen.com or our sales team who can be contacted on +44(0)1334 460010. Or, from one of our official Authorised Providers. If you are in any doubt, contact The R&A to ensure that the operator you are purchasing from is an Authorised Provider.

If you have purchased from any of the above companies or you are unsure of a product you have bought regarding The 149th Open, please contact The Open Hospitality on +44 1334 460010 or by emailing Hospitality@TheOpen.com.