'We ran out of Guinness' - The Open fever hits Portrush
Adrian Calvin, general manager at The Quays said his pub had been busy from mid-morning until late at night all week."It's great to see that night time trade back which is something we haven't had in a long time," he said."Its been far busier than I thought it was going to be."He said the upturn in business started in February, with lots of people travelling from all over the world to play the course which is hosting The Open. Mr Calvin said that in preparation for the tournament he doubled the pub's Guinness order but it sold out."I'm going to have to get a delivery on Friday", he said.
Danny Coyles, general manager of The Station bar said the week had been fantastic so far."We've been busy from we've opened the doors at 11:30 right through," he said."We're looking forward to three more busy days"."The atmosphere has been amazing, the visitors have been fantastic and really lovely to host."Mr Coyles said the bar bought in a month's stock for the week."We probably need every bit of it" he said."It's the whole package really, the scenery is amazing, the golf has been fantastic, the atmosphere in all of the bars is good and the entertainment has been good as well."This is a beautiful part of the world…I think the tourism thing will grow exponentially after this and we're certainly ready for it."Traders had hoped to see the benefits of a change in policy at The Open compared to when Royal Portrush last hosted the event in 2019.On that occasion spectators could not return to the course once they had left it.This time, fans who get a wristband are free to come and go.
Heather Stewart, general manager at The Marcus Portrush, said the atmosphere in Portrush has been "electric". She said guests numbers had been increasing day on day since Sunday. "We are hoping to keep on that upward trajectory," she said.Ms Stewart said The Marchs was already seeing long term benefits from The Open. "People who came in for dinner on Monday have rang back to try and book in for Saturday and Sunday," she said."We've had guests in the bar who have been in every single day."
Nicholas Morgan and Collis Parrish flew in from Texas in the United States for the golf tournament. "Everybody is like your best friend," Mr Morgan said."You walk into the bars and its like you've known them your whole life". They are staying in Belfast and taking the train to the north coast, he said the prices had been "very reasonable" across the board for them. MrParrish said the pair were trying to play golf while visiting despite having no clubs and that people they met on the course had "went out of their way" to get them clubs so they could play. He said he had found prices "very affordable". "We haven't seen anything out of the ordinary compared to what we pay at home for similar services," he said.
Another group of golf fans told BBC News NI they travelled from Newcastle in England to watch The Open.It is their first time visiting the area and they said there had been a "buzz" since they arrived. The environment has been "completely inclusive", they added. "There's been a real blend of people, we've been speaking to someone from Chicago, from England someone from Spain." They are hoping to see Rory McIlroy walk off with the claret jug on Sunday evening.
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