MEMBERS of Ansdell Institute are enjoying the best free seats on the course for the Open Championships.

The balcony of the Woodlands Road club overlooks the 9th green and marks the turning point of the world famous Royal Lytham course.

And word about the Institute has even reached the Americans as Tom and Greg Cecil proved, when they turned up for a beer yesterday lunchtime (July 17).

The father and son, who hail from Atlanta, Georgia, spurned the Olympics in their home city to come in favour of Lytham and paid just 50p for a temporary membership to allow them to drink at the club.

Tom said: "A guy told us about this place when we were on the train on the way down here so we decided to check it out.

"It's a marvellous view and I can't believe we only paid 50p to drink here and see the golf."

Greg added: "It's a wonderful place to have a beer at the half-way point. Lytham is a really great place and, of course, we brought the good weather with us from the States!"

During the past few days club members have flocked to watch the stars on their practice rounds and treasurer Joe Barkley is bracing himself for an invasion now the tournament is under way.

Joe said: "We've got a great view here, a lot of our members are golf fans and with the weather being so great we're expecting a good turn-out.

"Obviously we have to co-operate with the golf club and keep the noise down to a minimum but they have been very good to us by chopping the trees down so we have the perfect view."

As well as the 9th hole, members can also enjoy a great view of an electronic scoreboard and the 10th tee - and with the help of binoculars, the 3rd and 7th tees.

Fylde golf fanatics Diane Doherty and Hedley Haigh are just two members who have been taking full advantage of front row seats for the practice days.

Diane said: "It's a wonderful view, you get to see all the players as they come down to the green, although I will be going on the course for the tournament itself."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.