AIG Women’s Open 2026 – Resident FAQ’s
Days left until the AIG Women’s Open
Residents FAQ’s
The purpose of this site is to provide residents and local businesses with information on the Championship.
The AIG Women’s Open heads to Royal Lytham & St Annes this year, when the world’s best female golfers will compete over the historic links course from 29 July – 2 August 2026.
With tens of thousands of fans expected to attend, The R&A – event owner and organiser – is working closely with local authorities, Lancashire Police and other multi-agency partners and emergency services to ensure the Championship is staged safely.
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When is the AIG Women’s Open 2026?
Please find the Championship’s key dates below:
Monday 18 May: The Championship build phases officially starts. Residents and local businesses may start to notice vehicle movement around Royal Lytham & St Annes as equipment and infrastructure is delivered to the site.
Sunday 26 July: Players and caddies arrive and practice days commence. Entry is only valid with official accreditation as there is no public admission until Wednesday.
Wednesday 29 July: The first day public can enter the venue and watch some action. Please note this is still a practice day with a pro-ams taking place in the morning. Tickets can be purchased here.
Thursday 30 July: Round 1 of the Championship starts.
Sunday 2 August: Round 4 of the Championship is due to be completed by early evening, if there are no delays to play.
A full schedule of the week will be made available on the Championship’s website here.
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How long will the build and breakdown take?
Once the build period starts on Monday 18 May, there will be a phased approach as the construction of various temporary infrastructure gradually increases across the site. Whilst there is no fixed completion date for the breakdown, we aim to be clear of the site between three to four weeks after the final day of the Championship.
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At what time will contractors operate?
The standard hours of site operation during the build and derig will be 7.15am – 6.45pm, including weekends, with certain areas of the site subject to shorter operating hours. During the event week these hours will be extended to allow access to working areas.
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Are complimentary tickets available to residents?
The R&A discontinued the policy of providing complimentary tickets to local residents some years ago. The AIG Women’s Open is an international championship which draws fans from every part of the world, and we believe that every fan regardless of where they come from should have an equal opportunity to get tickets for the AIG Women’s Open.
To that end, tickets are available for purchase on the AIG Women’s Open website starting from £20 for an adult. To encourage children and young people to attend the AIG Women’s Open, The R&A will continue the successful ‘Kids go Free’ programme which provides children under-16-years-old free entry to the Championship when accompanied by a paying adult. Half-price youth tickets are also available for 16-24-year-olds.
To secure your place at the Championship, we recommend purchasing tickets in advance online, which can be done here: https://www.aigwomensopen.com/tickets-and-hospitality. Tickets will also be available at the main entrance for a slightly higher price.
What about safety and security?
We are working with Counter Terrorism Policing to help keep everyone safe this summer. We support their summer campaign, encouraging the public to stay alert and report anything that doesn’t feel right to security.
We all have a role to play in keeping each other safe. Your safety is our priority and that’s why we take the safety and security of the Championship and everyone associated with it seriously which is why you will likely see an increase in police presence in the area both in the build up to, and on the week of the Championship.
With a major sporting event taking place across a large greenfield site, there are several temporary structures that are required to be built so the construction of these is carefully scheduled through specific site access points and a contractor sign-in process. Every contractor working onsite must complete health and safety training, obtain official site accreditation and sign-in at a Site Reporting Office on arrival – this allows The R&A to manage deliveries and reduce disruption on the surrounding road network.
CCTV and 24hr security patrols will be in place during the build and derig phase, checking all contractors onsite are accredited and allowed onsite.
During Championship week, increased CCTV, full bag searches and ticket checks at designated entry points will be in place, supported by almost 100 safety and SIA security stewards.
A multi-agency planning structure brings together The R&A, Fylde Borough Council, Lancashire Highways, Lancashire Police, Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service, North West Ambulance and contractors to support the safe and secure delivery of the Championship through information and intelligence sharing.
You can play your part by trusting your instincts, and if you see something that doesn’t feel right, tell security. Our teams will take every report seriously. You won’t be wasting their time.
Ahead of your visit to the Championship, here are some quick tips to help you have a safe and enjoyable time:
- Arrive early, allowing more time for security checks and measures
- Be patient with security checks. It might seem inconvenient, but they are in place to help you.
- Keep it simple and minimise what you carry. Fewer bags to search will speed up entry.
- Stay alert and look out for each other. If you see something that doesn’t feel right, tell security. Don’t leave it to someone else.
- Don’t leave bags unattended. Never agree to look after a stranger’s bag, no matter how genuine they seem.
- If there is an incident, listen to staff and any announcements.
In an emergency, always call 999.
Have an amazing time, and if you see something that doesn’t feel right, report it to security straight away. Thank you for playing your part.
What are the parking and traffic management arrangements?
Public parking for the event is free of charge and is located a short distance from the main entrance. Full travel information is published on our dedicated ‘Getting There’ page here.
To minimise traffic congestion, disruption and safety concerns in the surrounding area during the week of the Championship, The R&A are consulting with Lancashire Highway’s and Lancashire Police to request and implement temporary traffic regulation orders.
Full details will be published on https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/roads-parking-and-travel/roads/roadworks-and-traffic-regulation-orders/temporary/ once finalised, however we wanted to provide you with advance notice of the main restrictions in the vicinity of your business or residence. Subject to Lancashire Highways approval, these will be:
- Areas of temporary no waiting and no loading during the build and derig phase (18 May – 28 August 2026) on (see map below):
- Links Gate
- Beauclerk Road
- Lindsay Avenue
- Areas of temporary no waiting and no loading during the Championship week (26 July – 2 August) on:
- St Thomas’ Road
- Links Gate
- Beauclerk Road
- Lima Road
- Lindsay Avenue
- Haymarket
- Holmefield Road
- Lawrence Avenue
- Banbury Road
- Berwick Road
- St Patrick’s Road South
- Church Road
- Greenways
- Albany Road
- South Promenade
- Temporary one-way traffic during the Championship week (26 July – 2 August) on:
- Links Gate
- Lindsay Avenue’s junction with Haymarket, leading onto Beauclerk Road and Lima Road to its junction with Wentworth Mews
These one-way systems form an integral part of the event’s safety and security plans and will include resident permit check points. Full details and maps of these temporary restrictions will be published once available.
Resident passes will be required during championship week to access Links Gate, Beauclerk Road and Lindsay Avenue from its junction with Haymarket. To apply for pass, please email championships@randa.org with the following information by Friday 3 July 2026:
- Subject: AIGWO Resident Vehicle Permits
- Name
- Vehicle registration number
- Driver contact telephone number
- Address of property to which access is required
- Number of passes required
If you are unable to apply for a parking pass via email, you can call 01334 460010 (SignVideo also available via www.aigwomensopen.com/contact-form).
N.B. Resident Vehicle Passes are only required for access to Links Gate, Beauclerk Road and Lindsay Avenue from its junction with Haymarket.
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Will any areas of green space be unavailable or other access restricted?
To enhance the safety and security of the site, it is intended to temporarily close the public right of way FP0502003 which runs across the golf course for the duration of event week.
The green on the South Promenade (next to the Fairhaven Road car park) and the recreational grounds off Lima Road will be closed from Saturday 25 July – Monday 3 August due to them being used as an event car park.
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Is there anything else residents should be aware of?
To create safe working conditions during early hours of site access, we will be required to provide adequate temporary lighting across the site. This will be done through use of mobile tower lights and fixed lighting positions. The Championship will direct tower lights downwards and into specific service areas and pedestrian routes to reduce the pollution of light into non-championship areas. The fixed lighting will for most part be positioned on temporary infrastructure to light up staircases and fire exits. Whilst the direction of the light is fixed, we will endeavour to direct these away from non-championship areas.
We always aim to reduce the run time and impact of fuel-powered generators and that’s why the Championship operates a hybrid power delivery model. Quieter Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and solar panels are integrated alongside traditional generators to provide more sustainable power. Each battery unit is paired with a generator, not kicking in to restore the energy levels of the battery until it has reached a set limit. This in turn reduces the overall run time and noise of a fuel-powered generator, significantly reducing emissions. Solar panels are connected to existing BESS and generator systems to provide clean energy during daylight hours, lowering overall fuel use due to the low run time of generators – the BESS system stores the energy from solar power collection and uses that energy rather than pulling energy from fuel-powered generators. This in turn reduces generator run time and coupled with low power output in the non-daylight hours, means that the BESS system can for most part cover all power output, with a generator purely being used as a contingency.
A mobile phone mast will be temporarily installed within the venue and will be noticeable due to its extended height. This will provide boosted signals in the area during a time of increased demand once we open our gates to spectators – you may even notice improved signals for a short time depending on your mobile provider. We work with closely with mast provider to safely survey, plan and install the equipment.
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How can I contact the AIG Women’s Open about local issues?
If residents or businesses wish to contact The R&A about local issues between now and the Championship, please email residents@aigwomensopen.com
A resident hotline phone number will also be in place during the live event days which will connect you to the Championship’s Event Control for any immediate concerns, complaints or queries – this can be contacted on 0333 023 2621
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Still want to know more?
For further information on the Championship – including event-specific FAQs, gate opening times, tee times, hospitality packages, player information and prohibited items – you can head to www.aigwomensopen.com or use our general Contact Form.
To discuss an experience or booking at the AIG Women’s Open, contact us on:
Ticketing Enquiries
Email: Tickets@AIGWomensOpen.com
Tel: +44 (0)1334 460010
Hospitality Enquiries
Email: Experiences@AIGWomensOpen.com
Tel: +44 (0)1334 460090
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The R&A would like to thank all local residents and businesses for their cooperation and understanding.