Everton are used to hosting Eagles and Irons once a year, but they will make a slightly different appearance on their home turf this summer.
That’s because the Toffees are offering golf fans a chance to tee off inside a Premier League football stadium while watching The Open.
2
Upper Deck Golf are renowned for transforming some of the most recognised NFL and MLB stadiums into a live interactive experience.
It has already staged events at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Yankee Stadium in New York and Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
And now Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium is the first European venue to house the unique format for The Open Championship.
How does it work?
The four-day event across Thursday 16 July to Sunday 19 July will see Upper Deck Golf place tee boxes high in the stands of Hill Dickinson.
Custom greens will then be laid out on Everton’s pitch below for golf fans to tee off from different vantage points around the ground.
Participants will also be able to watch live coverage of The Open Championship on screens across Hill Dickinson Stadium, with the 154th edition of the golf major taking place at Royal Birkdale just a few miles from the stadium.
Everton fans will be hoping local favourite Tommy Fleetwood, who supports the Toffees, gets the job done.
Aaron Duckmanton, Chief Revenue Officer at Everton Football Club, said: “We are delighted to be bringing Upper Deck Golf to Hill Dickinson Stadium.
“It’s an experience that has been delivered at some of the world’s most iconic venues, and this is a great opportunity for people to see our new home from a completely different perspective.
“With The Open Championship taking place nearby, events like this bring something unique to the city – whether that’s hitting shots from the upper tiers down onto the pitch or enjoying the clubhouse-style atmosphere, activities and challenges around the venue.
“It’s a fresh and memorable way to engage with the stadium during one of golf’s most historic tournaments.
“We’ve always said we want the stadium to be more than just a matchday venue, and events like this show how we can use the space in new and innovative ways, attract different audiences and keep it active all year round.”
Everton have confirmed that tee times at Hill Dickinson Stadium will run from 7am to 9pm on July 16 to July 19.
Bookings are available in two-player slots, and the Toffees will also provide clubs at each hitting location.
In addition to the golf on display, both on the screen and the green, Everton will also be incorporating music, food, and drinks.
The Hill Dickinson Stadium has already staged international rugby league with the England v Australia Ashes Test on November 1.
2
The 52,769 capacity venue is also due to host a rugby union international between Fiji and England on July 11.
Upper Golf Deck’s takeover will round off a highly successful first year for Everton’s new stadium after the men’s team ended a 133-year tenure at their old home.
One year of Hill Dickinson Stadium
David Moyes’ side moved out of Goodison Park at the end of last season to move into their new state-of-the-art ground.
Construction on the stadium, which started in 2021 and across the next four years, tallied estimated costs of more than £750million.
Everton secured a 2-0 win over Brighton to celebrate its first competitive game, en route to enjoying a strong campaign.
Moyes’ men are sat in eighth place – just a point behind Chelsea – ahead of a crunch Merseyside derby against Liverpool this Sunday.
