It’s 9.30am and there are already 60 people ahead in the queue. By 9.50am another 150 have joined behind and it’s not to get into the Open at Royal Portrush. It’s to buy merch.
Polo shirts, ball markers, posters, golf bags, caps and whatever other knick-knack from the world of golf you are looking for is inside the official pop-up store.
Prices start at lows of £12 (€14) for a ball marker or £8 for a golf ball keyring and don’t stop at the £695 for a Titleist Open golf bag.
For many fans the plan is simple. Get into the Portrush Dunluce course and head straight for the largest tent on the premises, which hosts The Shop. The Claret Jug perched in the O of Shop means it is all official merch.
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You want slim-fit shorts by the official Open Outfitter, Boss at £129, a gilet at £219 or just a plain old Boss peaked cap at £49? Then step into the queue.
On Thursday, the first day of the competition, the doors open at 6.30am and will close at 8.30pm.
Inside the air conditioning is aggressively chilly and the music is inspirational, like one of those sweeping scores or iconic songs that enhance emotional impact with themes of triumph, hope and perseverance.
And right there just by the entrance is another kind of motivation.
“Save £10 with a £200 purchase and pay with Mastercard."
Judging by the size of the bulging net shopping bags, many were saving the tenner. Inside there is another queue forming for the mirror as people try out their Open sunglasses, which come in various shades for £179.
There are three of the official shops on site, with the biggest of them in the Spectator Village where a giant screen, tables, benches and eating outlets tend to the weary.
On Tuesday 24,000 were on the golf course and 60 per cent of those visited The Shop. Overall, the championship is expected to attract a record-breaking 278,000 spectators, making it the largest attendance for the Open outside of St Andrews.
Between the three outlets there is 28,500 square feet of retail space and 70 tills to service credit cards.
The most popular item on the shelves is the 153rd Open Pin Flag at £25, which kids carry around for golfers to sign. A stroke saver player edition is £10 and an umbrella £45.
But it’s not all about the kids. A Single Malt Loch Lomond Scotch is £250 and a 30-year-old bottle £600.
Then, if you need something to put it in to carry around the course, you could tuck it gently into the “Links and Kings Leather Duffel Bag – Tan" sitting on the glass shelf. It’s your whiskey holder for £500.
The same tanned leather turned into an elegant container to hold dirty golf shoes retails at £150.
“Someone came in yesterday and spent £13,000,” said one of the officials. “They just grabbed five of those, six of those ... it’s been busier than we even thought it would be.”
On Wednesday the high was 22 degrees, while on Tuesday it rained in the afternoon. As it happens both warm and wet weather is good for trade. If it is warm, punters want caps and short-sleeved polo shirts. When it’s wet, they need umbrellas and long-sleeved clothing.
“The most popular are the pin flags,” said another official. “It is similar patterns year-on-year and people want a bit of everything, caps for sun, umbrellas for rain, then if it gets a bit chilly, tops with sleeves.”
Just how many flags they sling over the week is commercially sensitive and they won’t say. But the background noise is a constant ker-ching.
A cuddly toy, anybody, for £24? A bucket hat, a snip, at £30? Or perhaps the Nikon stabilised 12x25 binoculars, a must for the serious golf fan perched on one of the many elevations around the course – And yours for only £700.
