Members of Royal Portrush golf club will also no longer be allowed to play the course after Sunday, to protect the fairways and greens. Around 270,000 spectators are expected during the eight days of practice and play next month. The fact that the East Strand carpark has closed already, three weeks before the tournament, has caused some annoyance. Jonny McCarron from Causeway Coast and Glens Council told BBC News NI: "The council totally understands the frustration there. "But the carpark is being used as a key cog in the machinery of putting on this Open championship."