With the first golfers teeing off today on day one of the 2011 Open Golf Championship, what better time to look at the new innovations that the organisers are putting our way.

Integral to the new look offering are Facebook (www.facebook.com/the-open-championship), Twitter (www.twitter.com/the_open_champ) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/openchampionship) in addition to the main website, new live TV offering with @TheOpen LIVE and Android/iPhone apps.

“@TheOpen LIVE is an exciting new development in the way we present the Championship,” said R&A Chief Executive Peter Dawson. “Although coverage of the golf is broadcast all over the world, we have never previously provided viewers with an intimate experience of the unique atmosphere that The Open creates for spectators. With its behind-the-scenes access and interaction with fans, this live channel will do that.”

You can even watch some of the live coverage via Livestream on the Facebook page, a great way of expanding their reach and offering a great free service to golf enthusiasts.  they have certainly put a lot of thought, effort and money into their online offerings this year but has it been integrated in anything else they are doing to raise the necessary awareness?

It is all very well putting together some really useful, well thought out strategies but they are not integrated off-line then how will people find them to be able to be able to watch/comment?  It will be interesting to find out how it went and what results they gained at the end of the four days.

The 2011 Virtual Open Championship, a free, online game produced by World Golf Tour, is running alongside The Open, this year, with both the nine-hole skills challenge and the 18-hole qualifying round ending on 17 July. This year’s Virtual Open Champion will win a trip for two to the 2012 Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, including travel, accommodation, tickets to the venue for the week and exclusive R&A Club Marquee access.

The award-winning Opengolf.com will be accompanied by ‘Score Centre+’: A live desktop console, providing fans of The Open with information about the current venue, up-to-date news and video coverage of the build up to the four Championship days in July.

Up to five hours of live coverage will be broadcast daily, by a team of presenters that includes Dominic Holyer and Georgie Bingham, bringing viewers the unique atmosphere of The Open, wherever they are in the world, as well as coverage of post-round press conferences, exclusive interviews and highlights of play.

Here are some snapshots of the different platforms and offers on them.  I’ll certainly be following @TheOpen on Twitter and possibly tuning into Facebook to watch some live golf!