Spectators arrive at Royal St George's Picture: Barry Goodwin

by Kevin Redsull

The Open is likely to return to Sandwich within the next 10 years after the organisers, the Royal & Ancient Golf Club, expressed their delight at the way the 2011 Championship had unfolded.

Royal St George’s is one of nine clubs on the Championship rota but with St Andrews normally awarded the event every five years, it means Sandwich can look forward to staging the Open again by 2021.

This year’s Championship, the 14th occasion that St George’s had hosted the event, attracted 179,700 spectators over the four days of the tournament, slightly down on the figure of 181,000 when the Open was last at Sandwich in 2003.

But, with spectators able to buy tickets on the day, the bad weather at the weekend must have persuaded many golf fans who were planning to attend to stay at home and watch the action on television.

Malcolm Booth, the R&A’s head of publicity, said he was delighted that such big crowds had come down to Sandwich despite the unseasonal weather conditions.

He said: "The attendance figures were testament to how much the people of England really love links golf and this Championship, and I am confident that within the next decade, the R&A will consider bringing the Open back to Sandwich."

Peter Dawson, chief executive of the R&A, added: "Royal St George’s is firmly on the list of courses we use for the Open Championship and if the club are kind enough to have us again in the future, we will continue to to come."

Royal St George’s club secretary, Christopher Gabbey, said officials at the club were thrilled with how the Championship had gone.

He said: "All our arrangements seemed to work well and we were particularly pleased that so many players paid tribute to the condition of the course."

The success of the Championship proved a fitting swansong for 65-year-old Mr Gabbey, who retires in September after 10 years as secretary.