What you need to know about the RBC Canadian Open

On Thursday, the 104^th playing of the RBC Canadian Open will kick off in Oakville, Ont. at the Glen Abbey Golf Club, the nearly-perennial home of the tournament for many of the last 40 years.

With more than 20,000 people expected at the event each day, there are some key things to know before heading to the tournament:

Where: Glen Abbey Golf Club, 1333 Dorval Dr., Oakville, Ont. designed by golf great Jack Nicklaus.

When: Initial rounds of the four-round tournament kick off on Thursday and Friday, with the cut being made after the second round. The remaining golfers play for the championship, which concludes Sunday afternoon.

What to know:

• Ticket prices: $80 any day, children under 17 are free if accompanied by a ticketed adult.
• Parking shuttles will take spectators to the course from designated lots.
• There is increased security at the tournament following the Boston Marathon bombings. For information click here.
  
• Half the golfers will go off in the AM on Thursday and then in the afternoon on Friday and vice versa.

Who to watch:

• See if The Great One’s daughter, Paulina Gretzky, is following boyfriend Dustin Johnson in the 7:40 pairing that tees off the 10^th hole on Thursday in a group that includes stars Hunter Mahan and Billy Horschel.
• Show up at 7:30 on the 10^th tee Thursday to see top draws Matt Kuchar (the highest-ranked player in the field) tip it up with Brandt Snedeker and bomber Bubba Watson.
• Follow top Canadians Graham DeLaet and David Hearn at 7:20 on Thursday off the 10^th tee.
• At 12:45, see defending Canadian Open champ Scott Piercy with former British Open winner Ernie Els and former World No. 1 Luke Donald as they tee off the 1^st hole.
• At 1:05, veteran Canadians Stephen Ames and Mike Weir will play off the first tee on Thursday.

Where to watch:

• Glen Abbey is very spectator-friendly, with many holes returning near the clubhouse. The 18^th hole, famed for being the site of Tiger Woods’ winning shot in 2000, is framed by a hillside where thousands of spectators will watch as players try to navigate the pond on this par five.
• The 15^th hole is a par three where players can win a car for making a hole-in-one and has a good vantage point for spectators. It yielded several aces in 2009, the last time the tournament was held at Glen Abbey.
• The 16^th hole is a short par five and should offer up a fair number of birdies and eagles – shots that could be the turning point of the tournament.

What to do:

• At the main entrance to the course, there are a variety of activities put on by sponsors, including the opportunity to have your picture put on the cover of Golf Digest or at the desk of Global News.
• There’s a “spectator experience” area including activities for children.
• Concerts will occur Thursday through Saturday after the conclusion of play.

Be aware:

• Cameras are not permitted during starting Thursday.
• Put cell phones on mute.
• Food is sold on-site in various locations.
• RBC is sponsoring refillable water stations.
• There are no autographs permitted on course during play. You can, however, find players signing for fans around the clubhouse after their rounds are completed.

Global News will have complete coverage of the RBC Canadian Open all weekend.