Renaissance Club (Part 2)

This short post on Renaissance Club is a follow up post to accompany my full review of the course, which can be found here.

When I first visited Renaissance Club in April of 2012, the clubhouse was still under construction and three new seaside holes were being shaped out of the rolling East Lothian dunes. As you can tell from my full review, I greatly enjoyed the course, but it was not complete. My host for the day prefaced most sentences with, "When everything is finished up..."

My opportunity to revisit the exclusive private club came nearly two years later to the day, and every promise of "just wait till _____ is completed" during my first visit has certainly come true. The attention to detail and the service at the club are excellent. Everything was first-class, from having guests' names printed on labels in the beautiful locker room to a member of staff bringing us delicious hot snacks at the turn.

The clubhouse in April, 2012

Outside of the great Tom Doak designed golf course, the clubhouse at Renaissance Club is the most impressive feature of the club. The building is massive, with a full gym, five-star rooms to spend the night, and one of the better furnished locker rooms that I have visited (see hot tub below). The food was excellent during my visit and the service was impeccable.

The clubhouse in April, 2014

Renaissance Club does not feel like other clubs in Scotland. It is built off the American model of golf club, with a high initiation fee, highly private membership, and incredible facilities. The club is closer to Loch Lomond Golf Club than to any of its East Lothian neighbors. An American, Jerry Sarvadi, headed up the development of Renaissance Club, leasing the land from the Duke of Hamilton on property from the Archerfield Estate. The land for the course lies in a "green belt" conservation area of the coast, and special permission had to be granted for the golf course. The result is a great Doak design set within naturally beautiful Scottish dunes.

Full hot tub in the men's locker room

My camera lens broke a number of days prior to my round at Renaissance Club, so the limited photos that you see below were taken in a misty rain with my phone. I will do my best to describe the three new holes, numbers 9, 10, and 11 in the round. Brilliant photos can be found on the club website, found here.

The 9th hole at Renaissance Club

During my first visit to the club, there were no true seaside holes on the golf course. It was a feature that the owners felt was holding the course back from a higher ranking and the possibility to host the Scottish Open. Tom Doak was brought back in to design three new holes after additional land was acquired for the expansion.

Click on photo to enlarge

Two of the three new holes are par 3s. The 9th hole measures 190+ yards into a beautiful infinity green, while the 11th hole is a downhill 135+ yard par 3 with a great view. Depending on the wind, one of the holes plays into wind, while the other plays downwind. Depending on your luck that day, the one shot holes can be particularly challenging.

Locker labels mark all guest lockers

The 10th hole is the most impressive of the new three. The hole curls along cliffs bordering the Firth of Forth. Massive waves crashing on the beach to the left of the hole provide a nice backdrop for play. The dogleg left design has a great risk/reward aspect. Golfers can cut off as much cliff as they dare to shorten their approach to the green. The fairway runs along a hillside, and those golfers trying to play the tee shot too safe will find their ball stuck on the hill in thick grass.

I hope to be able to play Renaissance Club again on a bright, sunny day with my camera. The round was very enjoyable, and my 73 won me a few pounds from my playing partners. If given the chance to play golf in Scotland, make sure to play the great traditional links courses. However, tacking on a round at a modern course like Renaissance Club isn't half bad!

North Berwick (West Links)

North Berwick is one of the genuinely fun golf courses of Scotland. Ancient stone walls dissect many of the holes, exposed rock surfaces on a number of the fairways, and stunning views frame large sections of the course. The town of North Berwick is charming in its own right, and the locals become part of the experience as they spill across the golf course onto the adjacent beaches. The experience of playing North Berwick is very memorable, and because of this, it has gained a cult following among many of the better travelled golfers in the world. It is rare to find a knowledgable golfer who doesn't love the quirkiness and design of North Berwick.

North Berwick Golf Club clubhouse

Four golf clubs play their golf over the North Berwick West Links, but it is North Berwick Golf Club that manages the course and serves as the major club in the area. I have been treated incredibly well every time that I have visited North Berwick Golf Club. A sign outside of the clubhouse reads, "Your green fee ticket entitles you to temporary membership of the North Berwick Golf Club where you will be made welcome by the members." The membership and staff take on this creed wholeheartedly, making guests feel genuinely welcomed and at ease.  

The famous painting "Golf At North Berwick" by Sir Francis Grant

The North Berwick West Links are filled with character and exemplify the story of many historic Scottish golf courses. Organized play began on the links in 1832 with a course comprised of six holes. Land was acquired from one of the members in 1868 to extend the course to nine holes, with one of the new holes being the famed Redan. Course development then escalated with the same family allowing nine new holes to be built on their land, expanding the layout to eighteen holes. Many of those eighteen holes were very short, and a final expansion in 1895 gathered enough land for a course of respectable length. Ben Sayers oversaw routing changes in 1932 that established the layout seen today, albeit with minor changes. This amalgamation of design changes and course growth created something a modern course designer simply cannot replicate.

Hole #1 - 312 yards - "Point Garry (out)"

Picture taken from the back of the raised first green

The start to the round immediately alerts golfers to the quirky and unique course that lies ahead. The blind green is marked by the white pole in the distance, and a long iron off the tee sets up an approach from the area of the exposed rock on the left. The beach runs down the right side of the hole and is in play as a large hazard. The green, also seen above, is deceptively large and offers an excellent view of the beach and the Bass Rock in the distance.

Hole #2 - 414 yards - "Sea"

The 2nd hole hugs the beach and the white flag can be seen in the distance once the photo is enlarged (click on photo). Golfers can bite off as much hazard as they dare, but hearing the waves crash next to the tee subconsciously moves the aiming point further and further left.

Hole #3 - 460 yards - "Trap"

The approach shot on the 3rd hole is the golfer's first introduction to the ancient stone walls criss-crossing the course. Strategy is affected as longer golfers can get fairly close to the wall with their tee shot and the wall can be difficult to clear off the tight links turf. The wall is approximately 155 yards from the green, so laying well back from the wall leaves a lengthy approach.

Hole #4 - 168 yards - "Carlekemp"

This par 3 becomes even more difficult when heavy summer rough surrounds the green. The green complex is particularly interesting with an open entrance and well bunkered left and right sides. Because the putting surface is so narrow, a very accurate tee shot is required to hit in this green in regulation.

Hole #6 - 139 yards - "Quarry"

The 6th is another strong one shot hole at North Berwick. A valley, or old quarry of sorts, lies between the tee and green with a deep bunker sitting at the bottom. The green is very large, and with the wind into our faces during our round, I hit my 175 club into this back pin.

Hole #7 - 344 yards - "Eil Burn"

Longer hitters should be aware of this tee shot during the summer months. Long running shots can end up in the burn, which is just short of the green. I found this out during my first round at North Berwick, when I ripped a drive down the center and found my ball swimming in the burn. The best play is to lay back on this hole, leaving a full club into the green rather than a half shot flirting with the burn.

Hole #9 - 502 yards - "Mizzentop"

The angle from which I took this photo does not portray the sharp dogleg left shape of this hole. Two bunkers guard the inside of the dogleg and deter longer hitters from attempting to cut off the corner. The raised green is heavily bunkered, but a backstop saves longer approach shots from running over the green. These holes at the turn were part of the later expansions on the course, and I really like them. That being said, they have different character from the original sections of the course. More specifically, holes 6-12 have a different, but not necessarily weaker, feel than the rest of the course.

Hole #10 - 153 yards - "Eastward Ho" 

The downhill approach shot to this well bunkered green leaves golfers particularly exposed to the wind. This is another great par 3 green complex at North Berwick. Although it was not initially apparent to any of the golfers in our group, the putting surface slopes from right to left. This heavy slope, disguised partly due to the raised green and bunkers, caused misreads and three putts in our group.

Hole #13 - 362 yards - "Pit"

Looking forward while approaching the green

Looking backwards from the green towards the tee

The 13th is one of the most famous holes at North Berwick and is certainly one of the most photographed. One of the course's many stone walls runs directly in front of the green, cutting off the fairway from the putting surface. The green is sunk, and a large dune frames the back of the green. This is one of the most distinctive holes on the course. A modern course could never get away with having a wall directly in front of the green. There is a real urge to drop a handful of balls and practice approach shots to this green while standing in the fairway.

Hole #14 - 358 yards - "Perfection"

The 14th is said to have been named "Perfection" because it required two perfect shots to hit the green. With modern club and ball technology, the hole has become quite short, but two good shots are still required to hit this green. Bunkers stand in the fairway about 225 yards from tee, and a 135 yard approach is left in from that point. After hitting your approach shot at the white marker post, an amazing view is found at the top of the hill looking down at the green and the Firth of Forth beyond. In firm and fast conditions, a running ball landing short of the green is the best play.

Hole #15 - 178 yards - "Redan"

The Redan hole is the last par 3 on the course. The hole is famously the most replicated hole in golf course architecture. A large number of the top 100 golf courses in the world feature a Redan hole, but the original stands alone. The Redan hole features a green that slopes from right to left and away from the player. Landing a shot on this raised right hand side will propel a ball down and left towards the heart of the green. Bunkers can be found short of the green and off the lefthand side of the green. There are many ways to play the Redan hole, depending on the pin position, which is one reason that it is such a great design. Once you begin to look for Redan layouts, you begin to see them on many of the great courses of the world.

Hole #16 - 360 yards - "Gate"

The green at the 16th hole is the most unique green on the course. It is made up of two islands, with a massive trench dividing them. The photo above is taken from the rear island, and the pin can be seen on the front portion of the green. Both of the putting areas on this green are very small, and it is difficult to hold approach shots anywhere near the pin. The trench dividing the two sections of green is nearly four feet below the higher levels of the putting surface.

Hole #17 - 405 yards - "Point Garry (in)"

The 17th is a fairly nondescript tee shot with the correct line being the Bass Rock seen in the distance. A single fairway bunker guards the landing area from which the blind approach shot is struck towards the large green. The red flag seen on the horizon line in the top photo is the 17th flag. The green is a bowl shape, sloping heavily from back to front and running off on the left side. Excellent views can be seen from this raised green.

Hole #18 - 269 yards - "Home"

Berwick Law, an ancient volcanic plug, dominates the skyline.

Some write off the finishing hole of the course as weak and short, but I find it to be part of the charm of North Berwick. It is reminiscent of the St Andrews Old Course's finishing hole, with cars lining the right side, clubhouse in the background, and a "valley of sin" guarding the front of the green. The hole is certainly a birdie opportunity for longer golfers. Interestingly, visiting golfers are issued a card with the club's insurance details to produce when they hit the cars lining the fairway. Thankfully our group went damage free on the last hole.

You're covered if you take out a windshield with a drive on the 18th

The recognizable Bass Rock off the coast at North Berwick

Many golf writers and other members of the media played North Berwick while visiting the 2013 Open Championship at Muirfield. The response to the course was overwhelmingly positive, and their reviews and photos added to the following that North Berwick has gathered over the years. There are a number of unique Scottish courses that fall into a similar category as North Berwick, most notably Cruden Bay and Prestwick. These courses will not be hosting the next Open Championship, but after playing most of the great links courses of Scotland, my rounds at these unique courses stand out as some of the most memorable. 

Dunbar Golf Club

East Lothian is one of my favorite golfing areas in the world. Ever since I played my first round on "Scotland's Golf Coast," I have made it my goal to knock off every note-worthy course in East Lothian. I have been lucky enough at this point to have played North Berwick, Archerfield (Fidra), Renaissance Club, Muirfield, and Gullane (1, 2 & 3). The next course to knock off the list was Dunbar Golf Club.

I had heard great things about the course and was eager to make the train journey with my ever-present golfing buddy Matt to play a round. We made the walk from the train station to the golf course, had a pair of “36 Hole Burgers,” and proceeded to tee off on a cold Tuesday afternoon.

One of the most interesting features of Dunbar Golf Club is the routing. There is a large stone wall separating the course from Broxmouth Park that runs parallel to the beach through the entire course. All but four holes are wedged between the beach and the wall in a traditional "out and back" layout. The first three holes and the last hole are on the inland side of the wall.

The opening hole (seen above) is a par 5 working away from the clubhouse. The tee shot looks challenging visually with a line of bunkers seemingly dissecting the fairway. A winding burn in front of the green is very reminiscent of the first hole on the Old Course here in St Andrews. 

The third hole could be considered the course's signature hole. It is a downhill 173 yard par three with a very interesting green complex. The view is stunning with the sea, clubhouse, and coastline all being visible from the elevated tee. 

The fourth is the first hole on the course to be on the left side of the Broxmouth Park wall. The tee shot is deceptive due to the fairway running out abruptly on the left. There is plenty of room right, and my slight pull off the tee ended up settling onto the beach (right from where the picture was taken). 

I thoroughly enjoyed the interplay of the wall with the course, but it presented problems at points for the routing. The fifth hole was a weak, short par 3 that seemed out of place, jammed between two holes due to lack of space. It was one of the few weak holes on the course.

Both the 6th (pictured above) and the 7th holes incorporate the wall along the entire right side of the fairway and green. If you have a problem losing the ball right, you're going to struggle at Dunbar.

The 8th hole breaks away from the wall and presents a different style of par 4 from what had been previously seen in the round. The bunkers lining the fairway and surrounding the green penalize any errant shots and reward accuracy.  

 The 9th hole requires a blind tee shot, but once the hill is crested, there is a gorgeous view to be seen. A good drive on the 532 yard hole still leaves a long shot into the green.

The view down to the well-bunkered 9th green is only tarnished by the massive mining and industrial structures in the near distance... 

After the 11th hole, the direction of play turns around to swing back towards the clubhouse. The sea is now on the player's right, and the views get better and better. The 12th hole, seen above, is another tricky tee shot, with the fairway running out on the right side. Aim very far left for this tee shot. My never having seen the course resulted in a number of lost balls during the round, this hole included. 

The 13th hole on the course has a blind shot to a very unique green. The green is sunk nearly fifteen feet below ground level and slopes severely from back to front. The green complex (minus the bunkers) reminded me of the famous coffin green of the 14th hole at Cruden Bay.

The elevated 14th tee box provides a beautiful view of the hole with the "Mill Stone Den" and the famous Bass Rock in the background.

The fifteenth hole only required a 3 wood off the tee, but made for a challenging approach shot to yet another interesting green complex. The sea off the right hand side of the green doesn't really come into play, but it is still visually intimidating and, as with many of the holes coming down the stretch, it subconsciously creates a desire to err left.

The 18th hole on the course jumps back to the inland side of the Broxmouth Park Wall. It is a challenging 435 yard par 4. Tee shots played close to the wall are rewarded with a superior angle into the difficult, raised green.

Dunbar Golf Club was yet another very fun East Lothian golf course. There was a mixture of strong and weak holes, but the round was extremely enjoyable. I will definitely be looking forward to playing another round at Dunbar at some point. Are there any recommendations for the next East Lothian course to knock off the list?

Renaissance Club

While sitting on the train to North Berwick on my way to Renaissance Club, I fully expected to compare every aspect of Renaissance Club to its neighbor, Archerfield. On the train back to St Andrews post-round, I had come to realize that the golf at Renaissance Club offers something different to the club just down the coast. Archerfield’s two courses are there for the entertainment of the members, but at Renaissance, Tom Doak created a challenging world-class course, worthy of fighting its way into the upper half of the UK's top 100 courses.

Renaissance Club opened up in 2008 with a similar ethos to Loch Lomond. Different from most Scottish courses, a largely international membership base is able to fly in and relax in a golfing haven, hidden from society, while being provided with anything of which a golfer could dream. To exemplify this, we overheard the chef asking a member, “What would you like for dinner tomorrow?” to which the member replied, “Lobster would be good...” The chef answered, “I’ll have one brought in.”

         
The temporary clubhouse would make most permanent clubhouses jealous. Marble floors, sinks, and showers in the locker room make me wonder what the permanent locker room will be like. (Could we see a PowerShower rating of 10??) I could go on about the club’s offerings and treatment of the exclusive membership, but what really stood out was the golf course. (Click on the pictures to see full, large detail.)

The hole in the above picture is the 4th. After a strong first three holes, this fourth sets the tone for the round. The fairway has plenty of room to the left, but the left tree forces the golfer to favor the right side of the fairway. The green complex is something of genius with bunkers short right, and a massive backstop on the left side of the green, again encouraging the right side of the fairway for an optimal angle into the backstop. 

The 7th hole is a dogleg right with the picture above being taken right at the bend of the dogleg. The green was extremely large with a tree guarding far left pins, slopes guarding the front, and bunkers guarding the right side. 

The 8th hole (green above) is a drivable par 4. It is also the first place that the original stone walls surrounding the course come into play. The green, like many others on the course, is massive and very undulating. None of these pictures do the slopes justice. The unfinished clubhouse can be seen in the background... It will be extremely impressive. 

At the turn, a member of staff came out to offer us tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and snacks.

                           

There wasn't a single weak hole on the back nine. The 10th, pictured above, is a long dogleg right requiring a carefully placed drive on the left side of the fairway. In another stroke of designing skill, Doak placed the last bunker on the hole at 185 yards out. How many par 5s have you seen without a single bunker around the green? Instead of bunkers, large slopes guard the green. 

The 11th hole was my favorite hole on the golf course. It was an extremely strong hole, which carefully straddled the balance between too difficult and enjoyable. The picture above is taken from the tee, while the picture below is taken looking backwards from the green. The pictures don't do the massive scale of the hole justice. 

Another massive green is found at the 11th with bunkers forty yards out, thick grass and dunes left, and slopes filtering towards the ancient walls to the right. A common theme seen at the course is open, harmless entries to the greens, but miss left or right, and you're in trouble. 

The 14th hole puts a premium on accurate driving. I know this personally, as I was stuck in a deep fairway bunkers on the right side of the fairway (look carefully in the picture). A "figure 8" style bunker guards the dead center, but a natural chute on the left side of the fairway will slingshot a good drive past it. 

The 18th hole was playing downwind during our round and I took full advantage with a high flighted "North Carolina" style drive. The wall running across the fairway makes for a distinctive last hole that will not soon be forgotten. A shelf on the back left portion of the green makes for an interesting pin in a "make or break" situation. 

As you can tell from this writeup, I can only say good things about Renaissance Club. I was treated extremely well and everyone was extremely friendly. The course was in perfect condition, although the greens were slow. I can't wait to go play again when the greens are running fast on a less windy day. I found myself wanting to write about every single hole on the course.

Looking over the 14th, 13th, and 11th holes on the course.

After reading about the course and hearing me sing its praises, you may ask yourself, why isn’t Renaissance higher in the Top 100 in the UK? The main reason is that, due to its young age and high level of exclusivity, much of the golfing world has not seen Renaissance Club. That is how the membership likes it. Another reason would be the lack of seaside views, like those found at Kingsbarns or Castle Stuart. According to my host, once the new seaside holes are finished, they will welcome the ranking panelists. At that point, I would be shocked if Renaissance doesn’t place solidly within the top 100. 

THE NEW HOLES:

There are a number of new holes in the process of creation at the course. They will change the routing fairly drastically. I am going to focus on one hole in particular that will likely be the signature hole. It is a par four with the sea down the entire left side. I was told by my host that the range of tee boxes will allow the hole to be made barely driveable if hosting a Scottish Open or other event. I cannot wait to play the course again once these holes are complete. 

Tee box set within the dunes

New fairway being shaped right beside the beach

New green with grass growing immediately ocean-side