Renaissance Club Article

[David_Tepper]

https://www.fieldsportsmagazine.com/Scottish-Out-and-About/scottish-golf-course-the-renaissance-club.html

[Tim_Weiman]

David,


Thanks for posting this story about Renaissance. The course is one of my favorite done by TD. It certainly has a character that doesn't remind me of any other, which to me is one of the most important qualities a golf course can have.

[Wayne_Kozun]

That's not very interesting- a puff piece about the "club experience" more than about the quality of the golf. The article doesn't even mention TD and seems more concerned about showing pictures of the fancy locker room, spa and food rather than the golf.

[Kalen Braley]

That's not very interesting- a puff piece about the "club experience" more than about the quality of the golf. The article doesn't even mention TD and seems more concerned about showing pictures of the fancy locker room, spa and food rather than the golf.

Not only that Wayne, gotta love this last little bit...


"This new course really does epitomise the future of links golf. "
The course looks good from pics I've seen, but when I first saw that Spa, I thought it was an advertisement or something...not what I would expect to see at a Scottish destination..

[Peter Pallotta]

I think calling it the future of links golf is prescient, or at least not at all far off the mark.
Every 'links course' of note in America already promotes its high end wine list and world class cuisine and accommodations.
The most famous (private) links courses in Scotland are long-standing models for Renaissance's modern-day brand of exclusivity, and as famous "open-to-the-public" links courses have increased visitor green fees 10-fold in the last 30 years -- the day-pass equivalent of seven-figure initiation costs.
This Houston businessman-East Lothian course is a combination that seems to capture/manifest the ethos and spirit of the age almost perfectly.
On second thought, the writer's main contention actually is off the mark: the future is in fact already here.
All of which, it seems to me, is in the natural order of things, so nothing to get fussed or surprised about. 100 years ago it was Mr. Tarrant, at St. George's Hill, in Surrey -- that era's version of great golf with a focus on premier accommodations and bucket-list specialness.
Peter

[Tom_Doak]

It's a different article than I expected to see posted.  Martin Dempster forwarded me a piece today that was published in The Scotsman last week, for the Scottish Seniors Open preview.  There's a lot more about the course in that one.


The link is as follows


http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/golf/doak-confident-renaissance-will-prove-seniors-with-a-stiff-test-1-4520648

[David_Tepper]

Paul Broadhurst, winner of the Senior Open last year, won the Scottish Senior Open by 3 shots over this past weekend with a 13-under score over 3 rounds at the Renaissance Club. Gary Orr shot a course record 63.

http://www.scottishgolfview.com/2017/08/brilliant-broadhurst-regains-scottish.html

[Tom_Doak]

Damn those are some good scores on that course.  I wonder if they played it all the way back?


Greg Turner had played it in competition before, when we played the Renaissance Cup on the original routing.  He and his partner got to the semi-finals, played at foursomes, where Greg announced that the last time he had played alternate-shot "was in the Presidents Cup against Mickelson and Duval."  Some of the best gamesmanship I've heard, but he lost his match

[Niall C]

I think calling it the future of links golf is prescient, or at least not at all far off the mark. I really, really, really hope not.
Every 'links course' of note in America already promotes its high end wine list and world class cuisine and accommodations.
The most famous (private) links courses in Scotland are long-standing models for Renaissance's modern-day brand of exclusivity, and as famous "open-to-the-public" links courses have increased visitor green fees 10-fold in the last 30 years -- the day-pass equivalent of seven-figure initiation costs. [/color]I think you are mixing up exclusivity with no access for non-members. Traditionally HCEG, Royal Troon, Prestwick, Gullane, and pretty well any other Scottish private members club that owns its course have allowed unaccompanied visitors albeit with certain restrictions as to times and days of play, having valid handicaps etc. A tee-time can be arranged with either a polite email/phone call to the club. No need to have a contact. TOC and Carnoustie are public courses.
This Houston businessman-East Lothian course is a combination that seems to capture/manifest the ethos and spirit of the age almost perfectly. [/color]It might be the way things are going for certain high end clubs however I’d suggest the spirit of the age in Scotland is about tightening the belt rather than adding “facilities” such as accommodation and fine dining. As it is I can’t think of a members club in Scotland that offers Dormie accommodation other than perhaps Golspie letting out its former greenkeepers accommodation. The Renaissance clubhouse is space age compared to any other Scottish clubhouse I’ve been in. 
On second thought, the writer's main contention actually is off the mark: the future is in fact already here.[/color]See above
All of which, it seems to me, is in the natural order of things, so nothing to get fussed or surprised about. 100 years ago it was Mr. Tarrant, at St. George's Hill, in Surrey -- that era's version of great golf with a focus on premier accommodations and bucket-list specialness.
Peter
[/size]

[Wayne_Kozun]

I think calling it the future of links golf is prescient, or at least not at all far off the mark.
Every 'links course' of note in America already promotes its high end wine list and world class cuisine and accommodations.

How many Links courses are there in America?  I think it is somewhat different for resorts like Bandon and Cabot to be promoting accommodations, cuisine, etc and you are charging $200+ for a round of golf - but you need to do that when you are a destination resort where there isn't much else for 100 miles in any direction. But those places are mainly about the golf and you don't see them marketed in the manner of this article.

[Andy Stamm]

It might be the way things are going for certain high end clubs however I’d suggest the spirit of the age in Scotland is about tightening the belt rather than adding “facilities” such as accommodation and fine dining. As it is I can’t think of a members club in Scotland that offers Dormie accommodation other than perhaps Golspie letting out its former greenkeepers accommodation. The Renaissance clubhouse is space age compared to any other Scottish clubhouse I’ve been in. 

Not Renaissance by any stretch but in St Andrews both the R&A and New Club offer dormie accommodation. I don't know much about the R&A's but the New Club do a roaring trade in the 2 flats that were added about 2 years ago. So much so that the third much bigger flat is being finished right now.

[Thomas Dai]

Highlights of Scottish Seniors Open played at Renaissance is on UK Sky TV this evening.
Atb