It’s time for another rendition of the Scottish Open, a fantastic event that sees the PGA Tour and DP World Tour mix fields the week before the Open Championship each year.
But I can’t help but feel a little disappointed to see it hosted at The Renaissance Club once again.
Designed by the renowned Tom Doak, The Renaissance Club is less than 20 years old and is located in East Lothian, not far from historic links courses like Muirfield and North Berwick. It has hosted the Scottish Open each year since 2019 and is scheduled to continue hosting it until at least 2030.
It’s not new for the Scottish Open to have a permanent home. Loch Lomond was the host 1996-2010. But it’s also visited other great Scottish courses like Gullane Golf Club, Dundonald Links, Castle Stuart, Royal Aberdeen and even Carnoustie and Gleneagles back in the 1990s.
But the Scottish Open now has a lot more eyes on it. Starting in 2022, the PGA Tour co-sanctions the event with the DP World Tour, bringing together a unique field and a $9-million purse. This week, we’ll see Jon Rahm and other LIV players who are members of the DP World Tour tee it up with PGA Tour players in a non-major for the only time this year.
The Renaissance Club has given the tours a simple option for host
Much like what I’ve written about in recent weeks on the Tour’s schedule changes, it isn’t as simple as picking the most worthy or desirable course in the area. Everyone would love to see Muirfield or North Berwick down the road but it’s not reasonable to believe either would want to shut the course down for weeks to host a regular tour event, especially every year.
The Renaissance Club was built for this, on the other hand. Doak was tasked with building a course that would challenge the world’s best professionals. It’s also a private course with big-money members and a very corporate feel overall.
This is perfect for hosting a Tour event. Unlike clubs with a lot of members looking to maximize their play in the summer, Renaissance members may expect and even enjoy this break in play to watch top players on their home course.
With expansive grounds and an event that has moved further into the corporate space than the older Scottish Opens we may have known, Renaissance is built for this huge tournament. Many venerable links courses in the United Kingdom are squeezed onto limited land. It’s part of what makes the experience of playing on them so intimate with so many great views. But it’s not as good for a ton of fans and a golf event looking to make a bunch of money.
Renaissance is a very long course for this part of the world and it’s been made even longer in recent years. To put it simply, it’s a course that (sort of) looks and plays like a links as a nod to the name of the Scottish Open but it comes without some of the negatives for hosting a tournament.
The tours likely feel as if they have the best of both worlds with Renaissance hosting the tournament every year and committing to the future. It’s also not a far drive from the capital city of Edinburgh.
Where The Renaissance Club falls short
I’ve come around to Renaissance a bit more as time has gone on. That’s part of the process. More tournaments and exposure create some familiarity and potentially more favor if it’s a proper course.
Clearing the trees a couple years back was a help, as it opened up more sightlines and gives it much more of a links look. There are some great holes out there, which is no surprise considering Doak is arguably the greatest modern golf architect.
The finish is especially strong, and that has led to some exciting final rounds. In the seven Scottish Opens at Renaissance, we’ve seen three playoffs and three one-stroke victories.
But that hasn’t come without criticism. In the early years, we saw multiple players, including Rory McIlroy and Edoardo Molinari, criticize the course or setup. Many fans have been underwhelmed by the course when expecting a classic links or parkland course in Scotland when tuning in to its national open.
I believe Renaissance mostly falls short due to expectations. Everyone has an idea in their head about Scottish golf. Located right next door to Muirfield, North Berwick and other historic links courses, Renaissance almost feels like a fake. It’s bigger and bolder but it fails to capture that classic feel of a great links course.
It also doesn’t play like one. With so much length, the course is played almost exclusively through the air. Recent winners such as Christ Gotterup, Robert MacIntyre, McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and Min Woo Lee reflect elite drivers of the ball. Most of the green complexes are elevated which means we don’t get approach shots running into the greens.
It’s not a bad course by any means but it doesn’t scratch the itch that we’ll thankfully get the following week at the Open Championship.
Don’t expect anything to change, though. The Renaissance Club is the simplest and most efficient pick for the PGA Tour and DP World Tour in Scotland.
The post Why Is The Scottish Open At The Renaissance Club When There Are Better Options? appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
Article Link: https://mygolfspy.com/news-opinion/why-is-the-scottish-open-at-the-renaissance-club-when-there-are-better-options/