The Renaissance

The Renaissance Club, located between Gullane and North Berwick, was opened as an exclusive and private members’ club in 2008 on a part of the Archerfield Estate, using a 99 year-lease from the Duke of Hamilton, and abuts the courses of both Muirfield and Archerfield, along one of the most famous strips of links coastline in the world.

After twenty years in the planning, permission was eventually granted to re-establish 300 acres on the west edge of the estate previously covered by a dense pine forest and, therefore, not under the plough, offering the infertile soil so ideal for fine golf grasses.

Tom Doak, one of the foremost American golf architects, was invited to tramp the forest, much as Harry Colt had done 100 years previously to create Swinley Forest. Doak had made his name by designing one of the now increasingly fashionable fast-running courses in the USA, Pacific Dunes at Bandon, Oregon, where the temperate climate supports fescue grasses, unlike the hotter areas of the US where target courses predominate.

Dexter on 10th Tee

He likes to be known as of the ‘minimalist’ school and here at Renaissance he has carved out two loops of 8 and 10 holes where stands of trees give avenues through which the first ten holes are played but only at the 10th and briefly at the 4th, 6th and 7th are the trees used as a hazard to impinge on play.

There is a feeling of space, as on a traditional links, and very little soil was moved by the bulldozers, leaving a natural feel to the lie of the holes.

Paul Seago, the Greenkeeper Superintendent, has a blue-chip ‘fine grasses’ CV earned at Brancaster and Hunstanton, and was headhunted from the top job at Gullane. He explained that they are experimenting with the look to the bunkers which were a work-in-progress.

The course is pure fescue grasses and many of the bunkers have that beautiful wispy fescue look but there are others of a lusher, less attractive variety. I also thought the sand was of a more ‘inland’ variety than ideal. They are not revetted but are deep enough unlike the usual international-style wide, flat ‘traps’

view from 12th green

The first three holes do not offer quite the level of interest that the rest of the course does and it is planned to use them as a practice facility when permission is granted to build three new holes. These will be inserted between the current 12th and 13th, running northwards out towards the coastline over true open links land that provide glorious views across the firth to the kingdom of Fife.

Tom Doak supports Jim Arthur’s assertion that the best courses are the least expensive to build. “Thanks to clients who understand the value of beautiful property, we’re able to create courses which compare to the best of the past…and look like they have been here just as long”.

The use of fescue grasses throughout, creating a hard, fast-running surface to the fairways and aprons, combined with a minimum of hazards at the front of the greens, encourages the low-running game under the wind, the true indicator of a ‘fine’ golf course.

The application of sustainable greenkeeping, as confirmed by Richard Windows, the consultant STRI agronomist, in his latest report on the fantastic progress being made here, should also reduce maintenance costs with less water, fertiliser and pesticide being used than on ‘Target’ courses.

Nevertheless no designer can create an instant masterpiece; a mature, authentic links has turf that has developed sometimes over a century, producing a tight knit that gives that wonderful crispness to the squeezed iron shot off the fairway and imparts backspin to help give some check to the ball.

The 12th green

This course does not require a Cambridge University entrance exam such as Muirfield next door might demand of the visitor. However, there are plenty of places to lose balls combined with a generosity of fairway for the higher handicapper if playing sensibly. The bunkers are predominantly located on the ‘beeline’ that the expert wishes to take, just as a strategic design should possess.

There are seven greens that are raised above the fairways but apart from the 7th hole – a dogleg to a green surrounded by trees (where they are having some grass trouble with the shaded, damp air), the natural shot is the bump and run for a recovery. I never once considered using a lob wedge, that familiar instrument of ‘Target’ golf.

The 4th and 5th are long par fours in opposite directions and the 6th, a 511-601 yard par five is played round a stand of trees. Depending on the wind, it is testing golf and you need to be driving well to the ample fairways that I am sure are much enjoyed by the numerous Americans who come over to play this course.

It was a prevailing westerly when I played and so the 7th and short par four 8th required longer iron second shots to typical Renaissance greens with a lot of movement. Indeed, a distinct feature of the course is the undulations in the greens and, to score well, your ball needs some care in choosing where it is played to on the green. There is much scope for difficult pin placements and three-putting!

Firth of Forth behind 9th

The first time the sea is viewed is on the tee of the short 9th, running away from the front of the first of the lodges to be built, that presently serves as a clubhouse. It is a classic side-shelf green, providing an attractive view across the end of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers’ land to the Firth of Forth.

The par five 10th is played between stands of old deciduous trees and the fairway has significant swales and a blind approach to a green on which I got lucky for a birdie.

There is a regal parkland feel about some of these holes but none the worse for that and then we come to the iconic 11th.

The iconic 11th

This is a 406-514 yard par four to a wide undulating fairway where the preferred drive, keeping to the left over the dogleg, has the advantage of making it easier to avoid the dominating fairway tree and to prepare for the second shot. This requires avoidance of two large pot bunkers short of the green and two left of the green. The setting of this mischeivously rippled green with the tumbledown stone wall and wizened Scots pine behind gives some romance.

The next tee drives over the old wall again to a wide, rolling fairway with a mid iron to a hilltop green with plenty of movement.

The 190 yard 13th across the highest part of the property is backed by a dense forest of spindly larch that might be made more attractive by the pruning of the dead stumps of branches. But that is just a personal whim and the only place on the whole course where the trees do not add naturally to the open linksy feel.

150 yard post at 15th

The par five 14th is long but a definite birdie chance to a green in a dell, unlike the long par four 15th with a drive across rough ground, usually into a two-club westerly wind, followed by a thrilling long iron to a big green that falls away on three sides and feeds in from the left.

The 16th is more generous with an interesting long camber in front of the green which if used as the landing area may not always propel the ball far enough up the green. It takes us to a fine 200 yarder 17th set between dunes to the right and back with a wide but shallow, two-tier green.

The 18th, another fine hole, similar in its examination to the 15th, is a 400-485 yard par four into the prevailing wind, and concludes a strong, four-hole finish to the round, to an undulating green. I had the extraordinary fortune of my second bouncing forward from the top of the rugged stone wall that traverses the fairway. It was against the odds!

In the old days the bogey would have been 77 at least, on this par 71, 6863-7400 yard, stretchy course, with yellow tees available at 6,244 yards.

It is with relief that you realise there are no artificial lakes, that this is a walking course and that I saw two other golfing dogs. All good features to this luxurious private club but perhaps not so consistent with its planned welcome of professional tournaments.
Review by Lorne Smith 2009

There are currently no comments.

cforms contact form by delicious:days