Rennaisance East Lothian

[Adi_Dassler]

Any forum members played here before?
I'm heading down that way tomorrow and I'm mightily looking forward to it, I'll just need to purchase a new box of balls as I've heard it's a beast.

 

[MikeH]

Adi
I played it nearly 2 years ago (after Carnoustie Open) before it was properly grown in (many bunkers had no sand in) and they were only doing some preview rounds for select media and potential investors and it is very good. Two distinctive nines - one tree lined, one more open and linksy
be interested to see ho wit has progressed in the last 2 years

 

[Adi_Dassler]

Adi
I played it nearly 2 years ago (after Carnoustie Open) before it was properly grown in (many bunkers had no sand in) and they were only doing some preview rounds for select media and potential investors and it is very good. Two distinctive nines - one tree lined, one more open and linksy
be interested to see ho wit has progressed in the last 2 years

What a course Mike! We arrived nice and early thinking we'd get some practice in on the range and putting green before being ready for our time only to be told there is no real tee-times in operation.So had a nice wee practice using the comp pro v1's and then headed for the 1st tee ( which is actually part of the putting green)

The first three holes head inland and are all tree-lined, the second was quite tough 224 par 3, I escaped with bogey and was reasonably happy.The club has recently done a land swap with the adjacent Muirfield for a plot of land on the coast, they are planning three new holes which will replace these three and Muirfield get land to use as a nursery/car park for the next open.

The rest of the front nine is very challenging I made the turn in 47 and for a 15 handicapper I was rather chuffed with that.Some of the undulations in the greens were a wee bit excessive in my opinion...think the Himalayas in St. Andrews, but if you land in the right position you should have a chance of par/bogey.

The real challenge starts on the 10th a 555 yard par five with a blind 2nd/3rd onto the green followed by SI 1 the 11th a 429 dog-leg par 4 which all of us agreed was the hardest hole we've ever played.Stunning, but tough as nails.This is followed by another par 4 reaching 399 yards with a raised green with drop-offs everywhere.No one made it in regulation, but given the severity of the challenge understandable.Those three holes are the toughest challenge of golf I've faced anywhere.All playing into the wind with quite tight landing zones on the fairways made it a real test for me and my partners who are all off 7.

Through out the day we felt like we had the course to ourselves, we only saw two other groups during the entire round, the place was deserted, and here's why.The joining bond is currently £45,000 and it's going up on Wednesday to £60,000.Annuals after that are £3000 so it's really only for the rich, which is why we got some very strange looks when we turned up in my dirty renualt laguna!

I finished with a 94 (it's 71) so was quite chuffed with my scoring and delighted to have had the chance to play there.

As I've mentioned in a few previous posts, I love East Lothian golf and I've played pretty much every links course from Edinburgh down to Dunbar and this ranks right up there with Gullane 1 & Muirfield, it really is terrific.

I doubt I'll ever get the chance to play there again, but if any forum members get offered the chance, take it.