The Renaissance Club

[Mephistopheles]

What’s everyone’s thoughts on the venue for this years Scottish Open?
100k for a membership or £600+ for a once in a lifetime chance of playing the course.
So largely a course most will be unfamiliar with.
For me it kinda stinks that the competition is being played on such an exclusive course.
Plenty other excellent venues available which average club golfers can have a go at without having to win the lottery.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

What’s everyone’s thoughts on the venue for this years Scottish Open?
100k for a membership or £600+ for a once in a lifetime chance of playing the course.
So largely a course most will be unfamiliar with.
For me it kinda stinks that the competition is being played on such an exclusive course.
Plenty other excellent venues available which average club golfers can have a go at without having to win the lottery.

Do you mean just like when it was at Loch Lomond for over a decade which is a club visitors can’t play

 

[Imurg]

Just because they've done it before doesn't make it right...
I'm largely in agreement but if the ET feel it's best to take it there rather than a "members" club that anyone can play then it's their bat, ball and wicket and they can take to whomever offers them the most cash.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

The ET and indeed all tours play multiple events at exclusive clubs - the majors are played at times at a club none of us will ever get the chance to play at

 

[chrisd]

What’s everyone’s thoughts on the venue for this years Scottish Open?
100k for a membership or £600+ for a once in a lifetime chance of playing the course.
So largely a course most will be unfamiliar with.
For me it kinda stinks that the competition is being played on such an exclusive course.
Plenty other excellent venues available which average club golfers can have a go at without having to win the lottery.

When I played football I never got to play at Wembley
When I played tennis I never got to play at Wimbledon
When I play golf I got to play Royal St George's

All seems good to me

 

[popeye]

Great course and a great challenge to the players however if the figures for membership etc are heard by the general public then it will just emphasize the "golf is for rich snobs" stereotype that people have and has the potential to do more harm to the game.
I agree that doing it on a course which Joe public has access to would be better for growing the game

 

[CliveW]

I don't know where you are getting your prices from, but currently they are offering a round of golf for £250.

 

[Jacko_G]

Tour can take tournaments to wherever they like.

I'd like to play a good few tracks that I can't for whatever reason or can't afford due to the green fee.

That's life. However I console myself by knowing that I can pick up some tremendous deals/bargains at times.

 

[User20204]

Interestingly enough this was being discussed at our seniors match yesterday. Apparently it was 25k to join, then became 37k then 50k yesterday the number that it is now is 80k. The guys who were knowledgeable stated they would have paid a very hefty price to have it held there so I guess ET/Scottish Golf/whoever have decided to take the money from the highest bidder and why not.

 

[PNWokingham]

Ban the Masters, it's simply, simply not cricket - and half the US opens while you are at it!

 

[need_my_wedge]

Ban the Masters, it's simply, simply not cricket - and half the US opens while you are at it!

Get the Masters thought (although I wouldn't ban it ), but I thought all US Opens are played on Public courses?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

No problem where they play. It's the ET's call and I would imagine they have gone their for nothing other than commercial reasons and the image of golf and being stereotyped because of the joining fees never even registered with them

 

[Imurg]

I don't know where you are getting your prices from, but currently they are offering a round of golf for £250.

If that is the case then I don't know what all the fuss is about...
Many clubs cost a fortune to join and have huge green fees.
If you can get on here for 250 notes then it's not totally out of reach....

 

[USER1999]

Get the Masters thought (although I wouldn't ban it ), but I thought all US Opens are played on Public courses?

Most definitely not, for the US open. Most are played at private country clubs that are very exclusive.

 

[patricks148]

lucky enough to get a fee game there last time i played the Nairn V Gullane match, not pure links by any stretch of the imagination, maybe a handful of holes, bur boy was it in good nick.

as for playing the SO there, in reality there are not many clubs that want it TBH, with the exception of Gullane, so that only really leaves Proprietary clubs and Open venues, none of the open venues want to have it (or so i was told) so that leaves Privately owned courses like, Castle Stuart, Dundonald, Archerfield, and Kingsbarns as the ET want to have it at a links course to make it more attractive for players coming over for the Open

 

[Garush34]

Don't see a problem with it personally. I think the media like to turn it in a away to make it look worse than it is, as has been said the public can play there so its not all that exclusive. The ET need to host the event somewhere, and why not take it to a place where the membership is not that big in numbers, especially now that they are doing both the mens and womens opens on the same courses.

I don't expect to be able to always play the same courses that the pros do, I know that theres a very slim chance that I get to play the likes of Muirfield, Troon, Wentworth etc. That doesnt stop my enjoyment of watching the best play there. If I played other sports theres no chance I get to play the same venues as the top athletes in those sports.

 

[Deleted member 1418]

Really cannot see a problem with it. At the end of the day it's a) the quality of the course; and b) how many punters show up to support the event, that is all that matters.

I bet the vast majority of us would join an exclusive members club if we had the cash and the opportunity to do so! I know I definitely would!!

 

[turkish]

I don't know where you are getting your prices from, but currently they are offering a round of golf for £250.

Is it not £1000 for the 4 ball as a one time experience... IE after you play once that’s you if you want to go back you need to join?

I enquires to them about it and might do one day.... I do think you’ll be a good bit more once you take their caddy’s etc which I think are compulsory. Think they also encourage an overnight stay etc to get more money out you

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Get the Masters thought (although I wouldn't ban it ), but I thought all US Opens are played on Public courses?

Pebble Beach, Torrey Pines & Bethpage Black are public, you can stay & play at places like Pinehurst, but the majority are private.

Winged Foot is private, so are Shinnecock, The Country Club (Brookline), Oakmont, Merion, LA Country Club, Riviera etc

 

[IanM]

£250 is lots for a round.... I'd have to be getting something good for that!