In 2019, the Scottish Open became the first-ever co-sanctioned event between the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. It was held at the golf mecca in North Berwick at the Renaissance Club. The scenic club’s history goes back to the early 2000s when the American family of the Sarvadi brothers came to Scotland to make a golf course where the game started.

The land owned by the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers was given on a 99-year lease to the eldest of the Sarvadi family, Jerry Sarvadi, in 2005. After this, he brought renowned American architect Tom Doak to construct the Renaissance Club, which neighbored the iconic Muirfield designed by Jack Nicklaus. It was not supposed to be an American golf course, but sort of a tribute to Scotland and its significance in the game of golf.

Thus, Doak started the work on 300 acres of land and removed close to 8,500 tons of pine trees, leaving just sand. The course development started in 2005, but it was opened in 2008, and since then, it has gone through many redesigns. The prominent one was making hole 4 of the original layout hole one for the Scottish Open and keeping holes 1 to 3 as practice holes.

So for members of the Renaissance Club, the course starts at a different hole, but for the Scottish Open field, it starts at hole 4. Interestingly, the course does not have any specific tee box at any hole, and the golfers are encouraged to mix and match even during the round. Since its opening in 2008, the Renaissance Club has undergone one major change that has overturned its entire face.

The three new holes added to the Renaissance Club

Five years after it opened, Sarvadi was overlooking the area along the coastline, which was right beside Muirfield but would have made a significant change for the Renaissance. Thus, in 2013, the HCEG traded an area of Sarvadi’s property for the coastline, where three new holes from 9 to 11 were added.

Additionally, holes 12th and 13th were merged to make a new par-3, not overdoing 200 yards. Almost all the holes give the pros a pleasant view of the coastline, yet they are a dramatic challenge with run-off greens and tight fairways lined by pine trees. Doak took inspiration from Augusta National and made the Renaissance Club an iconic golf course on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour schedules.

Now that the top players, including the defending champion, Rory McIlroy, will grace the North Berwick course, they will have surprising changes awaiting them, mostly the world no. 2. In honor of the Northern Irishman winning the Genesis Scottish Open for the second time on July 16th, 2023, after making the 202-yard 2-iron shot set up for the birdie putt, the club has inserted a plaque on the Renaissance Club grounds to always cherish that memory.

Apparently, McIlroy was made aware of the tribute he was receiving on Monday of the Scottish Open, but by this time, the news probably would’ve reached the 4-time major winner. The Renaissance Club has been set up for the best of golfers to reign and take home the shining laurel and the momentum needed to win at The Open right next week.