NORTH BERWICK, Scotland – This week’s Scottish Open will be different, we can promise you that. First, LIV golfers Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton play. That is different. Former LIV player Brooks Koepka is competing as a sponsor release … out of necessity … in the DP World Tour part of the field. That is different. And yet, one piece of fire melts in the background, made with fans in mind.
The Renaissance Club holes have been changed. And in a not-so-subtle way aimed at creating the most compelling product possible from a static golf course.
Often, the rescheduling of slots may not do much to cheer, especially for the American crowd on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Often route changes are made due to the need for course correction. But this is just to increase the fan base on the site and explain the huge interest in TV viewers.
In short, most of the old Renaissance back 9s – holes 10 thru 16 – will now play as holes 1 thru 7, while Renaissance holes 1 through 7 will now play as holes 10 thru 16. To a Renaissance novice, that won’t mean much. But for the players on the course, it means the last stretch of six holes zero par-5s, which Rahm revealed early Tuesday morning.
“They haven’t given me a reason why they changed it,” said Rahm, before making the request for the tournament.
“And think of it as a happy ending,” Rahm continued. “Obviously you don’t have a par-5 on 16, which is a bit of a giveaway, but in the right wind you have an accessible par-4, a very tricky par-3, a long par-4, and then 17 and 18. I still think it gives you a nice variety and a fun finish. I think it would be a really nice change.”
He is not alone. Viktor Hovland was next on stage on Tuesday and said he liked it a lot, and expected it to contribute to a happier ending than the classic Renaissance.
The previous 16th hole was a downhill par-5 that gave players a “Get Out of Jail Free” card late on the back nine. Here is an easy bird in the heat of the competition. Now that hole he’ll be able to find arrives well before the players turn, and the holes wasted in contention just merge into a nasty lane to the clubhouse.
The new 14th is a fair-winded par-4, according to Rahm. But if that hole plays into low winds, the next hole — a short, sweet par-3 — presents itself at No. 15, surrounded by bunkers and, now, also surrounded by field seats. The event has increased construction around this hole over the years – adding grandstands, viewing platforms and what looks like an outdoor food court – but it has always been played as a 6th, too early in the weekend rounds to hold significance. Now, it will be where the professionals hold on for dear life, run or stumble when they can’t afford it.
After 15 comes a long par-4 – which plays like a par-5 for members of the special club – followed by another difficult par-3 (203 yards) and finishing par-4 (483 yards) that often plays into the wind. Rory McIlroy hit both finishing holes on his return to win in 2023, a herculean feat considering it took him a driver, 2-iron to reach the 18th green.
And despite McIlroy’s heroics over the past three years, there will be bogeys down the stretch. You can count on it. But most of all, spectators will be enticed to stay close to the clubhouse with this new finishing touch. The proximity of the clubhouse track and the grandstands should create a more electric atmosphere on Sunday, and should increase the chances of capturing a big crowd reaction, too, which may appear muted on TV on those windy links days in the Scottish summer.
It all boils down to a strategy to create one event you do to make yourself 1, 2 or 3% better each season. Now all the organizers need are the best golfers to show up and do their thing.
