'Scotland’s Golf Coast' title vindicated - why East Lothian is rightful home of Genesis Scottish Open
There’s lots of reasons why The Renaissance Club is hosting another world-class field this week
It gets me every single time. As you arrive at a roundabout at the railway halt in Longniddry on the A198 heading east, you know that the quickest way to get to The Renaissance Club is driving straight over and going through Drem. Hence why that is the route being recommended for spectators heading to this week’s Genesis Scottish Open.
That being the case, I’ll maybe get my knuckles wrapped for ignoring that and writing about it, but I just can’t help myself when I am making this particular journey because the route I prefer to take is one that is definitely worth the few extra minutes it might take.
Turning left at the aforementioned roundabout takes you down to the coast and, as you arrive at Longniddry Bents, a stunning view of the Firth of Forth straight in front of you with Edinburgh in the distance and the Forth bridges beyond that well and truly whets your appetite for being back in this part of the world.
As does the journey from there all the way to the venue for this week’s $9 million Rolex Series event because it vindicates why this area is officially called ‘Scotland’s Golf Coast’, even though there are a few other regions around the country that could have laid claim to that title and no-one would probably have batted an eyelid.
It’s when you get to the east end of Aberlady and turn the second of two sharp corners that you see why so many people love East Lothian, with many, of course, having visited for the first time to play golf and, subsequently, moving there from the south of Britain in particular but even further afield as well.
Right there in front of you is Gullane Hill and you don’t have to wait long to discover why the juices get flowing when golfers arrive here - and not just for those paying a first visit. You are close to the fifth green as you drive past Luffness New before golfers start appearing on both sides of the road on Gullane No 2 and No 3 then No 1.
The sign welcoming you into the village has one under it saying ‘Home of the Scottish Open’ and, though some might claim that The Renaissance Club is actually closer to Dirleton, you can probably see why that has been erected, with this week’s event being the eighth consecutive edition at this particular venue and Gullane having staged another two.
As you get to the other end of the village, it’s ironic, of course, though definitely by choice, that people who didn’t know drive past the road for Muirfield without there being any indication of that and, as is the case every single time, I passed there on this occasion dreaming about The Open being back there before too long.
After arriving through the giant iron gates that mark the entrance to The Renaissance Club, you are soon reminded that the Genesis Scottish Open is a notch above most other events by the sight of signs that mark it being on both the DP World Tour and PGA Tour schedules through a co-sanctioning set up.
It’s a bugbear for some Scottish golf fans that the American-owned venue has staged the tournament since 2019 and will do so through to 2030 after a four-year extension was announced earlier this year, claiming there are better courses and, as was the case for a spell, it should be moved around the country.
The proof is in the pudding, though. For the last two years, this tournament has boasted the strongest field in golf after the four majors. With six of the top ten and 14 out of the top 20 in the Official World Golf Ranking, that is likely to be the case once again this year. All four current major champions are in the field, which also includes all but one - Justin Rose is the odd man out as he gets himself ready for next week’s The Open at Royal Birkdale - of the 12 players in Europe’s Ryder Cup-winning side at Bethpage Black.
The practice facilities at The Renaissance Club match the quality of the world-class line up and the eyes of volunteers carrying out various duties on the range lit up as world No 1 Scottie Scheffler, PGA champion Aaron Rai, FedEx Cup winner Tommy Fleetwood and the ever-popular Viktor Hovland were among the early arrivals on Monday. Oh, and let’s not forget about 2024 winner and top-ranked Scot Bob MacIntyre, who headed out for a few holes.
Another reason why The Renaissance Club has become the event’s home for the time being is because it ticks lots of boxes for Genesis. In conjunction with the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour, the Korean luxury car brand has built on the solid foundations that were already in place for the tournament from the Bell’s days at Gleneagles through to Barclays being the backers at Loch Lomond then Aberdeen Standard Investments at various venues.
The bar keeps being raised when it comes to delivering the sort of fan experience that people expect from a tournament featuring so many of the world’s top players and spectators will certainly enjoy changes that have been made to what is now called The Thistle and also playing as the 15th hole this week, as well as a new bar area that has been created behind the driving range.
“Does the sun ever shine in Scotland?” asked Pete Cowan, the legendary coach, as he looked upwards at a lead grey sky as he walked across it at the start of his week. He didn’t seem convinced after being told that it should be out on both Wednesday and Thursday, though a change in wind direction - it is switching from the west to the north-east - could lead to some issues later in the week. Who cares about minor stuff like that, though, when you are in East Lothian at a golf event?
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