New Holes, Ancient land

“One of the finest courses in Britain gets even better thanks to new holes on new land acquired from an old, and revered, neighbor”
– George Peper LINKS Magazine

At the beginning of our project The Renaissance Club acquired an additional parcel of land in stunning dunes, hard on the shores on the Firth of Forth.  In a land exchange with the Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, the Club gave land so that Muirfield’s 9th hole could be extended to the East.

In the dunes by the Firth, Tom Doak and his team have masterfully crafted what will become 3 of the finest holes in links golf.  The showstopper will be a 430yard “Cape Hole” that doglegs right to left along the cliff.  The entire hole will give views of Fidra Island.

After years of patient negotiations, working in harmony with environmental agencies, The Renaissance Club has now shaped and seeded holes on land that is perfect for golf.  Golfers have talked for over a century with regard to golf on this land; The Renaissance Club has made it a reality.

"From the 9th green it’s a short stroll to the very brink of the headland for the tee of number 10, a par four that will cause jaws to drop and knees to shake. Curving 400 yards right to left along the edge of a cliff, it is one of the few Cape holes in links golf, a bite-off-as-much-as-you-dare tee shot and then a nerve-jangling iron to a green perched on the precipice. Just offshore stands the white lighthouse of Fidra Island, said to be the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island.”

"The trio of new holes ends with a par three that will play roughly 175 yards from a slightly elevated tee to a green backdropped by another ancient wall.  To stand on that green is to behold one of the great views in golf, a more than 180-degree panorama that extends several miles, from Arthur’s Seat (one of the seven hills that loom over the city of Edinburgh) northeastward and across the Firth to the hills of Fife and further east to the North Sea."

- George Peper, LINKS Magazine