THE RENAISSANCE CLUB AT ARCHERFIELD
- ANOTHER WAY OF FINANCING A
NEW, TOP-CLASS LINKS COURSE

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Those of us who live in the North-east of Scotland have become so saturated with Donald Trump's big-business concept that the construction of a new, first-class links golf course needs to be financed by the building of a village - or even a small town - next to it, that we tend to forget that wasn't always the way of things.
Nor does it have to be in the present day.
The Renaissance Club at Archerfield is a private members' club and course which is scheduled to open in April this year. There are some great courses on the Firth of Forth's East Lothian coastline and, by all accounts, American golf architect Tom Doak and his Renaissance Golf Design team have produced a worthy addition, with Muirfield on its left and Archerfield Links and the North Berwick course to its right.
Not that you or I are ever liable to play Scotland's newest course unless we are on good terms with one of the members who has paid £50,000 for the privilege!
It's a different kind of membership set-up from your usual golf club annual entrance fee and annual subscription.
If you want to read all about it, log on to The Renaissance Club at Archerfield website at http://www.trcaa.com/

FROM THE WEBSITE:

OVERVIEW
The Renaissance Club will consist of one eighteen-hole championship golf course designed by the renowned American architect Tom Doak, a state-of-the-art clubhouse built in a style traditional to Scotland, and 100 luxury lodge rooms available for renting by the day, week or longer periods by the membership and their guests. The Renaissance Club mission also includes the restoration of the historic designed landscape of the estate.
Archerfield Estate
The property is made up of approximately 300 acres situated along the coastline of the Firth of Forth, east of Edinburgh. At one time it made up a considerable portion of the 1000 acres of Archerfield Estate, a famous and historic property that includes an old manor home from the 17th century. This property is literally the only portion of the estate that still remains the natural windswept dunes common to the links terrain along this coastline. This is because a dense pine forest protected it from the plough whereas the rest of the estate was heavily tilled and leveled over the decades.
The property is bordered to the west by the lands and golf course of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, known around the world as Muirfield. To the east is the development by Caledonian Heritable -Archerfield Links Golf Club - a private members club with two golf courses of its own.
Close to the eastern edge of the estate is the famous links of North Berwick. In fact, when The Renaissance Club golf course is completed, there will be virtually an unending chain of links courses, including Gullane, Luffness to the west of Muirfield that stretches for miles and miles along the East Lothian coastline.
The entire property is of great historic interest to Scotland, and this is why its restoration was a prerequisite in the planning approvals for both Caledonian and The Renaissance Club. The area is also considered a “green belt” zone along the coast, normally prohibited from development. Renaissance received its development approvals and exceptions for golf and lodging to help it fund the improvements and restoration to the original designed landscape of the estate.
The Renaissance Club property is controlled via trust by Hamilton & Kinneil (1987) Ltd (“H & K 1987”), a company representing the interests of the members of Duke of Hamilton’s family and H & K (Archerfield) Ltd, both companies controlled by Family Trusts.
The Duke and Duchess will retain their residence of the Home Farm on the southern boundary of the property. The land for the golf and lodging development by The Renaissance Club at Archerfield has been leased to The Renaissance Club for 99 years by H & K (1987).