Scottish Open 2019: Renaissance Club course designer Tom Doak braced for low scoring after rain

The picturesque course at The Renaissance Club was designed by Tom Doak. Picture: Phil Inglis/Getty Images

While a course record is set to be established for the 7,136-yard layout as the East Lothian venue stages its first European Tour event, Gary Orr shot 63 in the final round of the Scottish Seniors Open in 2017 while Paul Broadhurst won that event with a 13-under 200 total over 54 holes.

“I don’t worry about what the winning score is,” Doak, who built the course for the Savardi family, told The Scotsman.

“If it is 15 or 20 under, that’s because the golf course got soft and it wasn’t that windy and they can fire at holes.

“If it’s even par, that’s because the rough is pretty thick this year and they had tough wind. It has been built for either conditions.

“It was really pretty firm when I got here on Monday, but it probably won’t play super hard due to the rain we’ve had since then and, if it is soft, they will go low.”

Doak is delighted to see his creation playing host to a world-class event, accepting that it is what people describe as a “modern links” but feeling confident it will prove a fitting test this week.

“If the conditions are right, the fairways run fast and the ball bounces when it lands. So that’s links golf,” he added.

“We had to create a bunch of holes in the trees, so it is never going to feel the same as if it was right out in the dunes.

“But I learned a long time ago when I lived in Scotland that as long as the golf holes are good nobody makes judgements otherwise.”