Rory McIlroy is preparing himself for a different test at the Genesis Scottish Open after learning to love The Renaissance Club in recent years.
The Northern Irishman endured a tie for 34th and a missed cut in his first two visits to the East Lothian venue but it was third time lucky as he won in 2023 and he has followed that result with a tie for fourth and a runner-up finish.
This week, the venue makes a return to its 2019 routing, with the tenth to 16th becoming the first to seventh, the first to seventh becoming the tenth to 16th and the eighth, ninth, 17th and 18th keeping their positions on the card.
Add in heavier rough than in recent years and the links-style layout will provide a change to the challenge McIlroy has tackled so well in recent years but the two-time defending Masters champion is ready for it.
"It's certainly a little bit of a different set-up than it usually is," he said.
"This course has definitely rewarded longer hitters and hitting driver a lot and getting it down there. The rough is noticeably more penal this year. Just having to be more thoughtful about tee shots and some of your play off the tee. But everything else is pretty much the same.
"Definitely this course has grown on me as the years have went by. When I first came here, I think just because you come to Scotland and you play so many great golf courses, there are so many great golf courses in this area, I think we sometimes jump to maybe not liking a course because of how new it is or maybe some greens are a bit too slopey or whatever.
"But I must say, over the years, it has grown on me a lot, and I think it's sort of become a really good venue for this tournament."
There will be few in the game who know more about playing on the coast of the British Isles than McIlroy, who was raised in Holywood, has won The Open and is a regular at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Now based back in the UK, he has spent the last few weeks reacclimatising himself to the golfing landscape ahead of next week's Open at Royal Birkdale and has been doing it with some familar faces.
"Birkdale was definitely just a scouting trip for The Open for sure. I would have liked to have not have it known that I was there but (Sir Nick) Faldo couldn't put his phone away," he joked.
"I love Nick. In fairness, he's great. I had a good time with him. He walked a few holes with me.
"Then I played St Enodoc. We spent four days down in Cornwall with the Donalds and the Lowrys. I had never heard of it before and it's I guess a top hundred course in the world. It's really cool.
"But that was more just for enjoyment. You're going out to play, but yeah, it's nice, you start hitting the ball off links turf again and start to play in a little bit more wind. Your links instincts come back, even if it is for fun. The stuff that you've grown up with starts to come back to you."
While McIlroy will be looking to win one of the great events of the British sporting summer next week, he has also attended another with a trip to Wimbledon.
He took in the tennis Grand Slam with Donald, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Edoardo Molinari and Thomas Bjørn and was well and truly kitted out for the Royal Box.
"It was nice," he said. "It was nice to be with everyone, to be with Luke and some of the guys from the Ryder Cup. Yeah, the Royal Box is always a lovely day out.
"That was the first time I had the Green Jacket on since Augusta, so you know, if you can't wear it there, where can you wear it?"
