Muirfield Golf Club

Muirfield GC- 18th hole & clubhouse

History

 

Muirfield is the home of The Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers who formed in 1744.

These are the gentlemen that drew up 'the 13 rules of golf', the first code of rules!

 

Initially the Honorable Company shared golfing facilities at Leith Links (1744-1824), and then The Old Golf Course at Musselburgh Links (1824-1891), departing both due to overcrowding.

 

In 1891 Old Tom Morris was employed to design a course at the current site at Gullane and on it's completion Muirfield replaced Musselburgh on the Open Rota.

With new land acquired closer to the coast, Harry Colt undertook a major redesign in 1922.

 

Colt showed his genius, notably routing the course in two loops of nine holes- the outer circle clockwise, and the inner circle anti clockwise- those ensuring each hole played with a different angle to the wind.

Muirfield as we know it today is largely Colt's design, however in 1935 Tom Simpson refined the course further eliminating some bunkering and green undulations- ensuring the course played hard but fair

 

Championships

 

Muirfield- hole 13

 

Muirfield first held The Open in 1892.

It was the first time anywhere a championship had been held over four 18 hole rounds

To date they have now hosted The Open 16 times including some very famous victories by Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo & Phil Mickelson.

 

The club has also hosted The Ryder Cup, The Amateur Championship and The Senior Open

 

Course

 

Muirfield is a very good test of golf, and known to be demanding but fair.

It is unlike any links course I know

Each hole is quite testing and strategic, but reasonably playable off the appropriate tees.

Play decent golf shots and pars are not a problem.

However if you stray off line be prepared to be punished with long rough and deep pot bunkers taking full toll.

The terrain is not overly dramatic, and the holes are perhaps not as 'visual' as some, nevertheless Muirfield is clearly a quality championship course

 

Notable holes include:

 

• the par 4 second hole with impressive wall to the left of the green and a cluster of bunkers right
• the par 4 third hole where the fairway narrows for the approach as two big dunes frame the view to the green

 

 

• the long uphill par 3 seventh hole
• the long par 4 eighth hole with a rolling twisting fairway, and bunkers everywhere
• the short par 4 eleventh hole with gorgeous sea backdrop
• the pretty shortish par 3 thirteenth hole surrounded by bunkers
• the uphill par 3 sixteenth hole
• the par 5 seventeenth hole with the green nestled in a ring of low dunes

 

 

• the par 4 eighteenth hole with the classic clubhouse as a background, and so many bunkers to negotiate along the way (see pic top of page)

 

 

Playing Muirfield is a pure golfing experience!

Lunch in the clubhouse and a game of foursomes in the afternoon make the day even more memorable

 

Muirfield should be on every golfers bucket list.