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Muirfield
If I were going for brevity I could sum up
this review in a few words: Muirfield is
one of the finest golf courses in the world.
But that's not all Muirfield is--it's more
than a great golf course and a superb example
of Scottish links golf. I feel its importance
lies in its connection to the history and
tradition of golf. More than a golf course,
Muirfield is a golf club made up of a group
of individuals--The Honourable Company of
Edinburgh Golfers--who have carried on a
tradition dating back to 1744. Imagine--1744!
When the U.S.A. was only a dream in the mind
of a few extraordinary thinkers, a group
of men were already meeting in Edinburgh
to draw up some rules of golf. They were
meeting to discuss and codify the original
thirteen rules of golf before any practical
steam engine was in use. For heaven's sake,
this golf club predates even the discovery
and identification of hydrogen and nitrogen! |
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| When seen from afar, the golf course looks easy...Ha! |
Tom Watson says "not a weak hole on Muirfield"
Muirfield did not always occupy the site it now stands on. In fact, the club used the facilities at the Old Musselburgh (Musselburgh Links) course for many years before moving to Gullane in 1892. Since then it has hosted 15 British Open Championships, the latest won by Ernie Els in 2002. (After a long gap, the Open will be held here again in 2013.)Muirfield is the first golf course to be designed in two concentric, opposing loops. The first 9 holes proceed clockwise along the outside edge while the back 9 run counter clockwise in the inner part. It works out that only three consecutive holes (#s 3, 4 and 5) run in the same direction. That means the wind coming off the North Sea is a constant factor in club selection. And my, oh my, does this make for some interesting golf! The layout of this amazing course is difficult enough even without wind. Tom Watson feels "…there is not a weak hole on this course." With thick rough and cavernous bunkers, it's a test for even the most accomplished golfer. If you're a mid-handicapper like me, you'll feel as if you're sitting behind the wheels of a Ferrari after having driven a Volkswagen Beetle all your life.
Bring your long game
Be sure you treat the first hole with respect. Jack Nicklaus thinks it is "…as tough an opening hole as there is anywhere in championship golf." Not only is there severe rough down the sides of a narrow fairway, the green slopes front to back. Nothing less than a high approach will hold if the greens are playing their usual hard selves. And at 404 yards off the forward tees you're expected to get the ball in the hole in just 4 strokes! If the wind is in your face, the average golfer can abandon all hope of getting to the green in 2.
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| Don't be fooled with the seeming simplicity
of this 1st hole. There is OB all the way
down the left and also a nasty bunker about
200 yards from the medal tees on the left.
Oh, and there's quite a bit of rough on the
right of this narrow fairway if you're thinking
of cheating a bit right. And when you do
get to go for the green, make note that it
will be sloping away from you. Lots of luck! |
Bring your short game!
Muirfield is a course that calls for a good short game because there are many long par 4s. For example, off the forward tees there are par 4s of 404, 404, 416 and 410. With a trailing wind I could make some of these greens in two but with no wind or the wind in my face, I'm struggling. That's why the short game is critical. And that is doubly true for putting. I parked myself on the 16 hole for a full day during the 2002 British Open Championship and watched golfer after golfer miss what on the TV looked to be easy 5 foot putts. What the TV did not show, however, were the diabolical undulations of the green. This is true on not just a few holes--every green is a challenge. All the more reason to get your approach close. If you don't, your scorecard can easily be filled with 3 putt greens.
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Bring your mid-iron game too
The par 3s are true works of art. They measure only 131, 133, 136, and 139 yards from the forward tees. Sounds easy, n'est ce pas? But let's look at them.
All of them have raised greens, so all of them present very tight targets where a missed shot will end up in a deep bunker. The first one you will encounter is the 4th. At 131 yards it's certainly reachable (on some days, that is--days without wind). The trouble is that it's an inverted saucer green with a huge bunker right in front so you're not going to roll one up, and three other bunkers scattered about on both sides. If you don't hold the green your second shot is a very difficult and delicate pitch. Plus, the green is sloped, so if you and the hole are on opposite sides you are probably looking at a 3 putt.
The next par three is the 7th. Okay, it's only 133 yards, but the green is another of those inverted saucers that demands you hit into a prevailing wind and hold. Again there's no rolling up because the terrain in front is very hilly. Four bunkers protect the sides as well.
Next is the 136 yard 13th, which Jack Nicklaus calls a "great par 3" for a reason. The very narrow green is protected by 5 bunkers in addition to many undulations, which means if you miss the green you've got a real chore on your hands. What fools you on this seeming easy par 3 is that it is uphill. I sat for an hour during the Open Championship in 2002 and watched many professionals come up short. Take an extra club on this one.
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| The 13th can fool you because it's uphill.
Take an extra club. The green
is long and
so a bit of an overclubbing won't
hurt you
as much as underclubbing will.
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| Approaching the 18th green with the clubhouse
in the background. A welcome sight after a great day of golf.
But watch out for the huge island
bunker
on the right. It can put a real
dent in your
score (see photo below). |
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| The 18th Green showing the very nasty island
bunker--a potential round spoiler. |
Muirfield is one of the purest tests of golf you can ever experience
Friend, this is one of the purest tests of links golf you will ever experience. It has regularly been voted the best golf course in the United Kingdom--and in the land where golf was invented and where there are more great golf courses per square mile than anywhere in the world, that's saying something. It is truly a fabulous layout and absolutely worth the play.Important info -
The course is open to visitors on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Write (yes, a real letter, not an e-mail) or send a fax to the attention of Anne McCarthy. (See below for address and fax number.)
You must send Anne the names of all the players in your group, with each player's handicap and his or her home club. (Men need a handicap of 18, women 20.) She also needs the date you want to reserve and an alternate date if your original request is not available. Reservations open May 1st for the next year. Reservations are for twosomes and foursomes only, with a limit of 12 players requested at any one time. Singles and 3 balls cannot be reserved. Payment must be made in full a few months before tee times. Anne will let you know about this after you contact her. Do yourself a favor and include all the info she needs, otherwise your request will be delayed and you may miss out on the time you requested.
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Anne McCarthy is a really lovely person and is always happy to do all she can to accommodate visitors' requests. However, keep in mind that tee times are scarce and Anne cannot add any tee times to those allocated by the club. So get your requests in early. And to help expedite your reservation, (and make life easier for Anne) be sure to include all the information she needs the first time you contact her. Anne McCarthy c/o Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers Muirfield, Duncur Road East Lothian, EH31 2EG SCOTLAND Tel: (0)1620 842123 (USA dial 011 44 1620 842123) Fax: (0)1620842977 (USA dial 011 44 1620 842977) |
The Secretary's Promise To You
Alastair Brown is Muirfield's Secretary. He has the ultimate responsibility for keeping members, staff and visitors happy, and keeping the golf course looking and playing at its best. Quite a job, as you can imagine. I frankly don't know how he does it but he obviously does it well because Muirfield has again been voted best golf course in the UK. I was impressed with Alastair's basic philosophy. He told me, "I would like anyone who plays at Muirfield to have the best golfing day of their life." Alastair and his staff and the members themselves do all they can to make the visitors feel welcome. Forget what you heard about Muirfield being stuffy and standoffish. The members love the game of golf and come here to play golf. If you love the game and you are their guest, they will treat you graciously and with respect.
Some other thoughts - Alastair and I both agreed that those who come to Scotland to play as many golf courses in the shortest amount of time do themselves a great disservice. Rather than savour the experience of playing one of the greatest golf courses in the world, some will play Muirfield then rush off to play St. Andrews or North Berwick or Gullane on the same day, not giving any of these fine golf courses time to settle into their consciousness. He suggests coming to Muirfield and playing a round in the morning, have a leisurely lunch, then play another round here in the afternoon. In that way you immerse yourself into a more holistic experience, making it a day of golf you will never forget. And Mary-Alice and I both urge you to do this as well, so you have the opportunity to interract with the Scottish people, whom we like so much.
Directions -
Muirfield is in the town of Gullane, only a few minutes drive west from North Berwick. If you are not based in North Berwick and are coming from Edinburgh, just as you leave Gullane you'll see a sign on the left for Greywalls Hotel (there is no sign for Muirfield). Make a left and go straight ahead for a few hundred yards. You've arrived!
Golf Nook Scotland rating - HOLE-IN-ONE
www.muirfield.org.uk is their mouth-watering website.
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*Special Note -- You can stay at a lovely new B&B literally just outside of Muirfield's gate. www.muirfieldgreen.com Also on our Platinum Page. Muirfield Green is a gem. Very special place. We give it our highest endorsement.
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What to do besides golf at Muirfield
In addition to the many wonderful places to visit and things to do on Scotland's Golf Coast (the East Lothian area), there is one very special place right adjacent to Muirfield Golf Course. If you like gardens and appreciate English garden history, visit Greywalls gardens. |
However, the gardens are not always open, so inquire. Greywalls is a lovely Edwardian manor house designed by the renowned architect Sir Edwin Lutyens and overlooks Muirfield Golf Course. Try to visit the gardens, created by the famous Gertrude Jekyll, who worked with Lutyens. Even if you are not a garden connoisseur, you will appreciate the beauty here.