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From our Directory of the most recommended golf courses
Muirfield Golf Club
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Muirfield Golf Club is home to the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, who originated as a club in 1744 and wrote the original 13 rules of golf. It is the only course in the British Open rota to have hosted 15 opens with Vardon, Braid, Hagen, Cotton, Player, Nicklaus, Trevino, Watson, and Els as champions. This "new" course was designed for the members in 1891 by The original course at Muirfield was actually designed by Old Tom Morris. Harry Colt and Tom Simpson revised it after complaints during '92 Open, and it now measures 6673 yards. Martin Hawtree was commissioned to advise the club on further enhancements prior to the Open in 2013. It is located 20 miles east of Edinburgh in rolling countryside, and is classic linksland on the Firth of Forth, and overlooking the Kingdom of Fife to the north. The course layout is unique amongst links courses. The course is arranged as two loops of nine holes, one clockwise, one counterclockwise. This layout means that each hole on the course has a different wind direction from the tee. Like all courses in Scotland, Muirfield is open to the public with a limited set of morning tee times on Tuesday and Thursday, and used to be you'd have to book at least a year in advance. It's a truly special experience to be a "member for a day" here, with a grand lunch between rounds, use of the clubhouse and locker room, and to view the ancient memorabilia on display. The course is definitely better the second time around, and you realize the breadth of the landing areas bordered by the tall fescue, most always a stroke lost. Very fair course if you're able to stay with the fairways.
Posted by: shayneb
Nov 23rd, 2010
Playing Muirfield is the greatest golfing experience I had ever had. We played it on a cool but calm day. Big surprise: it's a VERY hard course, but we did okay. Yes, a couple of Muirfield bunkers humiliated us, but the people were very cordial, and the caddies were excellent. Archie Baird (of the Heritage of Golf Museum at Gullane, which we explored the day before) is a member of the Honourable Company, so he met us at Muirfield and treated us as important visitors. We played by ourselves, as we did on the alternate shot format in the afternoon. So, while we were thoroughly pooped afterwards, it was an unforgettable day--the best golfing day I ever had. . . until the Old Course..
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Posted by: Chesley
Sep 15th, 2010
Played Muirfield for the first time last week on a perfect Scottish day for golf. I say perfect, in that it had all the elements, and required all the clothing I packed for the trip. In the morning it was blustery, 30 mph wind, and sideways rain, we were soaked to the bone after 13, and slogged our way in. After a nice shower and lunch in the clubhouse, we were back out with a beautiful sunny day, slight breeze, and warmed up enough to have worn shorts if I'd brought them. The course was in the greatest of conditions, the welcome in the clubhouse very friendly, the caddies excellent, and scores were about 10 strokes better in the afternoon round!
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Posted by: Wamgolf
Oct 22nd, 2009
Fortunate enough to have played here last week. Have played most of the high profile "rota" courses in Scotland and England that allow visitors, and would have to say, Muirfield is tops in the way it treats you. At other courses, I won't mention any names, but Troon is one, you feel like you're part of a herd being run through, with your wallet being politely picked as you make your way around.
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Sep 28th, 2008
The last time I played,I had a world-class caddie. On one approach shot to the green he told me to hit the ball 150 yards. I was thinking maybe play it an extra 10 yards longer and asked "what if I hit it 160?" His answer I remember to this day - "There's no flag at 160!". This perfectly sums up the best of Scottish caddies.
Posted by: ThePopesStuntDouble
Jul 28th, 2008
Hadd heard many good things prior to our arrival but our experience that day surpassed any expectations. From our greeting by the starter to sorting out our final details with the bookings secretary and on through the service we received in the locker room and then during lunch, the entire staff made our group feel welcome. The clubhouse facilities were first class, the lunch was superb and the golf course was amazing. We enjoyed every aspect of the day. Definitely recommend playing 36 holes and the experience is well worth the price.
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Jul 4th, 2008
It's easy to see why Nicklaus named his home course after Muirfield. You need to book well in advance of your intended visit-12-18 months, and pay up front, but the experience was worth every penney. The course was in the best condition of any we played on our trip, and the routing and design elements of the course superb. One needs to play 36 just to get a feel for the size of the landing areas and bunker placement, cause off the tee it's rather intimidating.