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Muirfield, Scotland |
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 Muirfield was the fourth course to host the Open Championship and is the third most used Open venue (host to 15 Opens) after St Andrews and Prestwick.
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Date
1892
1896
1901
1906
1912
1929
1935
1948
1959
1966
1972
1980
1987
1992
2002
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Winner
Harold Hilton
Harry Vardon
James Braid
James Braid
Ted Ray
Walter Hagen
Alf Perry
Henry Cotton
Gary Player
Jack Nicklaus
Lee Trevino
Tom Watson
Nick Faldo
Nick Faldo
Ernie Els |
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Country
England
England
Scotland
Scotland
England
USA
England
England
S Africa
USA
USA
USA
England
England
S Africa |
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| | Muirfield is the course of “The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers” (HCEG), the world’s oldest golf club – according to direct written evidence – formed in 1744. In those days, the members played over Leith Links, originally a five-hole course. In March 1744, the first official rules of golf were drawn up by the “Gentlemen Golfers of Leith” in readiness for a tournament which was due to be played over Leith Links the following month. These original 13 rules became the basis for the game of golf and shortly afterwards, the HCEG was formed.
Almost 150 years later, in 1891, the course at Muirfield opened for play. Old Tom Morris designed it, originally as a 16-holer. A further two holes were added a few months later. In 1928, Harry Colt and Tom Simpson were brought in to make alterations to the layout. Many golf historians believe that the course became truly great as a consequence of the changes made by Colt and Simpson.
The design layout is a masterpiece and highly unusual for links courses of this era. Most courses were laid out simply, nine out and nine back. Muirfield is different; it was the first to be designed with two concentric rings of nine holes. The outward nine holes run clockwise around the edge and the inward nine run anti-clockwise, sitting inside the outward nine. The layout ensures that the wind hits you from all directions, but Muirfield is as difficult to play downwind as it is upwind.
Host to fifteen Opens, most recently in 2002, Muirfield is considered by many top professionals to be one of the fairest Open Championship golf courses. Bernard Darwin loved Muirfield, and in his 1910 book, The Golf Courses of the British Isles, he wrote: “There is a fine view of the sea and a delightful sea wood, with the trees all bent and twisted by the wind; then, too, it is a solitary and peaceful spot, and a great haunt of the curlews, whom one may see hovering over a championship crowd and crying eerily amid a religious silence.”
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The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers (Muirfield) played host to the 1973 Ryder Cup matches between the USA and Great Britain & Ireland. Team Captains were Jack Burke (US) and Bernard Hunt (GB & I). This was the first Ryder Cup to be played in Scotland and players from the Republic of Ireland were eligible to join the British Team for first time. It was a close match which may have been closer had Bernard Gallacher not gone down with food poisoning, which resulted in a last minute call for Peter Butler. In the foursomes, Butler became the first player in Ryder Cup history to hole-in-one, but his ace was not enough to win the match against Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf. USA 19 - GB & I 13. The Ryder Cup was played at Old Warson in 1971 and Laurel Valley in 1975. | Muirfield is blessed with a collection of superb golf holes and we'll mention a couple of them: The 554-yard par five 9th hole is a tough driving hole, two bunkers lurk on the left-hand side and beyond them is a grey stone boundary wall with out-of-bounds threatening the hooked tee shot; the fairway cruelly starts to narrow at the landing area of a good solid drive, the tangly rough waiting hopefully to catch anything struck off-line. The second shot must avoid a waiting line of five cleverly placed bunkers situated short and right of the green. The 13th is one of best short holes on the open circuit, an uphill 191-yarder; five abysmal bunkers, three on the right and two on the left ferociously protect the deep and narrow green that slopes from back to front. Whatever we do, we mustn’t leave a scary downhill putt.
Muirfield is an eccentric but traditional golf links of the highest calibre. The fairways have that lovely spongy seaside turf, there’s some unbelievable bunkering (many of which are small and deep) and there’s that thick, thick rough to contend with. The greens are relatively small too, which makes you think carefully about your approach shots and once you are safely on the putting surface, you’ll need to interpret them well because the borrows are subtle and tricky to read.
In readiness for the 2013 Open Championship, following a land swap with next-door neighbour the Renaissance Club, Muirfield was lengthened, with new tees added on seven holes. Now measuring 7,192 yards from the tips, with par set at 71, Muirfield has become a stern 21st century challenge, especially when the wind blows.
In recent years it has become easier to get a tee time at Muirfield, especially if you are a gentleman. They do allow visitors on Tuesday and Thursday and ladies are allowed to play if accompanied by a man. Many people think that Muirfield is the best golf course in the British Isles, but is it the best golf club? | |
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If the above course review article is not accurate, let us know by clicking here |
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 |  | | Average Reviewers Score: |   | | | A golf trip to the South-east of Scotland couldn’t be complete without a drive out to East Lothian. The fabled fairytales of Musselburgh and Leith went through my head as we followed the signs for Berwick. My favourite architect of all time, Harry Colt, made his way to Muirfield decades ago and today we know it as ‘The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers’. The name says it all. My suit and tie were on, my cufflinks were shining and I could see my reflection in my black leather shoes. I met my host early that Friday morning at Greywalls and we proceeded into the clubhouse. Almost every second locker had the name of a Knight, a Lord or a General from the British army. An Irishman had entered and was ready for battle. The format on that Friday was two-balls, as is traditional with the exception of unaccompanied visitor play on Tuesdays & Thursdays. It was enjoyable to watch 4 golfers playing foursomes and keeping pace. Click here to read Fergal’s full article, “in pursuit of a dream”. |
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| 10 November 2012
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| | Superb golf course in great condition. The turf is a pleasure to play off. A great test of golf, challenging but fair the layout is interesting and offers variety demanding your best game. Third time I have played and it grows on you more on each visit. Thanks to all at the club for the hospitality |
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| 06 November 2012
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| | This was my third trip to Muirfirld over the past 15 years and each visit has been an exciting and exhilarating experience. This is a tremendous world class golf course that demands your bet play from every club in your bag. The difficulty was enhanced This year by the most brutal rough I have ever encountered in the UK, which was thick and tenacious just off the fairway and essentially unplayable in the deep rough. Several thoughts about the course: I thought the views of the course were much nicer and more memorable than I had remembered. On the front line 4 and 5 have nice views of the firth, while holes 11 through 15 offer similar enjoyable vistas. While not spectacular like Turnberry, Muirfield is not an unattractive course in the way Carnoustie is. There are so many brilliant holes that it's difficult to pick out individual holes, but the doglegs 6 and 8 are brilliant. 13 is one of the best one shotters in the UK, and 5 is a wonderful par 5 that plays radically different depending on the wind and conditions. The club itself is incredibly gracious and welcoming once you enter the gates. The lunch, as mentioned by others, is magnificent, and helps complete what is one of the premier experiences in golf. My thanks to Ann McCarthy for all of her assistance andto the members of the Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers for allowing us to play their course. Richard Smith, Knoxville Tennessee. USA |
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| 11 August 2012
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| During November 2011 I got the confirmation I was going to play at Muirfield. Playing a Tour course is something nice, playing and Open Championship Venue is something special but when the course is so good playing it is something else. And Muirfiled has to be placed as maybe the top Open venue despite I liked Royal Aberdeen a little bit more. And you have to know that playing Muirfield is not just playing a golf round, it is the entire experience taking almost all day, you have to go through it to really understand what this old entity called The Honourable Company of Edimburgh Golfers represents, it is golf history itself. The usual day is to play a morning round, then enjoy the club House lunch with tie and jacket and then play a foursome round in maybe 2.5hrs.  Invited by my friend Andy Newmarch we did it different: morning breakfast at Archerfield, then a visit to Greywalls Hotel to finally arrive to the Club House. After being introduced to the Golf Bookings Lady, Anne McCarthy, we enjoyed a sof dring with Club Secretary Alastair Brown at the members room with the former president of Winged Foot at New York just beside us. Then maybe the most exquisit lunch in Scotland was served and we enjoyed the table with a few members who already played the course in the morning. Golf and the 2013 Open championship were the only topics spoken during the meal. And then on a 25°C sunny and windy day, we started our tousome round. It was a fast 2.5hrs round and with that maybe you are not able to absorve all the features of the course, but I believe I got pretty much of it. One important thing about Muirfield is that the course is not nice and does not offers breathtaking panoramic views (in a similar way to Carnoustie, maybe my favourite), but all the same it is maybe the most fair golf test and every hole requires precision and being clever to score. One missed shot is a sure bogey or maybe more. A missed fairway is always a lay up 2nd shot and the bunkers are as they have to be: penalizing and with very high walls, my 64° wedge worked a lot this day! There are so many good holes that to only name one or two can be unfair, but I have to choose 6th as my favourite: a very long par 4 in which i took driver-driver to go just over the green. Then par 3 7th, par 3 13th and finishing hole are also great moments in the round. It was a long day but really worth. If you go to play this fantastic course don't make it just the 18 holes round: enjoy the lunch and after a rest play the foursomes afternoon round, it will become a very special memory in your golfing life. |
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| 13 July 2012
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| | Played Muirfield in May of this year for the second time, during a 2 week trip to Scotland during which we played 19 rounds, including all the current Open courses. This is, by far, the best test of golf. The experience of St. Andrew's - being the home of golf - is phenomenal, but the Old Course pales in comparison to Muirfield.
The entire experience - from arrival, to lunch, and enjoying playing the golf course twice (albeit in terrible conditions) was fantastic. The entire staff were brilliant, and added to the great experience of the day. |
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| 01 July 2012
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| | I played at Muirfield last week for the second time and a nagging doubt was confirmed. It’s a wonderful club, with amazing history, but the course isn’t quite as good as you are led to believe.
Let’s start with the club. The welcome is warm and the clubhouse wonderful. Anne who looks after the bookings is tremendously efficient and very friendly. For many Muirfield is a bastion of snobbery and elitism. Those people have never visited. Having played Birkdale, Hoylake, Turnberry, St Andrews, Lytham and Carnoustie I can safely say Muirfield is the Open course where you are made to feel a real member for the day in a way that simply doesn’t happen, for various reasons, at the others. It’s worth taking the time to read the notices on the way into the locker room for a little insight into the club.
Technically, I’m sure the course is great. I can’t pretend to be a good enough golfer to really be able to give it the critique it deserves. We played it, this time, in fairly atrocious conditions (it was June after all) and that definitely detracted from the experience a little. The rough was beyond penal. The second cut was thigh high and, if you had the misfortune to find your ball, escaping with a wrist in tact was success. Again, compared to other Open courses and links courses I have played this was in a different league of penalty. In truth, they needed to cut if back a bit. Maybe the fact that we have had one of the wettest summers on record to date was the contributory factor – it would take a combine harvester to get through it. Another victim of the wet, presumably, were the greens. Truth be told, in the third week of June, they were slow. Getting to the hole took real effort and they didn’t play like links greens. We played Gullane number 1 the next day, a few hundred yards aways, and they were a different class. Fast, breaking and fun. I understand that Muirfield are probably protecting them but for £250 for a day’s golf it was a real shame.
Those criticisms could both be put down to the unseasonable wet summer in Scotland though – they are comments about the course conditions which can and will be remedied. However, I came away feeling the golf course itself isn’t quite as great an experience as some of the finest links courses around. At Turnberry every hole has its own amphitheatre and there are some truly spectacular holes; the history of St Andrews is verging on the overwhelming and Birkdale has so many memorable holes. Muirfield is, well, fine. The holes are challenging, but the setting average. The par 3s are probably the strongest aspect of the course – a really great mix of distance and challenge in a way that many modern clubs could learn from. However, there are few moments when you really find yourself catching your breath in awe. Instead, you just tee it up and say, yep, that looks like a good hole. It’s a very good test of golf but if you want to feel real links golf, walk up Gullane Hill and look at the other side. It should be said that after a round in the morning the lunch is fantastic, and again the staff great. It would be remiss of me however not to mention a gripe with the lunch. The wonderful carvery is definitely let down by the appearance of reheated Aunty Bessie Yorkshire Puddings. I can’t imagine they serve those on a Sunday lunch so why on a Tuesday and Thursday when us mere mortals pay and play? You are letting yourselves down!
This site ranks Muirfield the number 1 course in Scotland but I would definitely recommend a visitor to these shores plays at least Turnberry and St Andrews before it, and probably Royal Dornoch. Those courses would give a better representation of the pure thrill and excitement of Scottish links golf in a way that Muirfield just can’t quite do.
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| 30 June 2012
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| | Without a doubt a great world-ranked golf course but a visit to Muirfield covers so much more than just the course. This is about tradition, high standards, long lasting acquaintances and spending quality time at a very special place. Of all of the Open rota courses, I would say that only Royal St. Georges comes close to this experience, this is not a commercial operation at all and to be frank I am glad that it is not. The course opens with three great par-4’s, each changing direction and all very different…the first par-3 comes at the 4th hole and at around 200 yards is very tough. Love the 6th hole, 440+ yards, normally with a cross wind to contend with and an unusual backdrop behind the green for a links course, here you have Archerfield Wood. After the par-3 7th, the 8th presents an inviting drive, slightly elevated and plenty of bunkers down the right-side but an opportunity to score well. At the 9th tee you have turned full circle and now face the same direction as the opening hole, the 9th could be called short compared to modern day par-5’s but this is still tough and to the left of the green, there is the great Greywalls Hotel. The back-9 holes are basically inside of the front nine and continue to present so many challenges. Only the drive at the 11th is blind and a short par-4 but the severly contoured green is the big protection. I choose the 13th as my pick of the par-3’s…. around 190 yards uphill to a narrow green, heavily bunkered and dropping sharply from back to front, an ultra tough hole. The remaining holes all test player’s handicaps in a big way but this course continues to be a joy to play from start to finish. Playing the 18th is one of great golfing feelings, a tough drive with the normal wind from the right bringing two bunkers cut into the fairway into play …. the second shot plays fairly long to a green that slopes upwards with yet again great green-side bunkering. My advice is… 1. Play Muirfield, 2. Arrive early and enjoy everything that the clubhouse offers, 3. Embrace the fact that is a special place, 4. Keep out of the rough at all costs. 5. Book up and do it all again next year… |
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| 13 June 2012
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| | Played today. Very high expectations of the course and lower expectations of the hospitality.
Expectations of the course met and exceeded, given there are no stand out landmarks (water, lighthouse etc) every hole is memorable. Particularly fond of the par 3s however they weren't so fond of my playing partner and I, each one of them a unique challenge with little room for error.
Beware the rough is absolutely brutal, no matter the standard of your golf there is a high probability that your golf bag will be a few ounces lighter by the time you return as the fairways narrow severely on many holes.
The course played very long today at nearly 7000 yards with most of this being made up of the tough par 4s, 7 of which were playing over 420 yards but this gave us a real sense of how the course has played for the last 250 years, each of these holes was unique in their design in how they challenged our abilities.
As encouraged by others we opted for the whole experience by experiencing lunch in the amazing historic clubhouse. Wow the hospitality received was so far from the expected with each and every member of staff very warm in their greeting and this was epitomised by George the starter who greeted our arrival at the gate. The lunch experience is an absolute must for any visitor to eat in those surroundings is a privilege and the food is excellent too.
My playing partner and I agreed on departing the club that this experience will not be forgotten in a hurry and would be one we would love to repeat some day. In summary a great course and a wonderful club, a must for any passionate golfer. |
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| 16 November 2011
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| Response: | | | Peter | 14 January 2012 | | Agree about the course, the members & George, but should point out that the course hasn't been around for 250 years! It was first laid out in 1891 before being modified in, more or less its current layout, in 1927. The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, however, was formed in 1744. |
| | | Wonderful golf course. Ideal for a championship test of golf. |
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| 13 August 2011
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| | This is the best course I've ever played. Other contenders include the courses at Bandon, The Country Club in Boston, and Royal St George's. Muirfield is in my opinion way ahead of them. This is championship and recreational combined in a way I've never seen before. It was 18 months since I played (September '09) but the course still lingers. It is truly inspirational, the message being "if you are enjoying it now, imagine how much fun it would be if you were a better player". It is tough but never intimidating or unfair, just demanding. I can't wait to play it again. And the lunch is great too! |
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| 23 March 2011
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| | Played here on a dry but blustery day in late February. Was expecting great things of the course(voted no.1 course in UK by todays golfer magazine) and clubhouse after the reports and reviews I'd read, but I have to say I left a little disappointed. Yes the course is very tough, probably the toughest I've ever played but for me there were no stand out holes, all were good but none great. Also I was surprised on how flat the course is and a good way from the sea. On the plus side the course was in good condition, the staff were fantastic and extremely helpful and the clubhouse and lunch is second to none. I always rate a course on 'would I rush back and play' and to be honest I have to say no I wouldn't. Glad I've played it but not in even in my personal top 10 in the UK. |
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| 01 March 2011
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| | Muirfield is my favourite links course in the UK. It is a true test, that doesn't fail on either the front or back nine. Whilst it is a test and tough, especailly when the rough is up, it is also very fair. I look forward to my next game on this wonderful track. |
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| 25 October 2010
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| | This was the final course in a 12 day trip to Scotland and I have to say the toughest, yes harder than Carnoustie. I have never seen fairwas so narrow in my life. Thank god for the caddies or I would have lost 10 balls. The primary rough was fine, but the secondary rough was 3 feet high. the course plays fair, except for the par 3's which play 2 clubs longer than the card says. We arrived in our jackets and ties and changed into our golf cloths, played 18 and put our jackets back on and had a nice lunch with the members. We then claimed our cloths from the drying room and played alternate shot in the afternoon. It was much more enjoyable than the first round, because my caddie was not there to tell me to hit 3 wood. Great way to end the trip, but tough as hell. |
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| 09 July 2010
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| | Simply the best course on this planet!
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| 29 May 2010
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| Response: | | | Tony | 21 June 2010 | | I must say everyone in our group of 16 that recently played Muirfield were highly unimpressed with all aspects of the course. The course is a true test and it is something we all agreed we had to do, but we will not include it on our course of Open courses we play in the future. It is second rate to Turnberry and Carnoustie in my opinion. The staff at the club were very rude and the whole place just gives off an extremely stuffy vibe. The lunch was not impressive either. The bottom line is they do not want visitors there and treat them accordingly. The only reason we are allowed to play there is they have to make rounds available to the public in order to stay eligible to host the British Open. |
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I had the opportunity to play Muirfield in October of '08. If you truly appreciate the history of the game and golf architecture, Muirfield has few peers. The routing is phenomenal as well as the turf "carpet". This is a very fine golf course. The atmosphere of the ground / clubhouse is very neat, and this club has the best showers in Scotland. If you get the chance do join for lunch. Alistair Brown was a gentlemen and we had a nice discussion over lunch. The greens fee is quite high but they have the right to set it at whatever they want. It is getting cost prohibitive to make a return visit. Muirfield is highly recommended and the educated golfer should play there at least once.
Brent |
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| 22 May 2010
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| Muirfield, the very name conjures up images of class and tradition. It has been hinted at in other reviews that you are well minded to watch your P’s and Q’s but I have to say that we were made most welcome. Don’t let the locker room phase you, the names on the lockers may advertise peers of the realm along with colonels and generals but the club were perfect hosts. Now, this style is all very well but does the course have the substance to go along with it? You better believe it! Muirfield delivers big time.
I have seldom, if ever, played a course where penal bunkering is so precise but that is Muirfield’s main defence. Every bunker is placed so that an errant shot or a short approach is most likely to be gobbled up by a deep cavernous grave. It is tough but perfectly fair with all the trouble, as Arthur Askey used to say, “Before your very eyes”. On the day that we played work was already underway in preparation for the 2013 Open Championship. Ground staff were out working on "Tiger proofing" the course even though I have a feeling that Tiger may still be grounded without pocket money when the tournament comes around.
 Playing the 9's the wrong way round put my karma out of kilter a tad but sometimes you have to suffer the slings and arrows. Being a traditionalist I will review the course as it is meant to be played, starting from the front nine. The first may look benign enough but don’t be fooled the front greenside bunkers seem to have magnetic properties so make sure you take enough club. At the second make sure you don’t go left at the green or you may be forced to play a Seve shot off the wall, inadequately in my case. Muirfield then starts to stretch her legs with the third, a simply brilliant hole with the green hidden behind a funneled fairway and stellar holes between 6 + 8 where, you really have to keep your wits about you or strokes will disappear like snow from a dyke. You will be glad to know that that the standard doesn’t dip on the back 9 in fact, at holes 13, one of the best one shotters in Scotland, and the 17th, with it cross bunkering and hummocky fairways, the standard is elevated.
You can’t write a Muirfield review without mentioning the fabled carvery which, believe me, lives up to the billing. We resembled 4 Billy Bunter impersonators as we left the table. Getting a game at Muirfield can be difficult but I urge you to persevere, you will not regret it. Forget all your preconceptions of the place you will be treated well. An understated beauty which always looks it's best no matter when you play it and, as a special treat a course that’s difficult to beat. MPPJ |
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| 23 December 2009
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| I returned for the third time to play here today as one of four golfers enjoying a special SGU tee time at a discounted rate – hats off to the club for helping to support junior golf in Scotland as green fees go to that worthy cause. Fascinating too in the locker room to see from the maps on the walls just how much the course routing has changed over the years. Starting at the 10th tee is a bit of a bind as only two balls are allowed to begin on the 1st hole but - gripe over - from there on the rest was just golfing winter wonderland! We had a fantastic day for play with a low sun in the sky, not a cloud in sight and just a little breeze from the west – what better conditions could you ask for two weeks before Christmas?
 It was a delight to be reacquainted with the wonderful quartet of par threes here (the 13th in particular) and I’d forgotten how good a hole the 17th is from tee to green but then the mounding round the hole just lets it down terribly. The third is a very under rated par four with the green tucked behind a couple of sand hills and the two tough fours at 6 and 8 are rightly rated stroke index 3 and 1. An enormous amount of bunker work is being undertaken over the winter and the artistry of some of these sand traps is just astonishing – a few of them are real works of art! The three course carvery lunch was, of course, another highlight that rounded off the day superbly (how anybody could then go back out to play another round on a summer afternoon beats me). I’m no golfing snob (honest!) but I just love the occasional chance to come to places like Muirfield to grand it up for a day – what a course, what a place! Jim McCann |
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| 10 December 2009
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| Having had the fortune to play this course two days after Ernie Els won his Open Championship, with the stands in situ and the pins in the same place as the last day, I feared that without that atmosphere, playing Muirfield again may be a let down? I was wrong. Not much can come close to that day in 2002 but playing Muirfield as it was meant to be did not disappoint. From being met in the car park holing the final putt of the day 36 holes later it is a very special experience.
Without the stands I noticed how flat the terrain was and with a two to three club wind gusting all day, Muirfield bared its teeth. It was difficult, very difficult at times. The course was in magnificent condition with the greens firm and quick and the fairways running as you knew they would. The bunkering both in placement and condition are some of the best I have had to attempt to get out of. I also found that on at least three occasions that I hit a perfectly good shot into the green if I had misjudged the strength of the wind I would not stop and end up in a greenside bunker. If anything I realised how good the top pros are as they would have been around in about 80 shots at the most, well under my total I can assure you! All the Open champions at Muirfield are legends and I can see why.
The par threes into the wind the 4th and 16th were very difficult but surprisingly enough not as tough as the downwind 7th! Trying to keep the ball on the green especially as the tee was the championship one, 168 yards to the front of the green. Only a perfectly struck ball would make it. I managed a par on the 17th, one of the greatest par fives in the world in my opinion. Only one bunker visible form the tee then you reach your drive and wonder what on earth to take for the next shot to avoid the bunkers that you have to get over to the green. As for my favourite par 3 that I have ever played, including the tenth at Hillside, the 13th, I again managed a par, despite a strong left to right wind.
I could go on but won’t. It has all been said before. This is a must for anyone that calls themselves a golfer. The meal is amazing, the fact you play foursomes in the afternoon so special and just take a look at the cabinet in the corner of the dining room for the gifts from famous clubs around the world for the Honourable Company’s 250th birthday. The little sold silver replica of Augusta’s clubhouse is amazing and proves you are in a special place. Go there and play it for yourselves! |
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| 25 October 2009
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| | I had the great pleasure of playing Muirfield on a beautiful windy September day, 2009. Given the reputation of the Honourable Company, my partners and I were somewhat daunted by the prospect. We left our mobile phones in the car and stepped into another world.
Muirfield completely lived up to our expectations. It is amazing that one of the finest golf courses in the world has been crafted from a relatively flat piece of links land. Because of the inner and outer, clockwise and anti-clockwise nines, every hole offers a completely new challenge. The numerous hidden bunkers are deadly, the greens are perfect and the variety of shots required is incredible. We all agreed that the golf links was outstanding.
On the crude matter of money, our green fee of £175 plus £22 for lunch represented value because playing Muirfield is a once in a lifetime experience, which every links enthusiast should consider at least once. We spent a couple of hours in the lounge afterwards simply breathing in the surroundings. What a wonderful day. What a wonderful place. What an amazing experience.
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| 06 October 2009
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| | Our first greetings at Muirfield made me worry a little for what was ahead. A rather officious gentleman asked who the party leader was and I was marched off to register the group. From them on in the experience was a delight. The lady checking us in was very helpful and the changing rooms were a thing of real history! A few putts and then off to the first tee. They do a really nice job on the course of mixing up the tees and pins for members so while you will not pay the full length of the course, equally you will not play everything off a forward tee. The course was in fantastic condition and the holes really interesting and full of features - it was a lot more memorable than I had expected. We had a fantastic lunch (jackets and ties are needed but worth it!) before heading out for a round of foursomes in the afternoon (£40 if you have played in the morning). It's a form of the game I very rarely play and was really good fun. We got around in no time and it was great to have the chance to play twice on the same day. OK, the ladies policy could do with some refreshing but we were made tremendously welcome and it really was a great experience. As a footnote, a couple of years ago a group of us were staying in the area for New Year and we went for a walk down to the gates to have a look (ladies, children, prams all in tow). A very nice man opened the gates and let us in to have a little look from the patio area. Totally unexpected and welcome. Is it the best course in Scotland. Techinically it must be up there and as an experience I think it probably is for me. |
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| 15 September 2009
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| | Among the many fine courses I have had a chance to play over the years in the US, Ireland and Scotland, Muirfield ranks very near the top. My experience there - and the day is truly set up as an experience for the visiting golfer - was influenced by a superb day, crystal clear, warm and a mild breeze. The course is maginificent is its simplicity. Only the tee shot on 11 is blind (and fun to play); the rest of the course is out there for you, and you will be judged by your shotmaking. The rough was lush, and only the fine caddies in our group enalbed us to find the shots that went astray. One word about Muirifeld's "snobbery": Having successfully made arrangements to play (we were a group of twelve) well ahead of the the day we hoped to play there, we were treated extremely well by all. George, the caddy masterand Anne McCarthy, who advised us of the details upon our arrival, were very friendly and helpful. The members we met, and there were some there playing, even on a visitors day, were friendly and interested in how our golf was going to. Muirfield, rule bound and steeped in tradition? Yes. Snobbish and rude? Not the least. We couldn't have enjoyed our day more. |
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| 14 September 2009
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| Response: | | | andy | 24 September 2009 | | No snobbery here. Surrounded by great people and a good bunch of members. So true. Thank you for remembering the caddy masters name! We played in June last year and it was as if he expected us to pay him a bit extra for showing us the facilities! He was the only negative impact on our day. Magnificent course though! Rough not as devastating as some of the other reviews think. We'll go back one day. |
| | | I played great and we had a beautiful day, so this view may be tainted. I thought this was the best course I've ever played. It requires both length and accuracy along with a little bit of luck. The vistas are stunning for about 300 degrees. The greens are superb. I only hit one trap, but there are a lot, and if you go in the rough, well you probably will lose at least one stroke. This is one expensive course that is worth every penny. |
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| 24 July 2009
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| | Played the course last week. It was in wonderful nick and it is a very good course, but there are few memorable holes. Lunch was an experience - very quaint. So often the top courses disappoint, probably because my expectations are too high, and Muirfield is no different - I think it's because I didn't expect it to be so flat. Still, I look forward to my next visit. |
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| 21 May 2009
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| Response: | | | Simon | 29 May 2010 | | How can you find any fault in this place? Name the bad or non great champion that has won on this amazing course? |
| | | The terrain is subtle but hole-to-hole the course is very strong. Maximum use of the land in developing all that is needed for a strong and fair test of golf.
The club secretary and the members were very helpful and kind despite what others have said. Appreciate the history and respect the surroundings. |
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| 30 December 2008
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| | I tend to base my evaluation of how nice a golf course is by its condition, its difficulty, and how memorable the holes are. In terms of my first two criteria, Muirfield is quite a treat. This course has plenty of length and a player must hit good shots or pay the price. In addition, the high rough was more penal than almost any other course I played in Scotland. I don’t know if the native grasses just grow higher in this region, or if Muirfield does something special to make them so high and tough. The golf course when I played it was also impeccably maintained. The greens rolled as true as any I have ever played and the turf condition in the fairways was just about perfect all the way around. In terms of how memorable the golf course is, that is a much different case. Although I was told that Muirfield has no views, that is really not true. The views are much better than for example Carnoustie, where you can see nothing but the course. Muirfied has beautiful views of the North Sea, Firth of Forth and the hillsides that lay to the north toward St Andrews and Perth. But as far as memorable golf holes go at Muirfield, I would have to say there are none. Most holes are very straight forward and there is nothing really quirky anywhere on the course. For some that is exactly what they like to play. For me it meant a less then memorable golf course. |
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| 05 November 2008
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| | Muirfield is a gift to the world. It is a truly magnificent course, and the fairest links course in the world, as well as one of the best as well. The quality of open champions on this great golfing venue simply speaks for itself. The rough is penal, but so it should be...far too many courses these days have short rough which is all too easy to get out of and doesn't punish errant play severely enough. If the governing bodies of our game wish to know how to place more of an emphasis on precision and accuracy off the tee and less on simply blasting the ball aimlesly 350 odd yards, they should take a look at this splendid course.
Everything about Muirfield is traditional, but in the very best sense of the world. Those privileged enough to play must behave within the boundaries of the etiquette of our sport and if they do, they may rest assured that they will receive a welcome reception from a friendly group of members who are unfairly percived as snooty. The food was also excellent, and the clubhouse lounge area was extremely comfortable. |
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| 12 March 2008
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| | The first thing I noticed about the course was how quiet everybody was on the putting green. If this was a Saturday morning, the guys on the putting green would be laughing and exchanging barbs prior to the money match but this was Muirfield, jacket and tie for lunch. There was no wind on the day in May so it made trhe course easier but it was still a day to remember and enjoy. It is very expensive but if you love golf then go for the 2 rounds and lunch, an experience like this cannot be matched anywhere. I had thought the matching "uniforms" my dad bought for the round would make us stick out like sore thumbs but there were many other people who had the same ideas. That night back at the Ducks in Aberlady, I saw two guys in bright green sweaters who had played that day and said to them "I remember seeing you guys on the course" and he said, pointing at my uniform shirt, " I remember seeing you and your dad". We sat in the bar for a couple of hours just going over the day. Muirfield is a special course but a little pricey so if you are going to do it, do it right and bring the uniforms. And follow the rules, the secretary will kick you off the course if you dont rake the bunkers properly. |
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| 09 March 2008
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| | Muirfield is an unbelievable experience that every golfer should treat themselves to. I played it on Dec 6, 2007 for the winter green fee of £90 and got lucky with the weather. The club oozes history and tradition but was not nearly as stuffy as I had expected. In fact, we received a very warm welcome. It was surreal to see such a fantastic course virtually deserted. The lay-out is magnificent and it was in good condition for the time of year. It's very much a thinker's course; the rough is to be avoided at all costs and the bunkering is superb. Its collection of par 3's is particularly good. It is not visually stunning like North Berwick just down the road but for sheer class and quality it is difficult to beat. |
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| 12 December 2007
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| | Our group played Muirfield on a fair Thursday morning in mid-August. We approached the gates of the Honourable Company eager to commence play having travelled by coach from Edinburgh. We were welcomed by the Starter who directed us to the changing rooms. As we approached we caught a glimpse of an amazing sight in golf: the desk of the Secretary of Muirfield Golf Course. After digesting this we went into the changing rooms and prepared ourselves for the challenge ahead.
The course itself is magnificent and and testing with every shot aimed to test your game. Although we could contest that the rough was increasingly lengthy at some points and some severly harsh greens (13th hole anyone???). This one undoubtedly tops our list of British courses.
After our first round we caught ourselves in a timecapsule admiring the splendour of the clubhouse dining room. A member of staff approached us for our names to confirm our booking to dine. The lunch is an old-schoolboy affair with you sitting at long tables allowing conversation with fellow guests and, if you're lucky, some of the Honourable Company. The lunch was, to say the least, breathtaking and is better than most golf club lunches I have experienced. Afterwards we retired to the lounge for coffee and more drinks before embarking on a second round.
The 180 pound double green fee is a little steep but we found it to be a most memorable experience. Back 9 definitely not as good as the front 9 but nonetheless a great test of golf. Fantastic experience! |
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| 02 October 2007
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| About 8 years ago I was lucky enough to play Muirfield with a fellow student friend who was a member of the HCEG. We played the week after a British Amateur event when the course was playing pretty tough! The fairways were between 10 and 20 yards wide, the carry to the narrow target was often 200 yards long and the rough…well if you put your clubs down you might loose them too! The wind was pretty lively too and after two birdies and many bogies and worse we drove back to Edinburgh feeling like we had been sucked in and spat out after 36 holes of golf. 2 weeks ago the same friend invited me back. I spent a week steeling myself for the experience but after 2 days golf there I felt slightly deflated. The course now plays much more easily: The fairways are all very wide, the rough has all been cut away and it now plays very fairly. I didn’t even loose a ball this time… in 72 holes of golf! To be honest though I was disappointed. I wanted to be challenged, to see how my golf stood up to the Muirfield Challenge.
Previously if you asked me where my favourite course is I’d have replied that Royal Birkdale was my choice but that Muirfield was by quite some distance the hardest. The club have removed the teeth of this wonderful course and although I still think that it is a wonderful course I no longer hold it in a venerable position in my mind’s eye. Do play it but try to do so with a member – it is fantastic value and the lunch alone (for £15.00) is worth the trip! If I had to pay the green fee in full then I’d probably turn east and head to North Berwick instead. |
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| 04 May 2007
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| | Was back to Muirfield on a sunny and breezy april day a year and a half after my first visit …Second impression was as good as the first one. A real treat! The whole experience is just fantastic, lunch included. We played 2 rounds and the course and greens were in immaculate conditions. I cannot say enough about that place,it’s just too good!!!Bunkers are always in play, wind direction changes constantly as you progress through your round and makes think on every single shot. Cannot understand people who don’t like the place. Maybe a too big course for them?? Only negative point was the presence of noisy and loudy Americans in the dining room and on the course…Some of them played foursome in the afternoon and were fore caddying each other even on par 3s!!On the 4th, they were shouting at each other 20 meters from where we were putting. Shocking and a real lack of respect in such a place…Cédric |
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| 21 April 2007
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| Response: | | | a nony mous | 28 April 2007 | | Totally understand what you mean about the Yanks Cedric. But remember we need them to spend here so it keeps the green fees down. From what I have heard there are actually some very good golfers that visit Muirfield from the states. They cant handle their drink but they're a good laugh and overall I think they respect the game. Maybe you just hit it unlucky that day. |
| | | Played the course last year and I must say I don't know what the fuss is about! It is what it says "a field" no way a classic links, you expect much more from £150! save your money and play Kingsbarns, this is everything a good links should be and you don't have to put up with quirky rules and stuffy members! The stewards and starter at Kingsbarns will make you feel special. |
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| 10 April 2007
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| Played Muirfield, in March of 2006. Being relativiely new to golf (tennis background) and missing some of the historical basis that you build up over time, I tried to read up on the course before we played it. It definitely has a bit of a majestic feeling about it. I arranged for my playing partner to stay in GreyStone Hotel which was a great combination and even enhances the atmosphere the club house and course already create.
We had a beautiful, cool and windy March day. As for the course, I shot an 85 which isn't great for a 9 handicap I guess but i don't think we hit it on one of the most difficult days. I've seen the rough higher and must say I hit into it on about 5 occaisions but was able to hit my way out each time with a sand wedge or pitching wedge and just accept my penalty basically. The course wasn't in Open condition by any means as I've seen pictures where the rough is much longer. Two holes stick into my mind a short par 3 on the back nine, which a great design and a green tucked into the small hill sloping down and to the left front with large bunkers there. I remember this one because the wind was blowing so hard across the hole and even though I hit my t shot into the middle of the green it hit like a rock and rolled all the way back down into the large/deep bunker leaving perhaps one of the most intimidating bunker shots I've ever had, right up there with a couple at Carnoustie. Also the toughest rated hole on the course sticks into my head but only because of a rather lucky birdie after sinking about a 35 fter.
So honestly, the experience was great, the lunch was decent and no offense to any Scottish people it probably is pretty high standards for Scotland. In terms of value for money if you take away the history and prestige of the Honorable Club there, Muirfield much like St Andrews Old course is definitly not in my list of top courses I've played, as for me there has to be more than architecture and history but there has to be a combination of aesthetic beauty, nature and variation. Nevertheless even as a new golfer I believe everyone should fork over the cash and judge for yourself if you ever get a chance to play. |
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| 09 April 2007
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| | Beauty and glory. This is a wonderful course, the clubhouse and refectory are magnificent and the food is just perfect. Muirfield positively oozes history and class. It is a real treat to visit this hidden gem. |
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| 03 April 2007
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| | must say that muirfield wasnt the best course i played in scotland but it was the hardest and had a great day with my mate who was a former caddy who wasnt sure if he was going to be able to play, but i think some other reviews are a little unfair. the lunch was magic best crackling i have ever had and the only£2.10 a pint(wont find that anywhere else) but the course was great and have some very funny footage of us in ernie's bunker, yes it was the hardest bunker shot ever. there is not any bail out area if you miss the fairway good luck just finding your ball let alone getting anywhere near the green. muirfield is a privilage to to walk in the gate, let alone 2 rounds on historic ground,even didnt mind getting into jacket and tie! |
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| 10 September 2006
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| | Played Muirfield on the 8th August 2006. Cannot understand the high ranking. There was nothing memorable about the course. Infact the day before we played North Berwick which was far more memorable and enjoyable. |
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| 09 August 2006
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| Response: | | | Nick Jones | 06 December 2006 | | Rubbish... best course in the country and even in the world, the lunch is also absolutely breathtaking, better than most restaurants | | | Krogh | 24 October 2008 | | Get a Life! - or another sport.
It's amazing, all at Muirfield is amazing.. |
| | | Very disappointed by Muirfield. Bad weather didn't help but was a minor factor compared to the poor way we were treated as visitors - very poor value for £170. The course was good but not great and in my view golf of equal quality can be played nearby for far less money. The only difference is they let the rough grow longer at Muirfield. |
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| 29 July 2006
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| | Played the course on 4th July 2006. Thoroughly disappointed. Not a patch on the atmosphere of St Andrews, living on its oldest course reputation. No particularly memorable holes, fairways were tight and rough was high but stay straight and its not a particular challenge. Also be wary of the supposed two round deal. If you go as a four ball you are forced to play foursomes in the afternoon so although you pay for two rounds, you only get to play one and a half. My advice is to book as two two balls, then you can play singles in the afternoon. Their booking conditions are very misleading. |
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| 25 July 2006
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| Response: | | | Jimmy | 12 March 2008 | | Grow up. Muirfield is a great course...comfortably up there in the top 25 in the world and one of the best links courses around. Go get your eyes tested, play it again, and then write another review. | | | Butch | 05 October 2008 | | There is nothing misleading about the booking they are up front with the 2nd 18 being fourball match in the afternoon. I played the course in 2006 and can remember each hole. Links courses by nature depend upon wind, rain and rough to make them tough. I plan to play it again when I return next year. |
| | | As a current member of staff and keen golfer I am stunned by the quality of the course of the Honourable Company. While it's neighbours (North Berwick, Gullane No.1, etc) are impressive, Muirfield is quite simply the best in the UK for Links courses. It will really put you to the test. No visitor to the clubhouse has ever rated it as second-place. What the visitors sometimes forget is that this is home to the Honourable Company! While the visitors think that this "stuffy" atmosphere is unwelcoming, they must remember that this has been the norm of the club since (probably) it's instantiation in 1744! I am there to cater for the members but I always make a point of looking after the visitors too and making them feel welcome. I promise you it is not "stuffy" at all! If you abide by the club's rules and wear formal dining wear (i.e. a suit) then you will be fine. Come and enjoy! |
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| 19 May 2006
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| | Definitely the best test of golf in the British isles. Difficult and challenging but fair. As for the club, it is a shame such a great links design is under the control of such stuffy membership which manages it. Still one should make the effort to play this gem even though you must grovel and beg for the privilege. Terriffic collection of golf holes, and a solid test for the Open Championship. I wish it were held here more often. |
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| 11 May 2006
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| | Lacking the visual appeal of Turnberry or nearby North Berwick, Muirfield is pure golf - an intellectual, cerebral experience rather than a sensual one. Every shot is a challenge, every hole difficult and demanding. You finish a round here mentally drained. Famously designed with two loops and every par 3 facing a different compass point so the wind constantly changes this is as hard as golf gets. Play to your handicap here, even on a still day, and you will never play better. |
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| 04 February 2006
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| | I've played practically every links course in Scotland and Muirfield is clearly the finest one of them all. This course is probably the most perfectly laid out course in the world. Each and every shot presents options with risks and rewards. This course is as fair as a golf course can be: good shots are rewarded, poor shots are punished.
The bunkers are absolutely brutal. There is really no option except a blast out when you find yourself in a fairway bunker.
The club itself is very gracious, as long as you have made the proper arrangements. I've played here twice, 36 holes both times with lunch in between. They are some of my memorable moments in my entire golfing career. |
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| 19 November 2005
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| | Muirfield is far and away the hardest golf course i have ever played. I have played most of the open rota including Carnoustie but nothing comes close to Muirfield. The rough is brutal and if you play in hard bouncing conditions the lack of semi-rough means a lost ball every time you dont hit the centre of the fairway. I play off 9 and have played Muirfield only twice (same day ticket) so maybe conditions are not always that tough but i played superbly for 29 points and i usually play to my handicap!!! I'd like to play there again as it seems you need to play it at least half a dozen times to get a better perspective. |
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| 11 November 2005
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| | What a day! Great weather conditions and superb conditions on the course. How can they have a course in such immaculate conditions when it has been raining like hell the day before? The whole experience, lunch includedwas fantastic. This course is far less pretty than Kingsbarns for example but it has "something". Something I still can't name but made me love the place that I found beautiful, maybe not in an obvious way. |
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| 31 October 2005
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| | Played for the second time in October 2005 and enjoyed the test a lot more this time. It really is understated Championship golf - the greens were absolutely immaculate and the colour contrast between fairway and rough quite striking. I now
appreciate why so may professionals rank this as the 'fairest ' of Open venues. Lunch was again fantastic - my French partner was in gastronomic nirvana as we dined with the assistant secretary, club captain and a couple of his guests... and no stuck up snobbery here as we were made most welcome. Yes, it goes up in my original estimation. Jim McCann |
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| 28 October 2005
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| | This is the best course in Scotland, and among my favorite in the world along with Pine Valley, Cypress Point and Royal County Down (as I also stated in my review there). I wonder if some of the reviewers here actually played the same course. The routing and shot values are a 10, and the course puts pressure on your game on every shot - from the driver to the short game. The green complexes are among the best - up there with Pine Valley and Merion. It has a great collection of par 3's and especially par 5's - which is a rarity among older links courses (if we may call this a links). It is not spectacularly beautiful, but there are places on the course - especially on the holes closest to the firth - which have a totally remote and aesthetic feeling, as at Portmarnock or Waterville. As for the club, there is not a more priviliged place to play. Any guest here should count themselves fortunate. You want stuffy, try playing Augusta National. |
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| 19 October 2005
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| | Very impressive golf course and the lunch was excellent. However not my No.1 as easily edged out by the Irish classics. |
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| 17 September 2005
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| | Good track but barely makes my top 5 in Scotland. Doesn't have that WOW factor, also too formal for me. |
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| 31 December 2004
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| | Our fourball thought the clubhouse was a throw back in time to a bygone age (way too stuffy) and the course was great but overrated (with the telling comment of play it if for no other reason than to compare it against what you consider to be the best in Britain). Can't understand fawning comments on websites from so many others who play it. |
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| 19 December 2004
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| | While this course doesn't have the scenery, it is a great golf course that is challenging but fair. I could quite happily play golf there for the rest of my life, however I think it is second in the UK to Royal County Down. |
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| 14 July 2004
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