One of the greatest golf courses in the world, a true test located in a beautiful part of Scotland. It is ranked fourth in the world, and it is a spectacular challenge. I love this course: it's got everything. The design and layout is a test in all conditions.
The magnificent Club house...
The iconic clubhouse at Muirfield.
This is us with Clarke and Trish after Louise's wedding in 2015.
The walk down the drive to Muirfield's hallowed turf...with a few friends in 2009. The course kicked our butts, but we would play again at the drop of a hat if we could.
Here's some history about the Club, form the Club's website: On March 7th 1744 the Edinburgh Town Council presented a silver club for annual competition by ‘The Gentleman Golfers’, In doing so they required that ‘proper regulations’ governing conditions of play, be written and the thirteen Rules of Play were duly produced. Thus was the Company of Edinburgh Golfers created and recorded in the first minutes of the Club which also state that surgeon John Rattray won the Club’s first competition
In 1795 the Club applied to the Lord Provost, the Magistrates and Council of the City of Edinburgh for a Charter. This was granted on March 26th 1800 together with a Seal of Clause under the new title of ‘The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers’.
From the outset, the Company was being asked for its opinion and decisions on the Rules of Play and so, in 1775 and again in 1809 the rules were revised and expanded. With many members in common, the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews also helped answer those rules questions and, in the late 19th century, The Honourable Company passed over all authority for future changes and decisions on the rules to the R&A.
By 1830, the popularity of the game and subsequent overcrowding at Leith Links, led some Company Members to begin playing on a new lay-out within the horse-racing course at Musselburgh Links along the coast from Leith. After a few years of financial mismanagement leading to the sale of the original clubhouse and several early portraits to pay off debts, the Club’s last tie with Leith was severed when the Company moved to Musselburgh in July 1836. Without a clubhouse the Members stored their clubs in rooms under the race-course grandstand. This was hardly suitable and in 1868 the Club built a clubhouse, and started to charge members an annual subscription. The Musselburgh course was now shared by four clubs and once again, overcrowding led the Club to move.
In 1891 they purchased The Howes, another old horse-racing track on the Archerfield Estate at Dirleton leading cynics to claim that all The Honourable Company had done was move ‘from one race-course to another.’ The course, called Muirfield, was designed by Tom Morris and, within a year it hosted the Open Championship.
It's tough to get on to this course - it's a Championship Course after all at a Club that likes to be rather private. But you can try your luck at booking via the Club's website. Here's a link to the website: http://www.muirfield.org.uk/visitors/
Here's the card of the course. Note that SSS is 73...
I loved the place so much I bought a house close by. Check it out at https://ricketwood.com
Here's a few pics from our visit to Scotland in 2016 when Phil won. An amazing tournament. Hot weather made the course treacherous, but Phil emerged as a true Champion.
It's really a tough test, as my dear friend Kevin is demonstrating...
I was delighted to be asked to join Brett Inman and two of a group who visited the area in September 2019. We played on a rather dreary Monday morning, but had the greatest fun playing two ball foursomes. Just over 2.5 hours. Terrific. I made a few good shots, including a rather nervy opening drive on 1. A member, who also happens to be a Board member, plus no warm up, but luckily I hit a great shot down the middle. But I was most proud of my approach on 18. I struck a really good 4 iron 185 yards to within 10 feet.
