thesheriff
Head Pro
I’m lucky enough to be playing Muirfield this week. Excited to play my first Open venue and looking forward to the challenge of what is almost universally considered to be a fantastic course.
In the build-up to this round, I’ve taken an interest the club as well as the course, so steeped in history and fame (or is it infame?). ‘The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers’, as most of you will be aware, owns this exclusive patch of land and exclusive is how they wish to keep it. A multitude of articles are to be found on notable rejections and ejections from the course (perhaps most notably Tom Watson and Ben Crenshaw in 1980) which, coupled with the recent controversy over female membership, gives vindication to one headline that this could be ‘the stuffiest golf club in Britain’.
I’ve also read that Muirfield has modernised. Guests are now welcome and can share the same facilities as members, women CAN now join (though current waiting lists mean several years before this privilege can be exercised) and no longer will an ex-military secretary dress down any guest found to be in breach of… whatever he feels like.
Contrastingly, after a visit to the club website I found myself scrolling through the list visitor rules. Let’s just say I was scrolling for some time. It is clear that while certain concessions have been made by the honourable company to create a more welcoming experience for guests, the desire to maintain exclusivity couldn’t be clearer. For example our visit will be tightly controlled: we are playing probably the only few tee times in the week available to guest wish to play their own ball (rather than alternate shot), we must only arrive 15 mins before the tee time, we are not allowed access to the bar and lounge, we must maintain pace of play…. It goes on… and on.
I will reserve judgement on the golfing experience until after I’ve actually had it, in the mean time I’ll continue to mull over the questions rolling around in my head as to whether this ‘traditional’ style of golf is fantastic/desirable/fun or archaic and at odds with inclusivity and spreading the sport.
I’m sure this topic will divide opinions but interested to hear experiences and views of average golfers like me in situations like this and how you’ve found the experience.
In the build-up to this round, I’ve taken an interest the club as well as the course, so steeped in history and fame (or is it infame?). ‘The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers’, as most of you will be aware, owns this exclusive patch of land and exclusive is how they wish to keep it. A multitude of articles are to be found on notable rejections and ejections from the course (perhaps most notably Tom Watson and Ben Crenshaw in 1980) which, coupled with the recent controversy over female membership, gives vindication to one headline that this could be ‘the stuffiest golf club in Britain’.
I’ve also read that Muirfield has modernised. Guests are now welcome and can share the same facilities as members, women CAN now join (though current waiting lists mean several years before this privilege can be exercised) and no longer will an ex-military secretary dress down any guest found to be in breach of… whatever he feels like.
Contrastingly, after a visit to the club website I found myself scrolling through the list visitor rules. Let’s just say I was scrolling for some time. It is clear that while certain concessions have been made by the honourable company to create a more welcoming experience for guests, the desire to maintain exclusivity couldn’t be clearer. For example our visit will be tightly controlled: we are playing probably the only few tee times in the week available to guest wish to play their own ball (rather than alternate shot), we must only arrive 15 mins before the tee time, we are not allowed access to the bar and lounge, we must maintain pace of play…. It goes on… and on.
I will reserve judgement on the golfing experience until after I’ve actually had it, in the mean time I’ll continue to mull over the questions rolling around in my head as to whether this ‘traditional’ style of golf is fantastic/desirable/fun or archaic and at odds with inclusivity and spreading the sport.
I’m sure this topic will divide opinions but interested to hear experiences and views of average golfers like me in situations like this and how you’ve found the experience.
