I was lucky enough to be asked to join a friend to play at Muirfield the other day.
Had only ever seen the course on TV before, but only heard good things about the course, but also some funny stories regarding the way visitors are treated.
The trek from Inverness for our 9.30 tee time involved us leaving at about 4AM to make sure we got past the Edinburgh bypass before rush hour. The weather forecast was looking like heavy rain all day.
On arrival the sun was out and no wind to speak of.
After taking coffee, we made our way to the 10th tee which is just to the right of the famous 18th green.
It was a mixture white and red tees so the course was playing almost to the full medal yardage.
The 10th is a 470 yard par 4 slightly uphill with bunker down the right from 230 ish yards but the left side is clear. Luckily I pulled my tee shot slightly.
I managed to hit my 3 hybrid to within 10 feet and sank the Birdies putt for a half as one of my playing partners had already holed for a 3.
11th I remember from the Open as you tee off completely blind over a large ridge, to a well protected green that you have to stay straight into.
Unfortunately I made a hash of the 2nd shot and had to settle for a bogie.
12th downhill par 4 with deep bunker left that I just came up short of the green is again well bunkered , which I found short right and again had to settle for a bogie.
13th is a great par 3 at only 156to the front and 175 to the flag, but all uphill, sitting between a bit of a saddle. The flag was right at the back and our opposition hit a great shot all the way back which rolled around the contours and settled 10 feet pin high, I hit the same shot and got inside and he sank the birdies no problem so I had to get this one in for the half, which I just managed.
14th from an elevated tee slightly down hill with bunkers left from about 230 again then to a slightly raised green, made a hash here for a double my only one of the round.
15th is a slightly down hill par 4 dogleg right with bunkers on the left corner, a chip and a put saw a safe par.
16th par 3 at 186 with a bunker all around the front and a raised green saw another dropped shot
17th a 506 yard par 5 that’s well bunkered left and 2nd shot slightly down till. Didn’t hit a great drive so could not reach in 2 so a chip and a put secured another birdie.
Then to the famous 18th that is slightly uphill all the way though on tv looks rather flat. Deep rough is in play all down both sides here and two bunkers on the left at 240 yards, which I found. There are two bunkers right in the middle of the fairway some 40 yards short of the green so anything not well struck for the 2nd shot can find these, the green is protected left and right with its round bunker with its island.
A chip out side ways from the bunker and a 3 hybrid to the middle of the green saw another bogie, one of the other found the right hand green side bunker and played a great shot out, I felt a little envious that he got to play out of that bunker, but also slightly relived I didn’t.
Not to bad 38 gross 3 over with 3 birdies, quite please and Scott and I 2 up for the front 9.
Onto the first tee
An 446 par 4 very well bunkered with most of these on the left, this starts the outward loop of the course. I hit a reasonable drive but was unlucky with the bounce and ended up in the right hand bunker short of the green, hit a great bunker shot some 35 yards to 5 feet and sank the put for par.
2nd a downhill par 4 fairly short at 365 yards, out of bounds wall starts on this hole and carries on around the bulk of the front 9. all my playing partners found the left rough where I was on the right with only a gap wedge in for a safe par. This is the hole that falls away to the left side of the green where Phill MacMickelson made one of his trade mark shots at the open.
3rd a straight forward short par 4 a 377 yards which narrow down to a bottle neck which is protected by two bunkers and deep rough, which found a couple of victims who never found either of there balls.
Hit a 7 iron with a nice draw on it but it bounced into one on the small right hand greenside bunkers. Another up and down for par here to win the hole.
The course now raised up slightly to the high point of the course and that’s were you will find the;
183 yard par 3, 4th, played from a raised tee above the green that slopes back to front and has a mound on the right side that was covered in deep rough. Bunkers left and 2 short right ha would catch anything not well struck. Where I ended up for bogie.
5th a very well protected par 5 at 510 with lots of bunkers in play off the tee. I managed just short in two and a chip and a put for Birdie and another win.
6th was one of the holes I recognised the most from the open as it has a wall running across the middle and is dogleg left slightly with a gully at 230, so if you can drive to there you get a decent kick on down the fairway, I think this was the hole Darren Clark made a horlicks of in the open. Almost did myself hit a great 5 iron but was too much club and bounced though the back so had to settle for a 5.
7th a short par 3 at only 147 to a raised green from a raised tee. Well bunkerd left and everything kicks right with some deep rough in play. Easy par.
8th a cracking hole at 443 dogleg right with bunker covering the rightside with a bank and large bunker protecting the green short with 30 yards of dead ground in between the back and green.
Drive left and a 7 iron left me a 10 footer for birdies which just slipped by, but safe par secured the match and the £3.
9th par 5 with the boundry wall on the left and OOB and bunkers at 221 right 257 left to a slight doglet left and the green sloping right to left with 5 bunkers on the right side to catch the errant approach.
Driver down the left followed by lat up to 100 yards and a nice wedge into the heart of the green for par saw my shoot Gross 75 around the par 71 SSS73 course which was rather pleasing as I don’t think I hit the ball that well.
The course is superb I can’t say enough good things about it…. and the lunch…. Yum
Well worth the trek and will definitely be going back
Had only ever seen the course on TV before, but only heard good things about the course, but also some funny stories regarding the way visitors are treated.
The trek from Inverness for our 9.30 tee time involved us leaving at about 4AM to make sure we got past the Edinburgh bypass before rush hour. The weather forecast was looking like heavy rain all day.
On arrival the sun was out and no wind to speak of.
After taking coffee, we made our way to the 10th tee which is just to the right of the famous 18th green.
It was a mixture white and red tees so the course was playing almost to the full medal yardage.
The 10th is a 470 yard par 4 slightly uphill with bunker down the right from 230 ish yards but the left side is clear. Luckily I pulled my tee shot slightly.
I managed to hit my 3 hybrid to within 10 feet and sank the Birdies putt for a half as one of my playing partners had already holed for a 3.
11th I remember from the Open as you tee off completely blind over a large ridge, to a well protected green that you have to stay straight into.
Unfortunately I made a hash of the 2nd shot and had to settle for a bogie.
12th downhill par 4 with deep bunker left that I just came up short of the green is again well bunkered , which I found short right and again had to settle for a bogie.
13th is a great par 3 at only 156to the front and 175 to the flag, but all uphill, sitting between a bit of a saddle. The flag was right at the back and our opposition hit a great shot all the way back which rolled around the contours and settled 10 feet pin high, I hit the same shot and got inside and he sank the birdies no problem so I had to get this one in for the half, which I just managed.
14th from an elevated tee slightly down hill with bunkers left from about 230 again then to a slightly raised green, made a hash here for a double my only one of the round.
15th is a slightly down hill par 4 dogleg right with bunkers on the left corner, a chip and a put saw a safe par.
16th par 3 at 186 with a bunker all around the front and a raised green saw another dropped shot
17th a 506 yard par 5 that’s well bunkered left and 2nd shot slightly down till. Didn’t hit a great drive so could not reach in 2 so a chip and a put secured another birdie.
Then to the famous 18th that is slightly uphill all the way though on tv looks rather flat. Deep rough is in play all down both sides here and two bunkers on the left at 240 yards, which I found. There are two bunkers right in the middle of the fairway some 40 yards short of the green so anything not well struck for the 2nd shot can find these, the green is protected left and right with its round bunker with its island.
A chip out side ways from the bunker and a 3 hybrid to the middle of the green saw another bogie, one of the other found the right hand green side bunker and played a great shot out, I felt a little envious that he got to play out of that bunker, but also slightly relived I didn’t.
Not to bad 38 gross 3 over with 3 birdies, quite please and Scott and I 2 up for the front 9.
Onto the first tee
An 446 par 4 very well bunkered with most of these on the left, this starts the outward loop of the course. I hit a reasonable drive but was unlucky with the bounce and ended up in the right hand bunker short of the green, hit a great bunker shot some 35 yards to 5 feet and sank the put for par.
2nd a downhill par 4 fairly short at 365 yards, out of bounds wall starts on this hole and carries on around the bulk of the front 9. all my playing partners found the left rough where I was on the right with only a gap wedge in for a safe par. This is the hole that falls away to the left side of the green where Phill MacMickelson made one of his trade mark shots at the open.
3rd a straight forward short par 4 a 377 yards which narrow down to a bottle neck which is protected by two bunkers and deep rough, which found a couple of victims who never found either of there balls.
Hit a 7 iron with a nice draw on it but it bounced into one on the small right hand greenside bunkers. Another up and down for par here to win the hole.
The course now raised up slightly to the high point of the course and that’s were you will find the;
183 yard par 3, 4th, played from a raised tee above the green that slopes back to front and has a mound on the right side that was covered in deep rough. Bunkers left and 2 short right ha would catch anything not well struck. Where I ended up for bogie.
5th a very well protected par 5 at 510 with lots of bunkers in play off the tee. I managed just short in two and a chip and a put for Birdie and another win.
6th was one of the holes I recognised the most from the open as it has a wall running across the middle and is dogleg left slightly with a gully at 230, so if you can drive to there you get a decent kick on down the fairway, I think this was the hole Darren Clark made a horlicks of in the open. Almost did myself hit a great 5 iron but was too much club and bounced though the back so had to settle for a 5.
7th a short par 3 at only 147 to a raised green from a raised tee. Well bunkerd left and everything kicks right with some deep rough in play. Easy par.
8th a cracking hole at 443 dogleg right with bunker covering the rightside with a bank and large bunker protecting the green short with 30 yards of dead ground in between the back and green.
Drive left and a 7 iron left me a 10 footer for birdies which just slipped by, but safe par secured the match and the £3.
9th par 5 with the boundry wall on the left and OOB and bunkers at 221 right 257 left to a slight doglet left and the green sloping right to left with 5 bunkers on the right side to catch the errant approach.
Driver down the left followed by lat up to 100 yards and a nice wedge into the heart of the green for par saw my shoot Gross 75 around the par 71 SSS73 course which was rather pleasing as I don’t think I hit the ball that well.
The course is superb I can’t say enough good things about it…. and the lunch…. Yum
Well worth the trek and will definitely be going back
