Muirfield

Muirfield is a privately owned links which is the home of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. Located in Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland, overlooking the Firth of Forth, Muirfield is one of the golf courses used in rotation for The Open Championship.

Muirfield has hosted The Open Championship fifteen times, most recently in 2002 when Ernie Els lifted the trophy. Other past winners at Muirfield include Nick Faldo (twice), Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Henry Cotton, Alf Perry, Walter Hagen, Harry Vardon and Harold Hilton. Muirfield has also hosted The Amateur Championship (ten times), the 1973 Ryder Cup, the 1959 and 1979 Walker Cups, the 1952 and 1984 Curtis Cups, and many other important tournaments.

Although Muirfield is a links course as it is set upon elevated ancient land claimed from the sea as highlighted by its sandy base and small sea shells in the bunkers, it has an unusual layout. Most links courses run along the coast and then back again leading to two sets of nine holes, each of which face roughly in the same direction. Muirfield, however, was amongst the first courses to depart from this arrangement and is arranged as two loops of nine holes, one clockwise, one counterclockwise. This means that, assuming the wind direction remains the same throughout a round, every hole on the course has a different apparent wind direction from the tee.No more than three consecutive holes follow the same direction at any stage.

The Honourable......

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