Muirfield Village Golf Club

Muirfield is one of the most popular courses in the world mainly because millions get to watch the Memorial every year hosted by the greatest, Jack Nicklaus. On a recent Ohio Golf trip Muirfield was the number one course our group wanted to play. Everyone wanted to attempt a chip from the 16th just like Tiger executed in 2012 to help him win another Memorial. The itch of seeing it every year only increased our desire.

When you arrive at MVGC your greeted by a valet that takes your clubs and also parks your car. The clubhouse is grand with every feature you need to be a top tier club. The hospitality the club showed was beyond enough and well received.

The golf course was made for the pros and to host tournaments. It’s a brutal 18 holes that will not let up until your final tap in (or gimme depending on your playing partners). From the championship tees it measures at 7400 with a 76.8/155 (blues are still 6729 73.8/150). You can tell each hole has a ‘stadium’ feel to it as your hitting up into a green surrounded by land built to hold grand-stands. My candid opinion would be that The Golden Bear tried to build Augusta in Ohio and it definitely has created the feel of Augusta.

Typical Nicklaus with wider inviting fairways but MVGC is all about the second shot. With small greens that’s well protected by bunkers and water it’s a hard chore to score well here. Visitors must walk with a caddie, which is much appreciated after underestimating the hilly terrain. MVGC is a tough walk don’t take it for granted.

Another disappointing feature to MVGC is the houses that surround many holes. The story is that Jack bought the property to design a course with no homes, then running into financial issues leading him to sale property surrounding the course for residential homes. During the Memorial many of the camera angles shields out the views of many homes, many on both sides of the fairways.

With Jack Nicklaus actually owning MVGC he is constantly working on the design to keep it a test for the pros. History has shown that it’s been a consistent test and rewards great shots and punishes small misses.

As you walk up the 18th fairway and approach the green you can see Nicklaus’s boyhood home. I only could imagined him practicing in his back yard, in what at the time was a farm not knowing one day he will build his greatest golf creation.

As for playing MVGC, you have to once. It’s part of golf history among the likes of St. Andrews, Pebble Beach, and Augusta. After playing you understand the respect the professionals give it and wonder how they can play this monster 4 days in a row.

Dit is de homeclub van Jack Niklaus en is tevens door hem ontworpen.

Een knappe bosbaan getekend met ruimte om veel publiek tijdens grote wedstrijden te ontvangen.

De baan ligt doorheen een glooiend bosgebied. Lange holes met veel en soms grote bunkers en perfecte greens. Water komt regelmatig in het spel.

Wij waren gelogeerd in een prachtige gastenvilla.