Inside the course: Muirfield Village Golf Club

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Condon/PGA TOUR

The fifth green at Muirfield Village

May. 29, 2011

The TOUR heads to Ohio for the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club -- otherwise known as Jack's place. Learn more about this week's host.

Fast facts

Course superintendent	Paul B. Latshaw
Original architect	Jack Nicklaus and Desmond Muirhead (1974)
Par value	72
Number of TOUR events as host venue	36 (including 2011)
Course ranking	Ranked 19th (out of 52) in difficulty on the PGA TOUR in 2010
Yardage history	7,265 (2009-present)
	7,366 (2007-'08)
	7,337 (2006)
	7,300 (2005)
	7,265 (2003-'04)
	7,224 (2002)
	7,221 (2001)
	7,193 (2000)
	7,163 (1997-'99)
	7,104 (1987-'96)
	7,106 (1985-'86)
	7,116 (1980-'84)
	7,101 (1977-'79)
	7,027 (1976)
Grass	Bentgrass, Poa annua (tees); Bentgrass, zoysiagrass (fairways); Bentgrass (greens); Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue (rough)
Tournament Stimpmeter	13 ft
Sand bunkers	73
Water hazards	13
Course tour	Click here

Course record

Player
John Huston

Year
1996

Round
3rd

Finish
5th

2010 Rankings

Most Difficult Hole

	Comparatively open terrain and, as with the 15th hole, the nearest thing to an uphill drive at Muirfield. Sand guards both sides of the driving zone, and a large, many-fingered bunker fronting the green threatens the under-hit approach. A rugged hole demanding both length and precision, and one of the toughest par 4s on the second nine, especially when played into wind. 2010: 0 eagle, 25 birdies, 227 pars, 117 bogeys, 13 double bogeys, 0 others.
Easiest Hole
	Downhill again from the tee, between wooded hillsides to a wide, level fairway. Then the fun starts. Some 300 yards out, a creek bordering the left side of the hole swings into the fairway, which it then bisects all the way to the green. The creek finally becomes a moat around the entire left side of the green, which is bunkered right and left rear. The green is small and one of the most undulating on the course. Altogether, an unusual and demanding hole. 2010: 9 eagles, 178 birdies, 155 pars, 33 bogeys, 6 double bogeys and 1 other.

Muirfield Village Golf Club			2010 rankings		Last 25 years
Hole	Par	Yards	Avg. Score	Rank	Avg. Score	Rank
1	4	470	4.013	10	4.110	7
2	4	455	4.003	11	4.168	2
3	4	401	3.945	15	4.044	14
4	3	200	3.099	4	3.146	3
5	5	527	4.613	18	4.746	17
6	4	447	4.076	6	4.092	11
7	5	563	4.798	17	4.766	16
8	3	185	3.092	5	3.069	13
9	4	412	4.045	9	4.089	12
10*	4	471	4.309	1	4.140	4
11	5	567	4.958	13	4.900	15
12*	3	184	3.293	2	3.128	6
13	4	455	4.068	7	4.109	8
14	4	363	3.955	14	4.100	10
15	5	529	4.812	16	4.667	18
16	3	215	2.982	12	3.109	9
17	4	478	4.107	3	4.135	5
18	4	444	4.068	7	4.221	1

Course origins

Muirfield Village Golf Club was the dream and work of Jack Nicklaus. The land was acquired in 1966, but construction did not begin until July 28, 1972. The golf course is situated on 220 acres, which includes an 11-acre driving range. The course was officially dedicated on Memorial Day -- May 27, 1974 -- with an exhibition match between Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf. Nicklaus scored a 6-under 66, which stood as the course record until 1979.

The 18-hole layout, selected by Golf Digest as No. 16 among "America's 100 Greatest Courses," played at 6,978 yards in its original form, but is 7,265 at present. It had 77 bunkers, now 73, and water can be a hazard on 13 holes. A Columbus Pro-Am on Aug. 11, 1975, was the first event held at Muirfield, and the first Memorial Tournament was played in May 1976. The course has also hosted the 1986 U.S. Junior Amateur, the 1987 Ryder Cup Matches, the USGA's 1992 United States Amateur Championship, the 1995 Wendy's Three-Tour Challenge and the 1998 Solheim Cup.

Tournament host Jack Nicklaus was the recipient of the 2005 GCSAA Old Tom Morris Award, GCSAA's highest honor. Nicklaus received the award at the GCSAA Educational Conference and Inaugural Golf Industry Show in Orlando Feb. 7-12, 2005. --Source: Golf Course Superintendents Assocation of America

Tournament course history

Course	Location	Years
Muirfield Village Golf Club	Dublin, Ohio	1976-present

This week's Kodak Challenge hole

HOLE: The par-4, 363-yard 14th at Muirfield Village
LAST YEAR: The 14th played to a stroke average of 3.955, with players recording 1 eagle, 97 birdies, 222 pars, 45 bogeys, 14 double bogeys and 3 others.
DESCRIPTION: Another downhill tee shot, once again into a wide, tree-lined valley. About 245 yards from the championship tee, a creek emerges from the left woods to border the fairway for some 40 yards before angling across it and then on down to flank the right side of the green. The green is long and narrow and heavily guarded left by several bunkers. A definite birdie opportunity, but only for the very accurate player. (Click here for Muirfield Village tour)