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By Dave Shedloski
PGATOUR.com Senior Correspondent

Muirfield Village Golf Club, which this week hosts the 32nd edition of the Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley, is one fine place. Jack and Barbara Nicklaus have taken great pains over the years to make the private club in suburban Columbus, Ohio, a memorable golf experience for members, tournament players and patrons.

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EXPLORE THE COURSE

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 six-under par 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, a number since reduced to 75, and water can be a hazard on 11 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.  • Learn more,  click here

But that's not to say that all is comfort and joy.

A rough assessment once again will be levied at the 105-player invitational field, and those who do disregard it could pay a steep penalty.

For the second year in a row, the sand in the Muirfield Village bunkers will feature furrows, albeit narrower and not quite as penal as they were a year ago. Nicklaus, host of the tournament and designer of one of America's finest layouts, calls this practice "rough raking," an idea inspired by the furrows at Oakmont Country Club, site of this year's U.S. Open and where the Golden Bear won his first professional major, the 1962 Open.

Then there is the rough, which is accurately named. It is topped off at 3½ inches, which could, with the proper amount of, um, natural watering -- a regular occurrence at the Memorial and expected this week -- become a gnarly bit of real estate.

Put that rough stuff together and a steady diet of fairways and greens will yield the most appetizing results for a field highlighted by the top 10 players on the FedExCup points list and PGA TOUR money list. Which is the idea of the rough raking to begin with. The purpose of making the bunkers more of a hazard is to compel players to avoid them. Without spending a boatload of dough the Bear found a way to help protect the architectural integrity of his layout.

Interestingly, 2006 winner Carl Pettersson played effective golf and proved Jack's point. Pettersson found himself bunkered only nine times -- and only once in a fairway hazard. It didn't hurt that he chipped in twice from off the green and had 35 one-putt greens.

Tinkering still was done on a few holes since last year, most significantly at the narrow par-5 15th, which was lengthened 26 yards to 529 yards by placing the tee behind the 14th green so that a drive up nearly 300 yards is required to reach the crest of the hill and give a player a chance to reach that green in two. The par-3 eighth also was stretched a bit and fairway bunkers at the inside of the dogleg right opening hole were deepened.

Muirfield Village will measure 7,366 yards, par 72, for the $5.8 million event.

Worth knowing:

• Former British Open champions John Daly and David Duval, who received sponsor's exemptions into the Memorial, withdrew on Friday. Daly cited a shoulder injury that also prompted his withdrawal from the AT&T Classic after an opening 77. Duval, who has never missed the cut in 10 Memorial starts, has been home in Denver most of the year to take care of his children while his wife, Susie, goes through a difficult pregnancy.

• Only eight times has a player recorded four rounds in the 60s at Muirfield Village, and six of those resulted in victory. The last to do it was 2005 champion Bart Bryant. The others: Tiger Woods (2001), Fred Couples (1998 and '040), Steve Elkington ('95), Tom Lehman ('94), Paul Azinger ('93) and Hal Sutton ('86).

• Lehman, returning for the first time since '04, still holds the tournament record of 268 with four 67s in a row, and in 43 rounds he has a 70.84 stroke average, third best in history behind Woods (69.57) and Furyk (70.77).

• Ernie Els, the 2004 champ, has made 13 cuts in as many starts at Muirfield Village, the fourth longest streak in tournament history and the best current streak. Also sporting perfect cut marks at Memorial who are in the field are 2002 winner Jim Furyk (11), Woods (9), Steve Stricker (8) and Bob Estes (7).

• Trevor Immelman, who tied for seventh in the '06 Memorial, is still trying to shake off the lingering effects of a stomach illness contracted during the Masters. Immelman, who lost 22 pounds, missed the cut in his debut at Colonial last week.

• Former Nationwide Tour players hold down 42 spots among the Top 100 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, and six of the 10 players on the current U.S. Presidents Cup points list are former Nationwide players. Nicklaus is the U.S. Presidents Cup captain, by the way, but Nationwide players who have won the Bear's tournament number just three: Els, Furyk and Lehman.

• Jet lag could be a factor at the Memorial for several players who competed in the BMW PGA Championship, one of the biggest events on the European Tour. Els, Vijay Singh, Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia and Jose Maria Olazabal all played at Wentworth Club in Surrey, England.