Inside the course: Muirfield Village Golf Club

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Condon/PGA TOUR

The fifth green at Muirfield Village during the final round in 2008, when Kenny Perry was the eventual champion

May. 31, 2010

After three weeks in Texas, 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	35 (including 2010)
Course ranking	Ranked 6 (out of 51) in difficulty on the PGA TOUR in 2009
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

Holes-in-one

There have been 13 aces recorded at Muirfield Village Golf Club

Player	Hole	Year
David Toms	4	2005
Tom Pernice Jr.	12	2004
Jim Furyk	4	2002
Hal Sutton	12	2001
Steve Flesch	12	2000
Justin Leonard	8	2000
Joe Ozaki	16	1996
Bob Tway	8	1994
Bob Tway	12	1994
Lanny Wadkins	4	1993
Kenny Perry	16	1991
Loren Roberts	16	1990
Fred Wadsworth	4	1987
Clarence Rose	4	1986

2009 Rankings

Most Difficult Hole

	An inviting downhill drive to an ample fairway. But bunkers threaten at the corner of the dogleg to the right, and a long drive hit too far left can find the creek threading the tree line or can be blocked by a cluster of black walnuts short of the green. The approach is uphill across a swale to a large two-tiered and heavily contoured green bunkered front left, front right, left and rear right. A spectacular finishing hole capable of accommodating more than 20,000 spectators. 2009: 0 eagle, 42 birdies, 205 pars, 119 bogeys, 19 double bogeys, 6 others.
Easiest Hole
	An exposed, elevated, bunker-lined, double-dogleg hole, reachable in two by only the longest hitters. A rough-grassed swale sweeps from the right side across in front of the green. Bunkers guard the front left and right, and rear right of the putting surface, which breaks severely off to the left towards a wooded ravine. Not an easy hole to birdie, but the farther left the conservative player is on his second shot, the easier his third becomes. 2009: 10 eagles, 143 birdies, 200 pars, 33 bogeys, 3 double bogeys and 2 others.

Muirfield Village Golf Club			2009 rankings		Last 24 years
Hole	Par	Yards	Avg. Score	Rank	Avg. Score	Rank
1	4	470	4.197	7	4.116	8
2	4	455	4.153	9	4.132	6
3	4	401	4.028	13	4.021	14
4	3	200	3.205	6	3.165	4
5	5	527	4.762	17	4.727	17
6	4	447	4.01	14	4.083	10
7	5	563	4.698	18	4.781	16
8	3	185	3.038	12	3.054	12
9	4	412	4.12	10	4.051	13
10	4	471	4.261	3	4.179	3
11	5	567	4.826	15	4.908	15
12	3	184	3.23	4	3.153	5
13	4	455	4.212	5	4.121	7
14	4	363	4.105	11	4.055	11
15	5	529	4.775	16	4.673	18
16	3	215	3.187	8	3.087	9
17	4	478	4.274	2	4.185	2
18*	4	444	4.343	1	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 4.105, with players recording 0 ace, 80 birdies, 215 pars, 77 bogeys, 15 double bogeys and 4 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)