Editing Muirfield

{{Short description|Golf club in Gullane, Scotland}}
{{Other uses|Muirfield (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox golf facility
|golf_facility_name = Muirfield
|image              = [[File:Muirfield logo.jpg|250px]][[File:18th Hole at Muirfield, The Open 2013 .jpg|250px]]
|imagesize          = 
|caption            = <small>The Open at Muirfield in July 2013</small>
|location           = [[Gullane]], [[East Lothian]], [[Scotland]]
|establishment      = 1744 (1891)
|type               = Private
|owner              =
|operator           =
|holes              = Golf:18 
|tournaments        = <br />[[The Open Championship]]<br />[[The Amateur Championship|The Amateur]]<br />[[Senior Open　Championship]]
|website            = http://muirfield.org.uk
|course1            =
|designer1          = [[Old Tom Morris|Tom Morris Sr.]]
|par1               = 71
|length1            = {{convert|7245|yd}}
|rating1            = 73 <ref name=muircourse>{{cite web |url=http://www.muirfield.org.uk/the-course.aspx |publisher=Muirfield |title=Course layout |access-date=7 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603084918/http://www.muirfield.org.uk/the-course.aspx |archive-date=3 June 2013 }}</ref>
|pushpin_map = UK Scotland#Scotland East Lothian
|pushpin_relief = 1
|map_caption    = Location in Scotland##Location in [[East Lothian]], Scotland
|pushpin_mapsize = 240
}}
'''Muirfield''' is a privately owned [[links (golf)|golf 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 sixteen times, most recently in [[2013 Open Championship|2013]]  when [[Phil Mickelson]] lifted the trophy. Other past winners at Muirfield include [[Ernie Els]], [[Nick Faldo]] (twice), [[Tom Watson (golfer)|Tom Watson]], [[Lee Trevino]], [[Jack Nicklaus]], [[Gary Player]], [[Henry Cotton (golfer)|Henry Cotton]], [[Alf Perry]], [[Walter Hagen]], [[Harry Vardon]] and [[Harold Hilton]].  Muirfield has also hosted [[The Amateur Championship]] (ten times), the [[Ryder Cup]] in [[1973 Ryder Cup|1973]], the 1959 and 1979 [[Walker Cup]], the 1952 and 1984 [[Curtis Cup]], and many other tournaments including the [[Women’s British Open]]. 

Muirfield has an unusual layout for a [[links (golf)|links course]]. Most links courses run along the coast and then back again leading to two sets of nine holes, the holes in each set facing roughly in the same direction. Muirfield was among the first courses to depart from this arrangement and is arranged as two loops of nine holes, one clockwise, one anticlockwise.<ref>''World Atlas of Golf'', 1987 edition</ref> This means that assuming the wind direction remains the same throughout a round, virtually 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 course borders on Archerfield Wood, which features in "[[The Pavilion on the Links]]", the short story by [[Robert Louis Stevenson]].

[[Jack Nicklaus]] won three Open Championships, the first at Muirfield in [[1966 Open Championship|1966]], which completed the first of his three career [[Grand Slam (golf)|grand slams]]. Nicklaus has described Muirfield as "the best golf course in Britain."<ref>{{cite news |title=Muirfield club steeped in tradition |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=w71jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nXoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=5498,3825391&dq=muirfield+tradition&hl=en |access-date=12 February 2013 |newspaper=The Phoenix |date=14 July 1980}}</ref> He later developed a championship golf course and community in [[Dublin, Ohio]], a suburb north of his hometown of [[Columbus, Ohio|Columbus]]. Opened in 1974, Nicklaus named it [[Muirfield Village]]; it has hosted his [[Memorial Tournament]], a top invitational event on the [[PGA Tour]] since [[1976 PGA Tour|1976]].

Muirfield has halted two post-war attempts at the [[Grand Slam (golf)|grand slam]], denying the third major of the year to winners of the first two, the [[Masters Tournament|Masters]] and [[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]]. Nicklaus was runner-up by a stroke in [[1972 Open Championship|1972]] to Trevino, and [[Tiger Woods]] ran into [[gale]]-force winds and rain in the third round in [[2002 Open Championship|2002]] and shot an 81; he rebounded with a 65 on Sunday to finish at even-par, six strokes out of the playoff in a tie for 28th place.

==The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers==
[[File:Clubhouse and the 18th green at Muirfield. The Open 2013.jpg|thumb|left|The clubhouse of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers]]

The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, now based at Muirfield, holds the claim of being the oldest verifiable organised golf club in the world, although the game of golf is several centuries older. The club's records date continuously back to 1744, when it produced thirteen "Rules of Golf" for its first competition which was played at [[Leith Links]] for the "Silver Club".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scottishgolfhistory.net/honourable_company_edinburgh_golfers.htm |title=Scottish Golf History: The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfersinto History |access-date=31 March 2013}}</ref> This trophy had been requested by the HCEG from the City of Edinburgh Council, which agreed.<ref>''True Links'', by George Peper and Malcolm Campbell, 2010.</ref> The first competition was won by [[John Rattray (surgeon)|John Rattray]], who signed the rules and became the first club captain.<ref name=nls>{{cite web |url=http://www.nls.uk/about/discover-nls/issues/discover-nls-16.pdf |title=Slicing into History |first1=Allan |last1=Burnett |first2=Olive |last2=Geddes |date=Summer 2010 |work=Discover NLS - Magazine Issue 16 |publisher=[[National Library of Scotland]] |pages=16–19 |access-date=24 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100926183704/http://nls.uk/about/discover-nls/issues/discover-nls-16.pdf |archive-date=26 September 2010 }}</ref> The club played on the five holes at Leith Links for nearly a century, but overcrowding forced a move in 1836 to [[Musselburgh Links]]'s 9-hole Old Course which, like many prestigious Scottish courses including [[St Andrews Links|St Andrews]], is a public course, and this course also eventually became too crowded for the liking of the HCEG's members.

In 1795 the Club applied to the Edinburgh Council for a Charter. This was granted on 26 March 1800 together with a Seal of Cause under the new title of 'The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers'.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.muirfield.org.uk/the-history.aspx |title=Muirfield - the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers - Home |access-date=2017-09-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911212243/http://www.muirfield.org.uk/the-history.aspx |archive-date=2017-09-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1891, the club built a new private 18-hole course at Muirfield, taking the [[Open Championship]] with them. This situation caused some ill feeling at Musselburgh, which lost the right to hold the Open. [[Old Tom Morris]] designed the new course, which met with wide approval from the start; it has been modified and updated several times since, in significant ways up to the late 1920s, after which it has remained stable.<ref>''The Golf Course'', by Geoffrey Cornish and Ronald Whitten, 1981.</ref> The first Open held on the new course in 1892 was the first tournament anywhere contested over four rounds, or 72 holes.<ref>''The World Atlas of Golf, second edition'', 1987, Mitchell Beazely publishers, London.</ref>

===Membership policy===
Until 2017, women were barred from holding membership of the Company, though were permitted to play the course as guests or visitors.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/theopen/10181267/The-Open-2013-Muirfields-ban-on-women-set-to-go-with-reactionary-secretary-Alastair-Brown.html |title=The Open 2013: Muirfield's ban on women set to go with reactionary secretary Alastair Brown |first=Oliver |last=Brown |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=15 July 2013 |access-date=17 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Ewan |last=Murray |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/jul/16/stuffy-muirfield-male-only |title=The Open 2013: Muirfield will not change its male-only ways in a hurry |newspaper=The Guardian |date=16 July 2013 |access-date=17 July 2013}}</ref> The exclusion of women from membership was controversial. After a May 2016 vote on the policy reached a majority, but not the two-thirds [[supermajority]] required for change, [[The R&A]] removed Muirfield from the rotation of Open venues.<ref>{{cite news |title=Muirfield to lose right to host Open after vote against allowing women members |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/36331270 |work=BBC Sport |date=19 May 2016 |access-date=19 May 2016}}</ref> Speaking shortly after the announcement, secretary Stuart McEwen said the outcome was 'a blow to the club, the local community and Scotland'.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.bunkered.co.uk/golf-news/muirfield-secretary-its-a-blow-for-the-club |title=Muirfield secretary: 'It's a blow for the club'|date=19 May 2016 |magazine=bunkered |first=Martin |last=Inglis}}</ref>

The public backlash led Muirfield to re-ballot on the issue.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.bunkered.co.uk/golf-news/muirfield-to-hold-fresh-membership-ballot |title=Muirfield to hold fresh membership ballot |date=27 June 2016 |magazine=bunkered |first=Martin |last=Inglis}}</ref> In March 2017 the club voted to admit women as members.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-39260578 |title=Muirfield golf club overturns men-only policy |work=BBC News |date=14 March 2017 |access-date=14 March 2017}}</ref> In August 2022 Muirfield hosted the [[Women's British Open]] for the first time.<ref name=aigwo22>{{Cite web |url=https://www.muirfield.org.uk/aigwo-22/ |title=AIGWO 22}}</ref>

==Course==
The course has been extended by {{convert|211|yd}} since the 2002 Championship to {{convert|7245|yd}}.<ref name="muirfield">{{cite web |url=http://www.muirfield.org.uk/the-course.aspx |publisher=Muirfield: The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers |title=The Course |access-date=21 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130503184506/http://www.muirfield.org.uk/the-course.aspx |archive-date=3 May 2013 }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Hole!!1!!2!!3!!4!!5!!6!!7!!8!!9!!Out!!10!!11!!12!!13!!14!!15!!16!!17!!18!!In!!Total
|-
|'''Yards'''||450||367||379||229||561||469||187||445||558||'''3,645'''||472||389||382||193||478||447||188||578||473||'''3,600'''||'''7,245'''
|-
|'''Par'''||4||4||4||3||5||4||3||4||5||'''36'''||4||4||4||3||4||4||3||5||4||'''35'''||'''71'''
|}

Lengths of the course for Opens since 1950:<ref name=ocmg11>{{cite web |url=http://www.theopen.com/~/media/The%20Open/Information/Media_Guide.ashx |publisher=The Open Championship |title=Media guide |year=2011 |page=203 |access-date=1 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418224641/http://www.theopen.com/~/media/The%20Open/Information/Media_Guide.ashx |archive-date=18 April 2012 }}</ref><ref name=mjs02brothu>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZKkaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PUUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6592%2C5580526 |newspaper=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |title=British Open: hole-by-hole analysis |date=18 July 2002 |page=3C}}</ref>
{|
|
* [[2013 Open Championship|2013]]: {{convert|7192|yd}}, par 71
* [[2002 Open Championship|2002]]: {{convert|7034|yd}}, par 71
* [[1992 Open Championship|1992]]: {{convert|6970|yd|0}}, par 71
* [[1987 Open Championship|1987]]: {{convert|6963|yd}}, par 71 
|
* [[1980 Open Championship|1980]]: {{convert|6926|yd}}, par 71
* [[1972 Open Championship|1972]]: {{convert|6892|yd}}, par 71
* [[1966 Open Championship|1966]]: {{convert|6887|yd}}, par 71  
* [[1959 Open Championship|1959]]: {{convert|6806|yd}}, par 72
|}

==The Open Championship==
[[The Open Championship]] was first held at Muirfield in 1892 and has hosted 16 times, the last in  [[2013 Open Championship|2013]].

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!rowspan=2|Year !!rowspan=2|Winner!!colspan=5|Score!!rowspan=2|Winner's<br />share ([[Pound sterling|£]])
|-
! R1 !! R2 !! R3 !! R4 !! Total
|-
|[[1892 Open Championship|1892]] ||align=left|{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Harold Hilton]] (a) <sup>1st</sup>||78||81||72||74||align=left|'''305'''||align=right|(am)
|-
|[[1896 Open Championship|1896]] ||align=left|{{flagicon|Jersey|old}} [[Harry Vardon]] <sup>1st</sup>||83||78||78||77||align=left|'''316''' <sup>PO</sup>||align=right|30
|-
|[[1901 Open Championship|1901]] ||align=left|{{flagicon|SCO}} [[James Braid (golfer)|James Braid]] <sup>1st</sup>||79||76||74||80||align=left|'''309'''||align=right|30
|-
|[[1906 Open Championship|1906]] ||align=left|{{flagicon|SCO}} [[James Braid (golfer)|James Braid]] <sup>3rd</sup>||77||76||74||73||align=left|'''300'''||align=right|30
|-
|[[1912 Open Championship|1912]] ||align=left|{{flagicon|Jersey|old}} [[Ted Ray (golfer)|Ted Ray]] ||71||73||76||75||align=left|'''295'''||align=right|50
|-
|[[1929 Open Championship|1929]] ||align=left|{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Walter Hagen]] <sup>4th</sup>||75||67||75||75||align=left|'''292''' (+12)||align=right|100
|-
|[[1935 Open Championship|1935]] ||align=left|{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Alf Perry]] ||69||75||67||72||align=left|'''283''' (−5)||align=right|100
|-
|[[1948 Open Championship|1948]] ||align=left|{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Henry Cotton (golfer)|Henry Cotton]] <sup>3rd</sup>||71||66||75||72||align=left|'''284''' (E)||align=right|150
|-
|[[1959 Open Championship|1959]] ||align=left|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} [[Gary Player]] <sup>1st</sup>||75||71||70||68||align=left|'''284''' (−4)||align=right|1,000
|-
|[[1966 Open Championship|1966]] ||align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Jack Nicklaus]] <sup>1st</sup>||70||67||75||70||align=left|'''282''' (−2)||align=right|2,100
|-
|[[1972 Open Championship|1972]] ||align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Lee Trevino]] <sup>2nd</sup>||71||70||66||71||align=left|'''278''' (−6)||align=right|5,500
|-
|[[1980 Open Championship|1980]] ||align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Tom Watson (golfer)|Tom Watson]] <sup>3rd</sup>||68||70||64||69||align=left|'''271''' (−13)||align=right|25,000
|-
|[[1987 Open Championship|1987]] ||align=left|{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Nick Faldo]] <sup>1st</sup>||68||69||71||71||align=left|'''279''' (−5)||align=right|75,000
|-
|[[1992 Open Championship|1992]] ||align=left|{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Nick Faldo]] <sup>3rd</sup>||66||64||69||73||align=left|'''272''' (−12)||align=right|95,000
|-
|[[2002 Open Championship|2002]] ||align=left|{{flagicon|RSA}} [[Ernie Els]] <sup>1st</sup>||70||66||72||70||align=left|'''278''' (−6)<sup>PO</sup>||align=right|700,000
|-
|[[2013 Open Championship|2013]] ||align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Phil Mickelson]] ||69||74||72||66||align=left|'''281''' (−3)||align=right|945,000
|}
* Note: For multiple winners of The Open Championship, superscript ordinal identifies which in their respective careers.
* (a) denotes [[amateur]]

==The Senior British Open==
The [[Senior British Open Championship]] was first held at Muirfield in 2007.

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!rowspan=2|Year!!rowspan=2|Winner!!colspan=5|Score!!rowspan=2|Winner's<br />share ([[Pound sterling|£]])
|-
! R1 !! R2 !! R3 !! R4 !! Total
|-
|[[2007 Champions Tour|2007]] ||align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Tom Watson (golfer)|Tom Watson]] <sup>3rd</sup> ||70||71||70||73||'''284''' (E)||align=right|157,800
|}
<small>Source:</small><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.europeantour.com/seniortour/season=2007/tournamentid=2007844/news/newsid=113067.html#major+tom+watson+captures+third+senior+open |publisher=European Senior Tour |title=Major Tom: Watson captures a third Senior British Open |date=29 July 2007 |access-date=2 July 2012}}</ref>

==Women's British Open==
The [[Women's British Open]] has been held at Muirfield once:

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!rowspan=2|Year!!rowspan=2|Winner!!colspan=5|Score!!rowspan=2|Winner's<br />share ([[United States dollar|$]])
|-
! R1 !! R2 !! R3 !! R4 !! Total
|-
|[[2022 Women's British Open|2022]] ||align=left| {{flagicon|RSA}} [[Ashleigh Buhai]] ||70||65||64||75|| '''274''' (−10)<sup>PO</sup> ||align=right| 1,095,000
|}
<small>Source:</small><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2021/08/18/aig-womens-british-open-sets-benchmark-womens-golf-purse/|title=AIG Women's British Open sets new benchmark for women's golf with $5.8M purse and more to come|date=August 18, 2021}}</ref><ref name=aigwo22/>

==See also==
* [[Golf in Scotland]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Muirfield}}
* {{Official website|http://www.muirfield.org.uk/}}
* [http://www.provisualizer.com/link.php?id=4 3D Course Planner] at ProVisualizer
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121102112919/http://www.theopen.com/en/TheCourse.aspx The 2013 Open Championship Course Guide]

{{Open Championship Courses}}
{{Ryder Cup venues |state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|56.042|-2.821|display=title}}

[[Category:Golf clubs and courses in East Lothian]]
[[Category:The Open Championship venues]]
[[Category:Sports venues in East Lothian]]
[[Category:Ryder Cup venues]]
[[Category:Curtis Cup venues]]
[[Category:Walker Cup venues]]
[[Category:1891 establishments in Scotland]]
[[Category:Sexism in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Discrimination in Scotland]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1891]]