[Sean_A]

I have been reading the fascinating The Golf Book Of East Lothian recently.  On page 229 a map of the Muirfield's second iteration, prepared for the 1896 Open, is included.  Additionally, a brief description of links is provided on pages 228 & 230.  It is apparent that the first 10 holes of the course are, with differnt numbering included, Old Tom holes.  After this, more Old Tom greens and corridors are used, with a handful of new holes.  The author, John Kerr, claims the work was done under the superindence of Mr Don Wauchope.  It is quite clear the ingenius loop within a loop design was in place for the 1896 Open.  If this is the case, why is Colt always given credit for the routing?  For sure Colt made dramatic changes, especially to the back nine and the later holes on the front nine, but so far as I can see, he followed the idea of a reversed loop within a loop that existed previously.  With this in mind, should Muirfield be seen as a Colt course or rather a Colt/Old Tom/Wauchope design?  


Ciao

[Tom_Doak]

Sean:

I always wondered about the same thing.

But, I'm not sure that anyone in particular is responsible for the "loop within a loop" routing.  It just sort of evolved from keeping some holes and renovating others -- to the point that whoever did establish the "loop within a loop" might not even have realized that's what it was!

Have fun with your book about Wauchope -- you are just lucky there aren't as many Murifield members on this site as Merion members! 

[Ally Mcintosh]

What work did Tom Simpson do at Muirfield?... I know he was quite critical of Colt's work there and figured the holes should go more in to the dunes but he did work there as well... Does it remain or was much of it modified again?

[Simon Holt]

Sean,

It may be a typo, but 1886?  Muirfield was opened in 1891 and held its first Open the following year.  The pictures in the locker room show the course eventually settled into roughly its current routing in 1928.

I was there last Monday and I am visiting again on Wednesday so will have a peek and ask some of the members.

Cheers,

S

[Sean_A]

Ally

I don't believe Simpson changed any corridors.  He took out, added and moved bunkers.

Near as I can tell, Colt created 3 (maybe Simpson did the detail work), 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16 and 17 essentially from scratch.  He also drastically changed the following holes, but used bits of he old course:  

#1 uses Old Tom's still existing 1st & 2nd.
#2 is essentially the same and therefore an Old Tom hole.
#s 7 & 8 seem to be created after 1896, but before Colt.
#9 uses old 11th but changes tee to better use the wall - so this is a true combo of Old Tom, Wauchope and Colt.
#14 may use part of the old 13th - head in same direction
#15 may use part of old 15th - head in same direction.
#18 uses OTM routing.

If we add in the significant bunkering of Colt, easily 60% of Muirfield can be attributed to Colt.  However, and importantly, I don't think we can say the general shape of the routing as we know it is down to Colt.  I think this may be important because it culd well be that Muirfield's routing may have been one of the primary courses which started the idea allowing the wind to attack from all quarters and hence a break away from the traditional out n' back design when the land allowed.  

Simon, it was a typo.  If you could take the map above and compare notes while at Muirfield it may reveal some interesting info.

Ciao

[Niall C]

Sean,

It may be a typo, but 1886?  Muirfield was opened in 1891 and held its first Open the following year.  The pictures in the locker room show the course eventually settled into roughly its current routing in 1928.

I was there last Monday and I am visiting again on Wednesday so will have a peek and ask some of the members.

Cheers,

S

surely, even the Muirfield members aren't that old ?

Niall

[Niall C]

Sean

I have plans somewhere including the one you posted up top. Speaking purely from memory the course was also altered in 1910 ish and even before then. The 1910 changes were down to Robert Maxwell, a member of HCEG and the R&A, who then proceeded to win the Amateur Championship over the course. His second win I think, both at Muirfield.

When Colt went round the course to do his bit Maxwell went round with him and made suggestions. Its likely Maxwell got Colt the job as at about the same time he tried to get Colt the job to redesign/extend the burgh course at North Berwick (now known as the Glen) but the job went to MacKenzie although how much of the current design is his is doubtful.

As for Simpson he made changes to the par 3 13th (?) but not sure what else. I think I've got a photo of the changes being made. I'll dig through the notes and get back to you.

Niall

[Simon Holt]

I believe Simpson was responsible for removing a large number of bunkers.  He added one but I cant remember which hole.  The bunker is  named after him- I think it may be the 9th.

Holes like the 1st had bunkers lining the whole right hand side of the fairway.

S

[Niall C]

Found the article I was looking for which describes the extensive changes made in 1912 including rerouting a few holes. Maxwell added the bunkers but curiously it doesn't say whether he was responsible for the other changes which leads me to suspect that might have been more of a Committee decision.

Niall

[Melvyn Morrow]

The original course was designed in 1890, but the drawing use is the December 1891 print by Hall Blyth.

I attack the plan for the 1896 Open mods, plus the original 1891 drawing which I have roughly superimposed the 1896 plan.

Muirfield 1896 Course Map


Muirfield 1891 Course Map superimposed with the 1896 plan


Melvyn

[Sean_A]

Found the article I was looking for which describes the extensive changes made in 1912 including rerouting a few holes. Maxwell added the bunkers but curiously it doesn't say whether he was responsible for the other changes which leads me to suspect that might have been more of a Committee decision.

Niall

Niall

Can you post the article?  I would like to see if more routing changes were made and if Colt retained them.  Looking at the current the layout VS 1896 it is clear the loop-loop design is essentially in place.

Melvyn

Is it possible to post just an 1891 map?

Sean

Ciao

[Melvyn Morrow]

[Paul_Turner]

Gil Hanse's drawing from Colt and Co should clear this up-he drew this to scale from the two plans (1920 and 1928).  Look closely at how the boundaries are changed with the new land added. The routing was outside-inside pre Colt but less of the clockwise-anti-clockwise charm.



As it's currently routed (Colt's redesign):

1-New hole that combines the old 1 and 2 but with the green shifted towards the clubhouse.
2- Similar routing as old 3rd, but with tee shot over original 2nd green.  Colt's green shifted south of original.
3-6 all new holes on the new land
7-9 all look similar to the old 7-9.
Back 9 is all new with the 18th being somewhat similar but at a different angle and with the green shifted slightly.

[Sean_A]

Paul

Thanks for the two plans.  It would seem 7 & 8 were done after 1896 and before 1928 (or 1920).  Although, I knew the boundaries wre changed, I don't think the back nine is totally new.  Several corridors are used that existed; I don't think #5 is that much closer to the Firth to be a totally new hole rather than just shifted left and the dogleg created.  I don't know what you mean by clockwise anti clockwise charm, but the old routing followed that essential pattern. Hence my huge surprise at why Colt is credited with this concept.  I was skeptical before because Park Jr virtually did this type of routing at Stoneham many years prior to Colt's Muirfield changes.  

It would have been interesting to see Muirfield before Colt's changes.   

Ciao

[Paul_Turner]

Sean

No the 5th is on new ground, it goes way beyond the old 5th.  The old 5th green is near the current 13th green (measure it on the plans).

The back 9 is nearly a total redo.  Again measure the distance on the two plans. 10-14 are completely new.  There are some similarities in 15 in terms of direction but the hole is shifted approx 50-100 yds south.  16, 17 are entirely new.  18 starts from the old 13th green but ends in a similar place-slightly closer to the clubhouse.

I knew about Stoneham, but then Colt redid that course too...but not sure what he did there.

Not sure why you thought Colt was credited with the outside/inside concept.  I think he's basically credited with the current routing at Muirfield which is mostly justified,

[Sean_A]

Paul

looking on aerials t does become clear that Colt created new holes from 3-5, but I couldn't tell the 6th.  However, it seems like the old wall should have been right around where the 6th green is and headed toward the 3rd tee.  However, and my main point, Colt kept the overall direction of the the 1896 design which is basically his template for the two cocentric rings running in opposite directions.  I spose because folks always said the current layout is mainly down to Colt I assumed he came up with the general routing idea - which is what Muirfield is mostly famous for.  I can see this is not nearly the case and my assumption was incorrect.  I don't know, nobody ever quite seemed to say that the routing concept wasn't Colt's idea and that he just made a better job of it.

Ciao

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