[Bill McKinley]

I played Muirfield Village GC in Dublin, OH a couple weeks ago.  I have seen and heard a lot about the place due to the Memorial Tournament, it's ranking in Ohio and the Nicklaus element.  The main things that I heard and saw was the MVGC was on par with Augusta in terms of the condition of the golf course.  And that Jack continues to tinker with this layout seemingly every year.

I played after their fall aerification, so the greens punched and verticut and sanded heavily.  But the tees and fairways had been aerified as well but did not effect the playing conditions very much if at all.  I would love to go back and play when the greens are pure, which from my understanding, is every day before they aerify.

The club itself is in a suburb of Columbus called Dublin.  It's back in a development called Muirfield Village I believe.  They are currently working on the driving range so it is completely closed and all dirt right now.  We had to warm up in the media room for the Memorial Tournament.  Which was kind of cool anyway...



There is a cool monument area right by the clubhouse and putting green.  The cottages are in the trees overlooking the monuments



OK.  To the golf...

#1 is a Long par 4, 470 yards with some deep bunkers on the right


From the fwy about 200 out


From behind the green

[Mark Saltzman]

Added to: http://www.delicious.com/golfclubatlas/Ohio

[Bill McKinley]

#2 Par 4. 455.

This hole is a beautiful par 4 with a gentle bend to the left and a creek on the right the whole way down the hole.  It comes up next to the green and kind of opens up into a little pond by the back right of the green.  Its a really good hole in a natural setting.

From the tee.  Don't be right!


From about 175 out.  The front left pin was easily accessable but there's a false front that would make getting close difficult when the conditions are firm.


From behind the green.

[Bill McKinley]

#3 Par 4. 401.

The 3rd hole is a short (for Muirfield Village) par 4 with a very elevated tee then it doglegs to the left on the approach, which plays over water to a long, narrow green.

From the elavated tee


From the fairway about 160 out.  The back right hole location is very tough to get close too.  Both of us hit our approaches into deep greenside bunkers, one left one right.  It's a very narrow target which requires a little courage to hit the proper shot.


From behind the green, you can kind of see how narrow it is.

[Bill McKinley]

Added to: http://www.delicious.com/golfclubatlas/Ohio

Thanks for that Mark.  Awesome collection of Photo tours!  I'll try to get the whole course up soon

[Bill McKinley]

401 short for Muirfield village?! Remind me never to play there

That yardage is from the Memorial Tees (Tips).  The member tees are a much more managable 6700 or thereabouts.

[Mark Saltzman]

Added to: http://www.delicious.com/golfclubatlas/Ohio

Thanks for that Mark.  Awesome collection of Photo tours!  I'll try to get the whole course up soon

Bill,

No rush, go at your own pace. My tours are a pretty good example of taking your time.

[Bill McKinley]

#4 Par 3.  200 yards

The 4th hole is a really nice par 3 set into a hillside.  The green is long and narrow with a deep bunker to the left and a big drop off to the left.  


Taken from behind the green, on the 5th tee box.  Probably my favorite Par 3 at MVGC

[Bill McKinley]

#5 Par 5. 527 yards.

Muirfield Village is known for having a great set of Par 5s.  #5 is no exception.  Another elevated tee box that allows you to hit it about 310 before it turns sharply to the right.  The 5th is all about the 2nd shot.  A creek starts about about 250 yards and cuts right down the middle of the fairway.  Then you are presented with options.  Go for the green.  Lay up to the left of the creek leaving a ball below your feet lie, but a good angle to a right side hole location.  Or lay up to the right and leave a good angle to a left side hole location, but more of a carry over the water.

From the fairway about 250 out


From behind the green.  A very good par 5 that gives you options and makes you think rather than just blasting away.

[PCCraig]

Thank you for the photos. What strikes me is that the holes seem pretty restrained and low key (at least this early in the round) compared to some of the stock photos you see of the course of the different humps. bumps, and water.

[Michael George]

MV is a tremendous course.  The only thing that distracts from it is the homes that border many of the holes. 

No picture of #2 ever shows how elevated the tee is and no picture of #3 shows how skinny that green is.  To this day, the approach on #3 is the scariest approach that I have ever hit with an 9 iron - just nowhere to miss it.

Bill - I agree with your assessment of the par 5's.  #5 and #11 are as good of par 5's as I have every played.

Thanks for the photo tour.

[Andy Troeger]

One of the best things about Muirfield Village is the opening stretch which really has some fantastic holes. Its a difficult course regardless of tee selection, but quite reasonable in terms of length if you play the right tees. As has already been mentioned, the fifth (and eleventh) are great par fives. I also think the second really gets the round going.

[Joe Sponcia]

Thanks so much for posting!  #5 looks absolutely amazing!

[Bill McKinley]

#6 Par 4. 447 Yards

The 6th hole is a good par 4 that looks longer from the tee.  I'm not sure why I didn't get a picture from the tee but the reason it looks longer is because the tee is set way back into the corner of the property and you can see the green way off in the distance.  There are trees behind the green, but they're not right behind the green, they're actually about 30 yards behind it.  This illusion makes the hole look longer than it really is.  It's still pretty long anyway!

There's a wide creek that cuts across the fairway that starts at about 100 yards from the green and stops about 40 yards in front of the green.  I thought is was a stange place for a hazard considering Nicklaus pretty much wants to make this course very difficult for the tour player.  The tour player won't even see that hazard.

Here's a photo taken from just short of the creek.

[Michael George]

Bill:

I agree that the hazard really does not come into play.  Boring pin in that picture.  I love the back left pin with the backstop behind it.  Lots of eagles made to that pin.

I thought 6 was the one place that they could put some trees along the right and left property lines that would hide the houses.  I felt like I was playing down a bowling alley on 6 with the houses on both sides of the fairway - they are far enough back, but I think trees would help hide some of them and would not be in play.

[Bill McKinley]

#7 Par 5. 563 yards.

This is not the longest par 5 on the course, but it probably plays as the longest.  #11 is 4 yards longer but plays from a very elevated tee.  There is a large, very deep bunker on the left side of fairway about 320 yards from the tee from the back tees.  This will make the long hitter or as Ran says, "the Tiger player", think about weather or not he wants to hit driver.  Most mortals will play this as a 3 shot hole.

Here's a view from just in front the deep fairway bunker.  Hit it in here and you won't be getting home in two, you'll probably have to hit an 8 iron at most.


From about 100 yards out.  The rough cuts in on the right forcing the player to have a poor angle to the flag, unless it is located on the right side.


From behind the green.  #7 has a very good green complex, with a lot of slope in the green and good bunkering around it.

[Will Lozier]

Bill,

Growing up just an hour down Route 70 I was lucky enough to go to the Memorial nearly every year of my youth when my dad and I made the trip.  I was also lucky enough to caddie for my buddy during a junior tournament there but have not been fortunate enough to play the course. 

Just some thoughts...

Heavily sanded?  Your pics defy that comment as they look quite pure for having just been punched! 

On two, I believe the pond is more right or front right with the stream resuming behind the green.  Jack might have tinkered with that green site though as he loves to make changes yearly as you said (and not always good ones!). 

It is somewhat misleading to list the championship yardages...1,2,3, & 4 all play downhill from the tee and don't play as long as 470, 455, 401, etc.  Jack does want it to challenge the best players though...

Lastly, I know you have a ways to go and you are not there yet, but 15 might be the best par-5 with it's tough tee shot, fantastic topography, and risk-reward second.  5 is totally unique and maybe the least well known as the TV audience rarely sees it as it sits so early in the round and 11 is probably the most natural hole on property. 

By the way Bill, where are you from?  OH?

Looking forward to the rest of your tour.

Cheers

[Joe Leenheer]

I think I was only 2 down at this point...and wouldn't you say the hazard DOES come into play on #6 Mr. McKinley?  Note...Aerified fairways & the most rain...ever....made MVGC feel like 8000 yards.

Mike - we both hit it good off the tee and had 170+ in on #3...that is scary!

[Bill McKinley]

#8 Par 3. 185 yards.

The 8th hole is a very pretty par 3 tucked in the trees.  It is very well bunkered on the front, left and right.  The green is rather narrow and the shot plays a tad shorter than the yardage.  This hole does look very nice to the eye but isn't my favorite due to the "manufactured" look to it.

From the tee

[Bill McKinley]

#9 Par 4. 412 Yards.

The front 9 finishing hole is a really good one.  I have to believe that Jack likes it too because his house, we where told, is just off to the left of the tee.  A tight driving hole with trees right and left.  Then a beautiful downhill approach with a creek meandering in front of the green.  The green is set right into the hillside and with the creek short and bunker long, and the downhill nature of the shot, pulling the right club is difficult.

Approach from about 160


Front closer to the green.  You can see how the the green and rough fall off right into the hazard.

[PThomas]

#8 Par 3. 185 yards.

The 8th hole is a very pretty par 3 tucked in the trees.  It is very well bunkered on the front, left and right.  The green is rather narrow and the shot plays a tad shorter than the yardage.  This hole does look very nice to the eye but isn't my favorite due to the "manufactured" look to it.

From the tee

ugh...dreadful

[Sean Leary]

#8 Par 3. 185 yards.

The 8th hole is a very pretty par 3 tucked in the trees.  It is very well bunkered on the front, left and right.  The green is rather narrow and the shot plays a tad shorter than the yardage.  This hole does look very nice to the eye but isn't my favorite due to the "manufactured" look to it.

From the tee

ugh...dreadful

Dreadful? Seriously?

[Bill McKinley]

Will,

About the sand on the greens, I guess wasn't that heavy but some had more than others.  I kind of made sure that when I took a pic it didn't show the green in too much detail, so the pics may not totally reflect the amount of sand that was there.

Yes, I'm from Ohio, I live in Medina but I work in Beachwood.

And oh yeah we'll get to the back 9 par 5's.  Very very good holes!

[Bill McKinley]

#10 Par 4.  471 yards.

The 10th hole is a brute of a par 4 played from an elevated tee that meanders a little to the left.  The fairway two bunkers on the left make the tee shot difficult for the tour player.  The bunker on the right made sure I had no chance to find the green in regulation.  I believe this is a relatively new tee and the walk from 9 green to 10 tee is quite an uphill climb!  I think this hole is the hardest par on the course.  The tee shot points you left and the approach is very tough, most likely from about 190-210.  The green is elevated and protected by a bunker in the front right.

I didn't get any pics of the approach because there were a bunch of maintenance vehicles right in front of the green.  This effected my playing partner 

Here's a pic from the back tee with some dork getting ready to block it into the right bunker
 

[Bill McKinley]

#11 Par 5. 567 yards.

The longest hole on the course and the 3rd par 5.  I've seen this hole a lot on TV and in books and it didn't disappoint. 

Very nice veiw from the tee as the hole bends to the left around the left around the trees.  I heard that JB Holmes took it over the corner, over the creek into the fairway on the side, leaving a mid iron for his 2nd.   


Now from the fairway about 320 from the green.  The fairway sits down in the valley and was a tag mushy but still in great shape.  I would imagine it's tough to keep this fairway firm.  But this layup is a difficult one with the creek snaking around the right side and you don't want to pull it left into the trees either!


From close to the green.  You can see the creek and the sloped hillside make going for the green in 2 a big risk reward


From behind the green


One last look as you walk to the 12th tee

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