2013 Open Championship at Muirfield -- Comprehensive Index of Links

« **on:** July 12, 2013, 02:26:49 PM »

« **Reply #1 on:** July 12, 2013, 09:58:30 PM »

I am really pumped for The Open Championship.

Thanks for this thread, Howard.

« **Reply #2 on:** July 13, 2013, 04:50:00 AM »

Thanks Howard for putting this together. Excellent work. Muirfield. Great place. Great course. Great Open venue.
All the best.

« **Reply #3 on:** July 13, 2013, 09:38:03 PM »

« **Reply #4 on:** July 14, 2013, 08:50:25 PM »

Updated with a few more items, including Dr. Klein's hole by hole tour:

Golfweek
“Hole by Hole: Muirfield lives up to Open rep"
By Brad Klein
http://golfweek.com/news/2013/jul/14/british-open-championship-2013-muirfield-course/

« **Reply #5 on:** July 15, 2013, 04:12:05 PM »

Updated. Of utmost importance for those attending:

My Usual Game
“How to Get Properly Inebriated at the British Open”
By David Owen
http://www.myusualgame.com/2013/07/15/how-to-become-properly-inebriated-at-the-british-open/

« **Reply #6 on:** July 16, 2013, 02:59:24 PM »

Updated.

Of note, a very cool course yardage book:

GolfChannel.com
"2013 Open Championship Yardage Book"
http://www-origin.golfchannel.com/media/2013-open-championship-yardage-book/?cid=twitter_gc_p_yardagebook_muirfield_071513

« **Reply #7 on:** July 16, 2013, 07:31:43 PM »

Here is the Honourable Company of EG then and now:
http://golfcoursehistories.com/HCEG.html

« **Reply #8 on:** July 17, 2013, 07:21:24 AM »

Mark

These are great. The fairways, bunkers are much wider/bigger. Greens hard to make out but probably bigger too.

Note that the Google Earth modern image does not capture the Hawtree changes, BING maps shows these.

Any chance you could do above with the BING aerial. And possibly one comparing before and after the recent changes?

« **Reply #9 on:** July 17, 2013, 07:26:37 AM »

Yes! Two great ideas, Paul. I will start on this tonight.

« **Reply #10 on:** July 17, 2013, 12:46:21 PM »

Mark, thanks for the addition.

Updated. Of specific note...

Golf Course Histories
“Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers (Muirfield) 1946 v 2013”
http://golfcoursehistories.com/HCEG.html

Golfweek
“VIDEO: Dawson, course officials break down Muirfield changes”
http://golfweek.com/news/2013/jul/17/british-open-2013-muirfield-course-changes/

ESPN.com
“Room for only the best at Muirfield”
http://espn.go.com/golf/theopen/story/_/id/9484552/muirfield-history-identifying-best-players-open-championship-golf

« **Reply #11 on:** July 17, 2013, 09:33:45 PM »

Quote from: Paul_Turner on July 17, 2013, 07:21:24 AM

Mark

These are great. The fairways, bunkers are much wider/bigger. Greens hard to make out but probably bigger too.

Note that the Google Earth modern image does not capture the Hawtree changes, BING maps shows these.

Any chance you could do above with the BING aerial. And possibly one comparing before and after the recent changes?

Paul

I put together an aerial from Bing only to discover it is identical to the Google image -- the Google image I used FYI is off Maps not Earth. Next chance I get I will see if I can pull up a c. 2006 image and get a comparison going to that.

Sorry

Mark

« **Reply #12 on:** July 17, 2013, 11:03:28 PM »

Mark

i just had another look at the Bing map and is definitely post the Hawtree changes. Perhaps take a look again? The 9th and 2nd greenside bunkers are the giveaways and different from the earlier Google map above.

« **Reply #13 on:** July 18, 2013, 07:43:47 AM »

Hmm, note to self: no chili and beer fueled photography editing. Okay, I'll check tonight.

« **Reply #14 on:** July 18, 2013, 12:51:25 PM »

Updated.

Of note, a great essay by ESPN.com's Wright Thompson about his mother's family's connection to Scotland and The Open Championship.

http://espn.go.com/golf/theopen/story/_/id/9485385/searching-meaning-scotland

« **Reply #15 on:** July 18, 2013, 09:04:59 PM »

Paul

Success!
http://golfcoursehistories.com/HCEG.html

Without getting too far into the confusing details, it turns out the 2013 was in fact 2006. So now the 1946 v 2013 in fact IS 1946 v 2013. Additionally, 2006 v 2013 has been added to the page.

Cheers

Mark

« **Reply #16 on:** July 18, 2013, 09:23:58 PM »

Fantastic Mark thank you. It's very clear now.

« **Reply #17 on:** July 18, 2013, 09:46:50 PM »

It would be great to annotate with lines, circles and / or arrows. I might give it a crack over the weekend. Perhaps add your comments below to the list of changes? What would you change from this:

1st:
- New driving bunker added left fairway at about 300.
- Depression added front left of the green
- The green looks a bit longer now. Has it had a small section added at the back?

2nd
- Three v old greenside bunkers filled in. One added closer to the front right corner. Another added midway up the green on the right.
- It looks like the back left corner of the green may have been extended.

3rd
- Right greenside bunkers have supposedly been taken closer to the green but from aerials this doesn't look right. The shapes have been changed though to simpler circles
-More hollows added (3) back right of the green

4th
-Colt cross bunker filled in. Blah! Don't they remember the pros struggling to carry it in the gale of the final round in 2002?

5th
- Other than the tee I can't see any change here.

6th
- Even more humps and hollows added short and left of the green
- Front right greenside bunker brought closer in. This is sort of a restoration because the old bunker was originally much bigger.
- Green extended quite a lot at the back. This is sort of a restoration but I don't think the green ever went quite that far back.

7th
- Other than tee I can't see any change.

8th
- I can't believe they filled in two ancient bunkers in the crook. The whole charm of the hole is the minefield of traps there.
- Added bunker on right side of green.
- Humps and hollows added short left?

9th
- This is basically the same as the bunker changes at The Old Course 2nd
- Two ancient bunkers (back to year dot at Muirfield) filled in and "relocated" closer to the green.

10th
- Fairway slightly reshaped out to the left (not quite as straight a hole now).
- Two old fairway right bunkers filled in and replaced by three circular pots, the old bunkers were lozenge shaped. Two of the new pots look to be in similar position as the old bunkers, or possibly slightly to the left. One of the bunkers is farther out.
- Green looks extended at front right.

11th
-New bunker on the right side at 320 (is this a restoration of an old bunker?)
-Left bunker has actually been brought closer to tee at 270

12th
- Right greenside bunker brought closer into corner of green
- Colt bunker filled in short and left. Replaced with a another Hawtree hollow. Why?

13th
-Tee only change.

14th
- Front right greenside bunker enlarged to eat into green more. Or possibly bunker moved slightly.
- Hawtree hollows added to left of green?

15th
- Greenside left bunker relocated closer to green. Can't see any other changes.

16th
-Can't see any changes.

17th
-Other than tee, no change.

18th
-Island bunker had sand area widened.

« **Reply #18 on:** July 18, 2013, 10:11:27 PM »

Mark

I was using Bing for that post but it's much easier to compare now. I don't think I'd change anything other being sure that Hawtree added hollows etc short left of 8th green. I'm sure there are quite a few lurkers who know the exact details.

From the TV it looks like the new back portion of the 6th green hasn't quite grown in.

From the TV you can also see some of banks added because of the bunker relocations. Like the new bunker positions for the 2nd green...I think there's now a more severe kicker bank on that right hand side now.

The previous 1946-2006 comparison was interesting because you could see that some bunkers had been filled in and most were shrunken but the remaining bunkers hadn't been moved.

I don't think the course had really had any redesign work of note since Simpson in the 1930s.

I haven't heard any TV commentary on the architects of Muirfield. Has anyone got it right or come close?

« **Reply #19 on:** July 19, 2013, 05:23:29 PM »

« **Reply #20 on:** July 20, 2013, 08:23:58 AM »

Here are some words on Muirfield:

Patrick Dickinson 'A Round of Golf Courses'...

'Elegence' is, I think, the word. Muirfield is neat, perfectly tailored, it has the reserve, yet the ease, of its aristocratic tradition. Every shot must be placed correctly and precisely; that is true any true links, but at Muirfield the danger is in its seeming openness. It doesn't look as if you'll be in great trouble if you are crooked.

...

Bunkers lurk everywhere for the least weakness...

...

But Muirfield wants you to play well. There is this subtle difference between attitudes of links. Like old school Masters, some are out to get just mechanical repetition; some are out to trap you, to make you answer wrongly even if you know the right answer; very few are really eager to get their pupils on, to develop them and stimulate them imaginatively, while keep the strictest rein on accuracy and discipline. Muirfield is among these few best teachers.

Herbert Warren Wind from 'Following Through'

Muirfield's great quality is its frankness, its honesty. There are no hidden bunkers, no recondite bunkers, no misleading or capricious terrain. Every hazard is clearly visible.

« **Reply #21 on:** July 20, 2013, 08:31:49 AM »

Nice words, Mac, about the old Colt course.

« **Reply #22 on:** July 20, 2013, 09:26:38 AM »

You don't find the sentiments about the course the same?

I do, based on what I saw in 2011. (and what I'm seeing on tv)

« **Reply #23 on:** July 20, 2013, 05:06:41 PM »

Mark B

Any chance you could do your golf histories magic for the 1920 and 1928 plans in the Muirfield Evolution thread? I'm not convinced I got the photo merge quite right. The 7th is a bit of mystery as to whether the hole was moved north slightly due to the new 6th hole. I'm also curious if the current Colt 10th green is in the same position as the 1920 11th green.

Obviously a lot of this depends on how precise the plans are but the way the course boundaries drawn they look v similar.

If it's a lot of work don't worry. Thanks

« **Reply #24 on:** July 20, 2013, 05:12:46 PM »

Paul

I'd be happy to take a crack at it. Just to be sure there's no confusion could you email the images? (Click my email button in my profile left of this post.) Highest quality resolution available, please.

Cheers

Mark

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