Last month I played Muirfield for my 1000th course and from an architectural standpoint it was everything I'd ever heard or imagined. Thrilling bunkering that created wonderful strategic questions and an overall test of precision and golfing skill.
I was also pleased that it played very running and firm like a true links, and it's gorgeously beautiful to the eye, as well, with wonderful coloration and contrast.
However, as noted in the most recent version of the Confidential Guide, Ran and some others believe that Muirfield is not as good as it might be for everyday play because of the incredibly penal nature of the fescue grown along the sides of every fairway. I believe they have a fair point, because the odds of finding a golf ball that wanders into this stuff (sometimes very perilously close to the preferred lines of play) were about 1 in 5 the day we played.
Indeed, it was ironic to be at the club where the Rules were codified only to find it was nigh impossible to actually play by the rules, which required stroke and distance penalty for any lost ball(s). Indeed, in the 40-50 mph winds we played that day we'd likely still be out there if we had to return to the tee each time a ball was lost in our group.
Recognizing that we had a somewhat extreme weather day, I'm not sure how much stock to put into our experiences but I'm certain that the wind blows pretty consistently over 15 mph out there which I'm rather sure leads to much the type of trepidation that overcame our group by the second 18. With that type of maintenance, or lack thereof, of the roughs, how much does that detract generally from the overall experience? It was also the longest round of our trip, coming in at just over 3.5 hours per 18, with way too much time spent looking for golf balls.
Is what we experienced the norm? If so, Is there a reasonable solution for everyday play, or does the club enjoy inflicting that degree of challenge and frustration to those foolhardy enough to venture out there?