All golf courses naturally undergo cycles of death and rebirth, but Muirfield Village Golf Club is that rare creation constantly reborn, becoming both the ultimate expression of its author and an extension of him. As such, it is never satisfactorily completed, placing it in unique company with Pinehurst No. 2, which Donald Ross lovingly nurtured until his death in 1948.
Muirfield Village, located near Nicklaus’ hometown of Columbus, Ohio, and named for the classic Scottish links, had much to live up to when it opened in 1974. The Nicklaus name was unmistakably on the line, though as a designer the Golden Bear was merely a cub. That’s why he enlisted Pete Dye’s help in choosing the site, which turned out to be hunting grounds Jack had traipsed with his father, and was willing to accept input from Dye and the late Desmond Muirhead in the routing.
Nicklaus never made it a secret that the course and any tournament conducted on it should emulate Augusta National Golf Club and his favorite event, the Masters. Though the idea of building his own club and hosting a tournament in his hometown had been germinating, it didn’t take root until the 1966 Masters. Augusta and Muirfield are predominantly secondshot examinations, though Muirfield, with its heavily bunkered, elevated greens is much more of a modern aerial test. The par3 12th, playing over water to a narrow green, was inspired by Augusta’s famed 12th hole.
What professionals encountered when they arrived in the freshly incorporated town of Dublin was an immaculate layout evincing bedrock Nicklaus design features—generous fairways, challenging and well-protected greens, and holes routed predominantly downhill. Also unveiled to tournament golf was a ground-breaking concept Nicklaus referred to as “amphitheatering,” mounding on the periphery of playing areas that offered unobstructed spectator views.
