When it comes to outstanding golf and rich history, there is no rival to Muirfield and The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers.
In addition to being a 16-time host of The Open, Muirfield features one of the finest experiences the game of golf has to offer.
As a result, Muirfield is a highly sought after ticket for Scotland golf packages. Visitor tee times at Muirfield become available over a year in-advance and are usually all but gone within a matter of days.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll take you through everything you need to know about golf at Muirfield, including its history, layout, notable holes, and other valuable tips for making the most of your visit.
History of Muirfield & The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers
Founded in 1744, The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers is the 2nd oldest golf club in the world. They also happen to have written the 13 original rules of golf. Some of which have, thankfully, been modified or abandoned over the centuries.
When the club left behind the overcrowded links at Musselburgh and relocated to Muirfield in 1891, the duty of hosting The Open Championship came with them.
Old Tom Morris laid out the original course. It wasn’t until Harry Colt arrived a few decades later, however, that Muirfield as we know it fully emerged.
Photo Credit: Muirfield
Muirfield Course Design
A common refrain of anything written about Muirfield is its unique design. At the time, most links golf courses were an out and back affair. Nine holes running away from the clubhouse. Nine holes playing back toward it.
In his redesign of the links at Muirfield, Harry Colt took a different approach. He ran the front-9 in a clockwise circle around the perimeter of the property. The back-9, in contrast, runs in a counterclockwise circle in the middle. The net result is that the wind off the Firth of Forth rarely tests the player from the same direction on consecutive holes.
Muirfield doesn’t feature a signature hole or lean heavily on spectacular coastal views. Rather, it’s a collection of 18 solid golf holes that come together to form one of the great tests of the game. As a result, Muirfield is regarded by many to be the finest of the Open Championship venues.
2nd Hole
By the scorecard, the 2nd hole at Muirfield would appear to offer a chance at birdie, especially for the longer hitter. But, assuming you’ve found the fairway, those hopes are likely to fade with the sight of a stone wall just a few feet from the left side of the green.
Send your approach left, and it’s out of bounds. Bail out to the right, and it’s an all but certain bogey from one of the greenside bunkers. Only a confident, well-struck approach will yield the birdie attempt that seemed like a sure thing back on the tee.
That’s Muirfield.
Photo Credit: Muirfield
9th Hole
The front-9 at Muirfield returns to the clubhouse with a good, stern par-5. The drive on the 9th hole at Muirfield is arguably the toughest of the day. A deep bunker and the notoriously thick Muirfield rough narrows the fairway precisely where you’d like the drive to end. But that’s just the beginning of the task at hand.
For the 2nd shot on the 9th hole, you must navigate between the old stone wall and the gardens of the Greywalls hotel on your left, and a collection of dangerously deep bunkers on your right. Laying up is certainly prudent, but if you manage to execute the hero shot, there’s a good chance you’ll end the front-9 at Muirfield on a high note.
Photo Credit: Muirfield
13th Hole
Simply put, the 13th hole at Muirfield is one of the best par-3s in Scotland. The uphill tee shot will test every ounce of your accuracy with a long iron. Given that the green is nearly 50 paces deep, the shot that comes up short or long of the flag will still likely find the putting surface. But anything offline, even just slightly, will likely find one of the green-side bunkers.
Ironically, however, the 13th hole is not the work of Old Tom Morris or Harry Colt – the two men largely credited with the design at Muirfield. That distinction belongs to Tom Simpson, who gave the golfing world another revered spot in Scotland at Cruden Bay Golf Club.
Photo Credit: Muirfield
17th Hole
Although the 17th hole is the longest par-5 at Muirfield, it is still reachable in two shots by many golfers, especially in a favorable wind. But doing so requires taking on the heavily guarded left-side of the fairway off the tee, then navigating around the menacing cross-bunkers on your 2nd shot.
No easy task, even for the best players in the world. Just ask Tiger Woods, who put a dent in his hopes of a Muirfield Claret Jug in those bunkers.
The Format
For its members, Muirfield is largely a foursomes club. What we in the states would call “alternate shot” format. Although visitors are permitted to play four-balls on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, such play is rare among members.
The preference for foursomes play is even evident in the course design at Muirfield. Many of the greens have two walking paths to the next hole. One leads to the next tee, the other leads further down the fairway where your partner’s drive is likely to finish. This allows four golfers to finish a complete round in roughly the same time it takes your group to play nine holes back home.
Greywalls at Muirfield
For over three decades, we have maintained that your time off the course during golf trips to Scotland is just as valuable to your experience as your time on it. Perhaps nowhere is that more evident than the combination of Muirfield and Greywalls.
Located just beyond the 9th green at Muirfield, Greywalls is an elegant country house turned hotel, where service and attention to detail are paramount to its exceptional staff. The same holds true at the award-winning Chez Roux restaurant, whose namesake – Chef Albert Roux – was Britain’s first chef to be awarded three Michelin Stars.
All of which makes Greywalls arguably the finest accommodation choice in East Lothian and perhaps all of Scotland.
Photo Credit: Greywalls
Muirfield Clubhouse
As one of the oldest golf clubs in the world, not to mention the authors of the original rules of golf, the history of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers runs deep. Much of that history is on display throughout the stately clubhouse at Muirfield.
Of course, it’s the legendary lunch after your morning round that makes the Muirfield clubhouse a must-visit destination for any traveling golfer. While most will emerge from the many helpings of food and claret for an afternoon round of alternate shot, you’ll be forgiven if you decide to keep on the jacket and tie and retire to the Smoking Room.
Photo Credit: Muirfield
There you’ll likely reach an unavoidable conclusion: a visit to Muirfield delivers one of the best experiences in all of golf.
Muirfield Tee Times
Starting with the 2025 season, Muirfield tee times generally become available in late February of the year prior to play.
As one of the most popular golf courses in Scotland – perhaps 2nd only to The Old Course at St. Andrews – Muirfield tee times sell out as quickly as they become available.
If you’re hoping to play Muirfield as part of a golf trip to Scotland, we suggest beginning the planning process in January of the year prior to your trip.
Once your Muirfield tee times are secured, the rest of your trip can start to take shape.
Muirfield Location
Muirfield is located in East Lothian, Scotland, approximately 45 minutes east of Edinburgh.
Numerous other outstanding courses are located nearby, such as the West Links at North Berwick and Gullane Golf Club.
Muirfield Caddies
Caddies are available at Muirfield and you will absolutely want one by your side.
The cost is the club’s prevailing caddie fee plus a recommended gratuity of £20-£30.
Believe us when we say, they’re worth every penny.
Muirfield Dress Code
One of the long standing traditions at Muirfield was the requirement of jacket and tie for gentlemen inside the clubhouse. In recent years, this policy has been relaxed.
Golfers may now arrive and enter the clubhouse in golf attire before 11:30am. During lunch or while enjoying post-round cocktails, the coat and tie are still a must.
Our free guide includes over 40 pages of valuable insight, plus links to nearly 50 additional resources, on Golf and the Good Life in Scotland.
For more insight on planning your golf trip to Scotland, visit the pages below or have a look through our Yardage Book, where you’ll find answers to many of our most frequently asked questions.
If you’re ready to experience Golf at its Finest with Haversham & Baker…
Discover More of Golf at its Finest with H&B
