A few weeks back I attended The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio. Here’s the recap, and check my review on three of the Columbus area’s finest public courses – Virtues GC, Denison GC, and NorthStar GC.
The 2018 Memorial Tournament, Muirfield Village
I’ll lead out with it – this is the best pro golf event I’ve been to (non-Masters category). There was tons of hype leading up to the tournament this year, with the stellar lineup of players in the field, the pre-US Open prep, and of course…can Tiger win this thing?
First off – the golf course. Muirfield Village is a flat out wonderful golf course. It’s got a bit of everything. It’s long, it’s wide, and has at least a half dozen super memorable holes. One thing that jumped out to me is that this is equal parts member club, and a place perfectly suited to hold a huge Tour stop. The clubhouse is mammoth, and you’ve got plenty of access with an upgraded badge. There are ample cottages for out-of-towners to stay in as guests of the club.
The Muirfield Village golf-related facilities are just as impressive. It’s got a fantastic circular practice facility, and oh, the world-class Nicklaus-designed golf course. The routing is two rough “loops” for the front and back nines that’s fairly easy to get around, even with the big crowds. What takes a while to pick up on is what’s NOT there. No huge video boards, no huge concession/bathroom lines (they move fast!!!), and very little “baba-booey.” It’s a classy spot, and Muirfield Village flat out knows how to run a golf tournament.
Where to Get the Best Views
You can find a few places to settle that offer views of multiple holes. In particular I liked the little notch between the short par-4 3rd, and the mid-range par-3 4th. You see the players lasering long irons from an elevated tee, then wedge it in on for a birdie try. The par-3 12th, an homage to the 12th at Augusta National, has great stadium style seating, and it starts a pivotal stretch on the back nine. Last but not least, the behind-the-green view on 18 lets you see all the pressure-packed approach shots.
We went on Friday and as soon as we got through the gate, we were right along the Phil/Bubba/Jordan group. You can get right up to them. Rory/DJ/Jason Day too. It’s a blast to hear them chat with each other, and then launch rockets down the fairway. Things do change once the Big Cat comes around. We had to lockdown a spot by the 2nd tee box before the throngs of red shirt wearing fans (Buckeyes, not Sunday Reds…) catch up. It’s always a battle to get a good spot, but worth it. Guys were playing well; birdies were made on an enjoyable day of golf.
One of my preferred techniques is to get to the course early, do a lap, scope out the best areas, then settle in for the afternoon. I was very happy we did that and gladly would have attended over the weekend, but we had 54 holes lined up to make it a complete weekend. I would highly recommend making a stop in downtown Columbus to Lindey’s or Harvest Pizzeria to load up on steak or pizza and keep your energy levels high for your upcoming rounds…
EXTRA TIGER AND JACK!
GREAT Tiger story here… As Tiger was wrapping up his range session Friday (striping it), playing partner Jason Dufner walks up with a bag of balls to the right of Woods. Duf gives him a little wave and a smile. Tiger starts needling him about his shoes, his pants, his hat. Basically being a typical Driving Range Hero. So this goes on for a minute or two, and of course, all of Tiger’s entourage are yukking it up and laughing in unison. Keep in mind that the wind is coming directly in from the range. Duf is taking it like a champ, and then he turns perpendicular to the range and starts ripping wedges to the left – splattering Tiger and his guys with divot shrapnel. TW totally bailed for the putting green after about three of those. Love you, Tiger, but you lost that one!
OH, I also was walking backwards up the first hole, and some guy buzzed by me in a roofless golf cart. First reaction was “geeze, slow down, guy!” It was Jack Nicklaus. Carry on, Mr. Golden Bear.
