Murrayfield

Established in 1896, Murrayfield Golf Club’s first course was a 12-hole affair situated half a mile east of its current position. This layout didn’t last long because the club soon moved to its present location, with members playing on a full 18-hole layout.

We’re not sure of the exact date that this happened and we’re also not entirely certain of who designed the new course but, according to sources we’ve looked at, we think that Willie Park Junior and his father were responsible for the layout.

Assuming the design was indeed a joint effort from the Parks, it occurred at a particularly productive time for them, as they collaborated on a number of Scottish golf course projects at the time, including Duddingston, Innellan, Lauder, Torwoodlee and Glasgow Gailes.

In the book Willie Park Junior, The Man who took Golf to the World by Walter Stephen, it’s stated: “Murrayfield was on Willie Park’s list of courses planned or revised by himself, but in the opening pages of the club’s official history no names are mentioned in connection with the initial layout and early modifications”.

The author continues: “However, Willie Park did play an exhibition game there in 1899, just about the right date for an official opening.” On page 149 of the book, he lists Murrayfield as one of thirty three Scottish courses that Willie Park Junior had been involved with as an architect.

In 1904, the course measured all of 4,930 yards when Harry Vardon and James Braid (who had between them finished either first or second in the previous nine Open championships) played another exhibition match, one that attracted many thousands of spectators.

The club purchased the course and clubhouse (extending to around 140 acres) in 1926. Three years later, James Braid was called in to make alterations, costing five guineas and £1-5-0 in expenses. On 12th May 1930, The Scotman newspaper reported on the club’s spring meeting: “the course, which has been considerably improved – several suggestions of James Braid having been adopted with regard to bunkering and extending – was in good order.”

Today, the layout extends to a modest 5,781 yards from the back tees, where par is set at 70, thanks in the main to having only two par fives on the card (at holes 14 and 18), though a solitary par four in excess of 400 yards also contributes to a lack of length.

On the front nine, the uphill 8th (“Law Park”) and right dog legged 9th (“Forth View”) are delightful back to back short par fours whilst, at the start to the inward half, the 194-yard 10th (“Old Quarry”) is a spectacular downhill par three that never fails to get the pulse racing.