Photo courtesy of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday
Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, home of the Memorial Tournament, was the dream and work of Columbus native and golf great Jack Nicklaus.
Nicklaus’ revolutionary design of Muirfield Village Golf Club was the first course in the world, from its inception, that was created with the spectator in mind. His creative use of “mounds” and “amphitheaters” became a model for tournament courses around the globe.
The subsequent home tournament, the Memorial Tournament, embraced all that is special about the game of golf.
The land for Murfield was acquired in 1966, but construction did not begin until July 28, 1972. The golf course is situated on 220 acres, which includes an 11-acre driving range.
The 18-hole layout played at 6,978 yards in its original form, but is now 7,543 after undergoing a complete redesign following the 2020 Memorial Tournament.
Designed by Nicklaus with early collaboration from Desmond Muirhead, the course was officially dedicated on Memorial Day, May 27, 1974, with an exhibition match between Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf. Nicklaus carded a six-under-par 66, which stood as the course record until 1979. John Huston’s 11-under 61 during round two of the 1996 Memorial Tournament is the current course record.
When it came to naming his masterpiece, Nicklaus looked to the origins of golf and the home of the Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, Muirfield, whose records date back to 1744 when the Club wrote the original 13 rules of golf for the first competition played for the Silver Club.
Because Muirfield in Scotland is where Nicklaus represented his country for the first time in the 1959 Walker Cup and where he won his first Open Championship in 1966 to complete his first Grand Slam, it was a fitting name for his new world-class golf course and club.
When Nicklaus turned his attention to the tournament that would call Muirfield Village Golf Club its home, he had in mind what many have called his second home—Augusta National Golf Club. During Masters Week in 1966, Nicklaus spoke of his desire to create a tournament that, like the Masters, had a global interest, but was inspired by the history and traditions of the game of golf.
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It was also Nicklaus' desire to create a tournament that would remember and honor the great golfers of the past, and those individuals who built the foundation for a game that today is played and enjoyed by millions around the world.
In order to complete his vision, he wanted this tournament to "give back" in the form of charitable contributions to organizations benefiting needy adults and children throughout Columbus and Ohio. Thus, the Memorial Tournament was born.
Muirfield Village Golf Club and the Memorial Tournament have been committed to giving back to central Ohio and points beyond for more than 45 years. Each year, a portion of the proceeds from the Tournament are passed on to Central Ohio charities, principally Nationwide Children’s Hospital via an alliance with the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation and the Memorial’s new partnership with Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s Eat. Learn. Play Foundation. The total contributions to date have surpassed the $41 million mark, with over $29 million going to Nationwide Children’s.
Fun fact: Muirfield Village Golf Club was the first course in the world to host three of golf’s most prestigious international match-play competitions: Ryder Cup (1987), Solheim Cup (1998) and Presidents Cup (2013).
For more information, visit www.thememorialtournament.com.
