Golf
One of the fairest of the Open Championship
courses, that’s how Muirfield is often described. What golfers see is what they get. The course is an Old Tom Morris original that oozes tradition and heritage. It has lost none of its golfing allure since it was created for the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers back in 1891, and everyone there is eagerly anticipating the staging of Muirfield’s 16th Open Championship in 2013.
Neville Johnson talks to their long-serving Course Manager...
M
uirfield’s Course Manager, Colin Irvine, achieves the perfect fine balance between past, present and future. “We are aware of the history of the
course, but what we’re trying to do here is constantly refine its qualities and its wonderful natural features,” he says. “It’s important to keep up with technology to make our presentation the best we can, using the aids that are out there. We’re always looking out for the best machine to do the job for us.” Colin has been in charge at Muirfield for eighteen years. He left Muirfield as its assistant course manager after the 1992 Open, and took up the top job at the Dusseldorf Club in Germany, returning to the Scottish course two years later as its number one. He hadn’t expected such a swift return, but Muirfield’s then Course Manager, Chris Whittle, who’d been in charge for six years, left to take up the reins in his native Lancashire at another of the top Open links, Royal Birkdale. “I was just getting to grips with German after plenty of time at night school, and my excellent employers
weren’t too pleased I was leaving, but Muirfield is something of a spiritual home to me and it was, as they say, an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
Colin is his own man when it comes to course management. He trusts his instinct and his knowledge. He’s never allowed himself to be tied in to any one manufacturer or supplier. He makes a judgment on what each particular job demands and what the best solution is. Over the years he has come to trust John Deere equipment to match his needs, and it is the familiar green and yellow that dominates on course work at Muirfield these days. There hadn’t been any significant changes to the layout since the 1930s, until a couple of years ago when course designer Martin Hawtree was commissioned, in conjunction with the R&A, to introduce some new championship tees and tighten up some of the bunkers, edging them closer to the greens. This was all done to make Muirfield that bit tougher, yet retain its renowned fairness. They were subtle changes and, says Colin, “I don't think you’d notice too
Colin Irvine
The Golfers’ Course Manager
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