Golf World Monday - June 6, 2011

02Muirfield village’s back nine

thanks in some measure to the new watery 16th hole at muirfield village
(above), making it resemble the 16th at augusta national every bit as much as
Jack nicklaus’ 12th hole in ohio resembles bobby Jones’ 12th in georgia, the
back nine of the memorial has become a very reasonable facsimile to the back
nine of the masters. this has always been nicklaus’ intent, and it’s as close to
a reality as it’s ever likely to get. in its debut the 16th proved to be the hardest
par on the course, but a lot of that should be attributed to its newness. over
time, as the green softens, the hole will become more receptive, and the players
will become more comfortable attacking it. the character of muirfield’s back
nine, however, is etched in volatility. the two par 5s, the 11th and 15th, are both
reachable but treacherous. the tiny par- 4 14th is maniacal. with the tees up, it
is drivable. it is a hard birdie but an easy double bogey. with the course’s two
hardest par 4s, nos. 17 and 18, at the finish, nicklaus has got the golf course he
always wanted—birdies, eagles, bogeys and doubles all over the place—and,
after the masters and the players, a tournament finish as memorable as any on
the pga tour. —Jim Moriarty