Then There Were Three 18th Hole (Muirfield Village) Bunkers

Alex Miceli explained the evolution of Muirfield Village's 18th, which has been a source of consternation for host Jack Nicklaus since a Robert Garrigus drive cleared the 9 (!?) fairway bunkers installed over the last decade.

But with the hole lengthened to a stout 484, the bunker overkill could finally be addressed and now the finishing hole more closely resembles the overall aesthetic of Muirfield Village. (Nice way of saying it no longer looks absurd.)

Miceli writes:

With the changes, Nicklaus has made the three remaining bunkers more penal, both in depth and with steep front lips that will compound the difficulty of any approach shot to the green.

The bunkers also did not look good at all from aerial shots, as Mr. Nicklaus admitted in his Wednesday press conference, reports Doug Ferguson.

More problematic for players than the bunkers: the tree down the right side which almost requires either a 320-yard drive, or one hugging the leftside for a clear view of the green. The combination of elements makes it one of the toughest finishing holes in golf.

We went out to look at 18 and I shared a few thoughts here: