Old Tom Morris did the honours on the new course at Muirfield, ably assisted by David Plenderleith. They departed from the out-and-back layout of traditional links courses by creating two loops. Contrary to popular belief the loops were not of two nines: eight holes ran clockwise around the outside and the other ten darted around within these. Alterations were soon need needed to accommodate the extra length afforded by the gutty ball, however, and Harry Colt, Tom Simpson and Robert Maxwell supervised the changes undertaken in the 1920s. By 1928 the modern course had emerged, with the front nine running clockwise around the perimeter and the back nine mainly counter-clockwise within this ring. Little has changed since then, although several new tees have been added to try and ensure the modern player is tested as severely as were his predecessors. Almost 100 bunkers have been removed but plenty still remain.

The opening hole is one of the hardest in championship golf, demanding a long carry to a fairway only twenty yards wide. Penal rough on both sides and a nasty bunker on the left inhibit the drive, but a line down the left gives the easier approach. At 447 yards two stout blows are always required and it is with some relief that even the pros depart with their par.

The 2nd and 3rd allow composure to be restored. Par 4s of modest length, they both reward a drive down the left and precision iron play to well-bunkered greens. The 4th is the first of the short holes with severe bunkering in front and this is followed by a long par 5 up the hill where the greatest problem for good players is to get close with their pitch to a sloping green. In the 1972 Open Johnny Miller avoided this problem by holing his 3 wood second shot! The 6th is a tough par 4 dog-legging left, before another excellent short hole which turns into the prevailing wind and from its raised green provides spectacular views of the Firth of Forth. The 8th is one of the most difficult holes on the course with bunkers littering the right hand side of the dog-leg and cross bunkers waiting for the miss-hit approach to the green. Both Trevino and Jacklin eagled the long 9th in their famous duel in the final round of the 1972 Open Championship and Nick Faldo matched that feat during his 1992 Championship win. The drive is to a fairway that narrows to almost nothing, with fearsome rough and bunkers on the right, out-of-bounds left and Simpson's bunker in the middle to catch a second shot less than perfectly struck.

There is no relief from the turn, with the 10th hole being one of the most difficult on the course. Looking at the awesome rough down the left side of this hole before the 1966 Open, Doug Sanders quipped that he would happily forego any prize money in return for the lost-ball and hay concession. From 1972 onwards the rough has been graded for championships, however, which is much fairer. The drive over the ridge on the 11th is perhaps the only blind shot on the course. From the back tee it requires a carry of 195 yards over a steep hill, which can be a real test into a breeze even for the pros. Once safely over, a mid-iron should find the green. Most of the pros reach for their 1 irons on the 12th tee, where the narrow fairway has to be hit to give any chance of targeting the pin on the second shot, but the 13th is a gem of a short hole, surrounded by deep bunkers. During practice for the 1992 Open, Faldo tossed three balls into one of the deep greenside bunkers on the right. Holing out the first two, he picked up the last not wanting to push his luck. A wise decision: he went on to win the tournament.

The 14th and 15th are strong par 4's, with the latter famous for its testing 'Camel's Back' green, but the 16th heralds the start of a wonderful finish. A new tee is being constructed on the famous short hole for the 2002 championship, which will lengthen it to well over 200 yards and make the green even more difficult to hold than it is now. The 17th is a wonderful par 5, where the drive must be further right than the view from the tee would suggest to avoid the cluster of bunkers at the first dog-leg. Then only a long and accurate second will avoid the bunkers which guard the approach to the green to set up a putt or chip for a birdie opportunity.

At 448 yards, the last is normally two good blows into the prevailing wind, even for long hitters and what could be a more noble compliment than the assessment of Jack Nicklaus. 'Probably the best hole on the best Open championship course in Britain' was how he described it. Who could ask for more?