In the beginning...
Columbus hosted the U.S. Open golf championship in 1926 at Scioto Country Club in Upper Arlington. While Scioto is a nationally recognized, 155 acre club, as golf courses grew in size over the following years it became apparent Columbus would need a bigger course to attract national level tournament golf.
Enter Jack Nicklaus. Nicklaus grew up playing golf with his father and often dreamed of building his own course in Columbus. The year 1967 saw his dream begin to turn into a reality.
From the first days of walking the wooded land north of the small village of Dublin, Nicklaus dreamed of building a new kind of golf course, one that would follow the slope of the land and have raised edges for spectators and buffers between the course and the surrounding landowners. The result has been the beginning of a new career for Nicklaus, designing similar courses around the country.
Here is a timeline of important events in the history of Dublin's Muirfield Village Golf Club:
- 1967-1968: 567 acres of land purchased by Nicklaus along Ashbaugh Rd. north of Dublin.
- Feb. 11, 1968: Nicklaus announces plans to build a golf course on the land and create a new national level tournament.
- 1968: Nicklaus repeated attempts to obtain project financing fall apart.
- October 1968: Consulting firm recommends using unneeded land surrounding proposed golf course to build housing development; Nicklaus is hesitant but buys more land to increase project to 1,576 acres.
- September 1970: Ohio Promotions, Golden Bear Enterprises, and the Jack Nicklaus Company consolidate into Golden Bear Inc.
- May 1972: Golden Bear Inc. officials meet with John Wolfe's Ohio Company regarding a Muirfield partnership.
- July 1972: Course construction begins.
- September 1972: Result--Muirfield, Ltd., an Ohio limited liability company.
- October 1972: Heavy rains halt course construction for the year.
- 1973: Repeated torrential rains delay course construction.
- October 1973: Nicklaus plays inaugural round of golf at Muirfield Village (between rainstorms).
Next: a history of Memorial Tournament play at Muirfield.
