Muirfield: 2026 Access and Booking Update
Muirfield is the home of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, a 16 time Open links in East Lothian and one of the most coveted tee times in the game. Here is where it stands in 2026, what has changed this year, and how to play it.
The news: more visitor times, but 2026 is already full
Muirfield heads into 2026 with a small but meaningful change for travelling golfers: the Honourable Company has expanded the number of visitor tee times on its allocated days, Tuesdays and Thursdays. The catch is demand. The club reports being fully booked from mid April through to October 2026, with enquiries for those peak months added to a waiting list in case of cancellations.
The practical message for 2026 is to think early and think flexibly. If your dates are not yet locked, the winter shoulder offers a far easier route on and at a much lower rate, and a place on the cancellation list is worth holding if your heart is set on a summer round. Either way, this is a course to plan a trip around rather than slot in at the last minute.
The course itself
Muirfield is a par 71 links of around 7,200 yards from the championship tees, laid out as two loops, the front nine running clockwise around the outside and the back nine counter clockwise inside it. The design, with roots in Old Tom Morris and later shaped by Harry Colt, means the wind hits you from every angle over a round, which is exactly why so many regard it as the fairest and most complete examination in championship golf.
There are no blind tricks and few cheap tricks. The bunkering is precise and penal, the rough can be brutal, and the greens reward the player who thinks a shot ahead. It has hosted The Open 16 times and remains a benchmark by which other links are measured, a course that gives nothing away but never feels unfair.
How to play it in 2026
On access, visiting golfers are welcomed on Tuesdays and Thursdays, excluding public holidays, by prior arrangement, with the club's traditional formats in play on the day. Muirfield sits in East Lothian near Gullane, around a 40 minute drive east of Edinburgh, which puts it within easy reach of the rest of the East Lothian links cluster for a wider trip.
On cost, the indicative 2026 visitor green fee is around 395 pounds for 18 holes in the main season, with winter rounds at around 150 pounds. Treat these figures as indicative, they change by season, so always confirm the current rate, the available formats and availability directly before booking, and secure your date as far ahead as you can.
Our take
Our take is that Muirfield is a bucket list round that rewards the effort it takes to get on, a pure, honest championship links with no weak holes and a setting steeped in the history of the game. The expanded 2026 visitor times help at the margins, but the headline is that a summer round needs planning months ahead.
If 2026 is your window, build the trip around the round rather than the other way around, consider the quieter winter dates or a place on the cancellation list, and pair it with the neighbouring East Lothian links for one of the great golf weeks anywhere. It is worth every bit of the planning.
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Questions
What has changed at Muirfield for 2026?
The Honourable Company has expanded the number of visitor tee times on its allocated days, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Demand remains very high, and the club reports being fully booked from mid April through to October 2026, with enquiries for those months added to a waiting list in case of cancellations. Winter visitor golf continues at a much lower rate.
How much does it cost to play Muirfield in 2026?
The indicative 2026 visitor green fee is around 395 pounds for 18 holes in the main season, with winter rounds at around 150 pounds. Rates change by season, so always confirm the current price and availability directly before booking.
When can visitors play Muirfield?
Muirfield welcomes visiting golfers on Tuesdays and Thursdays, excluding public holidays, by prior arrangement. It is a par 71 links of around 7,200 yards in East Lothian and has hosted The Open 16 times, so demand is high and early booking is essential.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course, season and access details verified June 2026 from club and golf travel sources; conditions and green fees change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.