The creep of AI has not yet crept fully upon the property at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Those trees, streams and, yes, golfers, remain real. But that does not mean the world of advanced electronics is being denied a ticket onto the grounds.
Spectators attending the 2026 Memorial Tournament June 4-7 will notice a new digital scoreboard located off the northwest corner of the lake separating the 10th tee from the fairway. The video board will include a traditional signage header to match the traditional non-automated scoreboard off the fairway at No. 18, but the board itself, the second largest on the course, will be a digital copy of the original. It will include rotating content branding title sponsor Workday as well as 50th anniversary tournament details.
“The Memorial Tournament is making the change to provide new ways for fans to obtain tournament information, while maintaining the legacy and tradition of the Memorial’s 15 manually-operated leaderboards,” reads a tournament statement.
What you saw in 2025 is what you’ll get … again
No major course changes were conducted after last year’s Memorial, which is surprising only because tweaking the fairways, greens and bunkers has become an almost yearly tournament staple. Aside from adding and reworking bunkers, reshaping a couple of greens and removing some trees, the golf course for its first 20 years remained essentially as event host and founder, Jack Nicklaus, originally designed it.
Then bigger changes began, in response to a 1998 survey of PGA Tour players that recommended the narrowing of the majority of fairways. More significant changes followed for the next nine years, and since 2010, MVGC has received numerous nips and tucks, including an extensive facelift in 2021.
Maybe Nicklaus and the tour have the course exactly how they want it, because nary a single blade of grass has been touched.
Technics Sound Deck takes fans up close and personal with pros
The Technics Sound Deck returns for a second year, allowing fans at No. 16 to use headphones with a direct feed to the tee box, which means being able to listen to players and caddies before the shots are hit.
A reminder: pros will tee off No. 1 in twosomes
The reduced size of the field, from 120 to 71 or 72, means half the golf course will be empty for a few hours each morning as all players go off the No. 1 tee in twosomes. The smaller field should lessen the impact of weather delays. Fewer players mean an easier time getting the round completed after rain and lightning pass through.
Sending all players off No. 1 also means more fans gathering around fewer holes, and concession stands will be more crowded. On the plus side, the atmosphere should make Thursday and Friday feel more like Saturday and Sunday as fans spread across nine holes instead of 18 to find the players making the most birdies.
Memorial honors Ohio’s military service men and women
The Military Outpost, presented by JobsOhio, located next to the 13th green, offers free refreshments for all military — active, reserve and veterans. A military ID is required for entry.
Sports columnist Rob Oller can be reached at roller@dispatch.com and on X.com at @rollerCD.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: What’s new at the 2026 Memorial? New scoreboard, no course changes
Reporting by Rob Oller, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
