Location: Ardmore, PA
Architect: Hugh Wilson
Year: 1912
June 20, 2008
Merion Golf Club . . . so much history has happened here that a book could be written on that alone. With a current count of 17 USGA events having been contested over Merion’s East Course that is more than any other course in the United States. Bobby Jones’ first major was the 1916 US Amateur played here, he won the US Amateur here in 1924 and of course his historic US Amateur win for the Grand Slam in 1930. Ben Hogan executed a miraculous comeback to the game here at the 1950 US Open after a near death automobile accident just 1 year earlier. Lee Trevino defeated Jack Nicklaus in a dramatic 18 hole play off to become the US Open champion in 1971. As much great history as there is, the story is far from finished for Merion. The USGA will be coming back to Merion for the Walker Cup in 2009 and the US Open will return in 2013.
Until 1941 when the club changed it’s name to the current version the club was known as the Merion Cricket Club. There are two courses here, the West and the more famous East. The club was originally founded in 1896 and played on the original golf course in neighboring Haverford. In 1910 the members decided to build a new course and sent member Hugh Wilson, a Scottish immigrant, to Scotland and England for 7 months to study golf course design. He returned with a head full of ideas and proceeded to layout the East Course which opened in 1912 and then the West Course which opened in 1914. That is a pretty incredible turn around time for getting courses built considering that it was done without the help of modern machinery in those days. Another amazing feat is that the East Course covers just 126 acres which is nothing compared to other golf courses. Augusta National covers almost triple that acreage at 365. If you want to get a chance at playing a Hugh Wilson course you have very few options. The only other courses he designed besides Merion’s East and West are Cobb’s Creek and the last 4 holes of Pine Valley.
Merion is one of the most exclusive golf clubs in the country being situated on Philadelphia’s “Main Line” and having a membership made up of Philadelphia’s elite and some of the area’s most powerful business leaders. It is a tough place to play for non-members. There is no having your club pro call to arrange unaccompanied play. All guests must be accompanied by a member and the membership count is right around 500. Luckily for me, my father lived in Philadelphia for 10 years and has several friends who were members. He made a phone call and quickly was able to secure a member that was willing to host me. Of course Dad took the opportunity to join in on the fun as did my brother.
Finally the day arrived and we were on our way. Driving up Ardmore Ave I began to get giddy as we drove past several golf holes. I started to think they were part of Merion, but when I saw the flags instead of baskets marking the holes I thought it must be some other fantastic course. I later found out that the baskets are only used on Merion’s East Course and the holes we passed coming in were indeed part of Merion’s West Course. Using baskets atop the flag sticks instead of flags is something that Hugh Wilson brought back from Scotland with him. It makes it impossible to judge wind by looking at a flag and is just another unique touch that makes Merion’s East Course special. Below is a photo of one of the baskets.
Shortly after seeing the flagsticks on the other course we started seeing the baskets and knew we were close. We pulled into the driveway to the clubhouse and passed an menacing looking par 3 hole on the right . . . This day could be interesting.
After we parked our car we went to the locker room where the attendant put us in a locker while we waited for our host. Ironically the locker he gave us belonged to one of the other members that my Dad knew! The locker room didn’t look like it had changed much since Bobby first played there as a 14 year old in 1916. It had that same great antique feel that all the best golf clubs have in their locker rooms. Below is a photo, though not a great one, of the lockers.
Once we had our shoes changed the locker room attendant took a few minutes to show us around the clubhouse. He took us to to see all the club artifacts including the money sheet from the 1950 US Open, scorecards from many historic rounds and of course the Grand Slam trophy case.
With our clubhouse tour over we went outside and met up with our host and caddies and got ready for our round. Our caddies, Jim and Trevor, were great and between the two of them they had 18 years of experience at Merion. The East Course is a walking only course by the way . . . as it should be. Personally, I detest carts and riding this course would be a sin in the order of not taking your sunglasses off to view the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Unless, of course, there is a medical reason for riding.
The practice tee requires a short ride in a golf cart and today there was an outing on the West Course so carts were scarce. We ended up not hitting any warm up balls and just spent a little time getting a feel for the greens. Luckily for us we were not teeing off during lunch time. The first tee is amazingly close to the patio where lunch is served. So close in fact that our host said that when a group is teeing off, especially from the back tees, all diners have their eyes on the golfers in case they need to dive for cover from a ball pulled slightly left – something he has been witness to before! It can certainly make for a nerve wracking first tee shot when a gallery of 50-60 people are watching to make sure you don’t hit them. You can see in the photo just how close the tables are to the tees. The tips are not visible being outside the left edge of the photo and the white middle tees can be just seen at the edge of the tree’s shadow. The club rule at Merion is that you must have a course handicap below 10 in order to play the back tees. The par is 70 on this course and the back plays a mere 6482 yards with a rating and slope of 72.4/142 and the middle are 6103 with a rating and slope of 70.8/141. As we would soon find out a course does not need to be long to be difficult.
The first hole from the middle tee is a short 333 yard dogleg right. Below is the approach shot to the green.
The 2nd hole pictured below is one of only two par 5s on the course. Ardmore Avenue runs down the right hand side, plays 518 yards from the middle tee and is very much uphill. Everyone in the group took a turn at hitting a ball off the course and into the nearby yards at some point in the round and 2 of our players did it on this hole.
Below is the 2nd shot coming up the fairway. That’s my brother getting ready to take his second shot. As I mentioned before it is pretty significantly uphill.
Below is my brother’s caddie, Trevor, retrieving the second shot he was hitting in the photo above from across the road in a nearby house’s yard. Oops.
The photo below is about where the 3rd shot would be played from. I yanked my 2nd shot left and and played my 3rd shot from an absolutely buried lie in the rough. The rough at Merion is famous for being difficult. We were lucky on this day and much of the rough was only 2-3 inches instead of its normal 5 inches.
The 3rd hole pictured below is an excellent Redan hole and plays 168 yards from the middle tees.
My tee shot came up short and the photo below is the shot I had to get onto the green. Almost a blind shot.
The 4th hole,in the photo below, is the last of the par 5s on this course and it is a great one. It plays 560 yards from the middle tees. The tee shot is mostly blind and a little intimidating. I stroked a nice utility club off the tee to the middle of the fairway. I only hit driver on 5 holes at this course. With a few exceptions all a player really needs off the tee on this course is 200-225 yards.
Below is the 2nd shot on the 4th hole which is blind again. You have to carry the bunker and then you’ll have a downhill shot at the green. I hit another utility club and was sitting in the middle of the fairway for my 3rd shot.
The picture below is roughly where the 3rd shot will be played from after a short layup. You can see the bunkers surrounding the green in this photo, but you cannot really see the creek that also runs right in front of it.
The 5th hole (below) is a long par 4 that plays 410 yards from the middle tees and the entire hole falls down towards the creek on the creek that runs down the left hand side.
Here is a photo of the 5th green. This picture does not do justice to the severe slope from right to left. I ended up way over on the right hand side above the green and hit a perfect little flop shot that landed on the fringe at the top of the green and rolled all the way down to the other side resulting in a 3 putt for me. The greens here are FAST. Our host said that they were not near as fast as they normally are.
The 6th hole pictured below is another long par 4 at 410 yards from the middle tees. I managed to find the fairway with my driver here again. The rough was so thick that on these long par 4s you have little chance of getting there in 2 if you are not in the fairway.
Below is a shot of the 6th green from the 7th tee.
The 7th hole (photo below taken from the tee) is a roller coaster. It only plays 343 yards from the middle tees and a well hit drive will disappear down the hill leave a second shot from the bottom of the hill back up to the green.
Here is the approach at the 7th green. Make sure you hit enough club to cover the uphill. You should get used to this because there are a lot of elevated greens here.
As you can see in the photo below the 7th green runs from back to front. When the basket is at the back as it was today you have to make sure you hit enough club to get all the way back there because you won’t get much run once the ball lands. Our host’s ball ended up on the front of the green but he made a fantastic putt that left him a tap in.
The 8th hole is yet another blind tee shot as you can see in the photo below. This one plays 342 yards from the middle tees.
In the photo below taken from the 8th fairway you can see the approach shot plays downhill to what is a sloped green from back to front. If the green is not elevated on this course than it must be downhill!!!
Below you can see the slope of the 8th green. I love these greens on classic courses where the breaks are subtle and the greens don’t have a bunch of mounds on them like some of the modern architects like to do.
The 9th hole is a fantastic par 3. It plays 170 yards downhill. As you can see in the photo below the basket is in a slightly tricky spot. I’m guessing this will be the Sunday location at the 2013 US Open.
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After the 9th hole we climbed the long set of stairs to the 10th tee box. This is a short par 4 playing only 294 yards from the middle tees. I hit a nice utility club off the tee here and was left with only 60 yards to the basket. I’m sure that for the US Open in 2013 the hole will be drivable for the pros. If they miss, they’re going to end up in deep rough, so this hole will surely provide some great theater.
The photo below shows roughly where an approach shot should be hit from. You can see the terrible rough and the bunker off to the left. This is where someone attempting to drive the green will end up if they are short . . . not good.
Here is the 10th green, though its not a very good picture. In 1930 when Bobby Jones won the US Amateur and the Grand Slam here at Merion both he and his opponent double bogeyed this hole. The score card in the clubhouse shows Jones’ comment of “ha ha” next to the hole. Even the greats can put up a high score on a short par 4! I was happy to walk off the green with a lower score than Bobby had!
After the 10th hole you can get a cool drink and a bite to eat. Below is a photo halfway hut.
Now on to the 11th hole and the most famous hole in tournament golf. This one plays 349 yards from the middle tees. This is the hole on which a putt was conceded to Bobby Jones making him the first and only (to date) Grand Slam winner in the history of the game. There is a plaque on a rock (see below photo) between the 10th green and 11th tee box commemorating the momentous occasion.
The hole goes out and then down a hill, so again, a well struck drive will disappear down the hill.
My drive ended up in the rough and my caddy advised me to pitch out to the fairway as the green is pretty small and there is plenty of trouble to be found in the creek that runs around the green as you can see in the photo below.
There were no putts conceded for any trophies on the 11th green in our group. It was so cool to be there where that historic moment took place that I forgot to take a picture of the green itself!!!
After the 11th hole we took the quick walk over to the 12 tee box. Again, this hole is a short par 4 at just 334 yards from the middle tee, so it only took about 200 yards to carry the creek.
Below is photo of what the approach looks like on this hole.
The photo below is of the green complex at the 12th hole.
After the 12th hole we crossed back over Ardmore Avenue and towards the clubhouse to play the short, but diabolical, 13th hole, a par 3. The scorecard says it plays 121 yards, but with the tee location and wind it was playing 105 yards today. Our group managed to make a mockery of what is listed on the scorecard as the easiest hole on the course. I think I was the low man on the hole with a bogey. You really cant tell it from the photo below, but the green is completely surrounded by DEEP bunkers. If you dont hit the green here its a tough par save.
The 14th hole (pictured below) starts on the other side of the clubhouse and is a par 4 dogleg left playing 387 yards from the middle tees.
The 15th hole is a dogleg right that is 353 yards and starts what has often been called the 4 most difficult finishing holes in golf. Again, the approach plays to an elevated green. There were not many flat spots on this course which adds to the difficultly for sure.
The picture below is where my first drive landed. It was my turn to hit a ball off the course on this hole. I overestimated the distance to carry the bunker and decided to play the safe shot to the middle of the fairway. I ended up hitting it right through the fairway across the road and into this yard . . . the dreaded safe shot. I’m just glad there was no gallery in those chairs. Oddly enough I did notice that while we all hit our approach shots there was a car that stopped in the middle of the road and watch each of us hit our ball.
Below is a photo of around where the 2nd shot would be played from
The 16th hole starts the quarry holes at Merion. Its a little deceiving from the tee box as you can see in the photo below. I thought we were going up to the right, but you want to hit your ball straight out there and the 2nd shot is all carry over the quarry. This par 4 is 407 yards from the middle tee.
Here is the carry for the 2nd shot.
Below is where my ball ended up after my 2nd shot. I managed to make it 15 and half holes before I tangled with the really long rough at Merion. Fortunately my club pro had instructed me on reading the grain of the rough before I left and this swing was with the grain, so I managed to pop it out onto the green.
The 17th hole pictured below from the tee box is a long par 3 over the quarry that plays 208 yards from the middle tees. There is a collection area just short of the green which is exactly where I ended up.
As you can see in the photo below the green is multi-tiered. The basket seemed to be hanging precariously on the edge of the tier so if you tried to get too cute you would be chipping again and if you ran it by the hole you’d be putting back up the hill.
Below is a look back towards the tee box from the 17th green.
The 18th hole is a par 4 playing 411 yards. This is where the famous photo of Ben Hogans 1 iron shot to set up the tie and force the playoff at the 1950 US Open was taken. That famous photo is below.
There is a plaque in the fairway marking the spot where it was hit from. I was in the rough just to the left of that spot and I hit a utility club that still ended up 15 yards short of the green. It was a pretty impressive shot for Hogan. Below is the Hogan plaque.
Finally we reached the 18th green and the end of our journey. 18th green is in the photo below.
What a great golf course and what a great experience. I was happy with the way I played and nearly broke 90. With a course handicap of 18 here I was told not to expect to even break 100 so I was happy as can be.
After we finished we went to the patio to have a drink and I have to share one last photo that shows exacly how close the tee box is to the tables where people are eating. See below. Talk about a pressure tee shot!!!
Merion Golf Club’s East Course is simply amazing. It is hard believe that a course that is not long by todays standards can be so difficult. Every single hole was a unique adventure and this course is truly one of the games treasures. I have a feeling there is much more history to be made at Merion.
Great blog; keep it up.
I’ve had the pleasure of playing Merion East 5 or 6 times and it only gets better every time. My favorite golf course that I’ve played and that would include Pine Valley and Oakmont (way too tough for a 9 handicapper), among other highly rated ones.
Very classy. Best clubhouse I’ve experienced – historic photographs everywhere. Have a beer in their ceramic mugs after the round and buy a mug to take home from the pro shop. Actually, buy anything you can with the Merion logo on it. Very cool. I’m not sure how much they sell, but I would like to get a cut of the pro shop. Nice comments about the drive in. As soon as you see the little par 3 13th you referred to, you know you’re in for something very special and your heart starts beating a little faster, but they forgot to take the bushes out of the bunkers!
Beautiful photos. The only thing and you mentioned it is they dont really bring out is that the slopes, that while subtle, are much more severe than show up in the pictures.
Last time I played it, I hit the first 5 holes in regulation and was 5 over. That would be three 3 putts and a 4 putt on number 2 – too much respect on the first one before putted my second off the green into the rough.
You just can’t hit the small greens there, you have to hit them in the right spot. Merion looks like it isnt tough until you add up the score.
Hey, lucky devil you! What time of year were you able to play merion? Im a Philly native growing up in the Chestnut Hill area playing
most of my junior golf at Philly Cricket. I live in Hilton Head Island now. It’s sad they (Merion) dont offer a lottery to play there once
a year, I think they would make a fortune, not that they really need the cash or attention.
Any strategies for possibly getting in a round in off peak hours? Ha Ha..
Well Philly Cricket, the old course is on my list of courses i want to play and havent. I’ve had drinks there and it looks beautiful.
Not sure if you know this yet but they opened a new 18 called the Militia Hill Course on Butler pike. Beautiful piece of property but I must say wasnt that impressed with it, it lacked the character of the old style ones like the original Philly Cricket. Of course that’s relative, it’s a really nice course..
It suffers only by comparison – there are an awful lot of good courses right around there. Manufacturers is one of my favorites and I also like Whitemarsh Valley. Good Irish Club, nice golf course, great club atmosphere, really nice people.
Good luck getting on Merion. You really have to know someone, but trust me, it’s worth it.
I dont think making a fortune and getting lots of new players is on Merion’s list of priorities.
How far was that plaque in the fairway on 18 from the green?
I was 15 yards to the left of the plaque after my drive and I hit a 16 degree utility club. I usually hit that club about 210-220 and I was short. If I had to guess I’d say Hogan was about 220-230 out from the green when he hit that 1 iron. That is assuming that the green is in the same place today that it was in 1950.
Glad to hear you enjoyed Merion so much! I work on the grounds staff and always enjoy reading the stories about our famous course. Love those pics!
I have just discovered your amazing blog. I have had the great fortune to play Merion 4 times. It is my favorite course that I have played and I’ve played quite a few of the top 100. I always feel that when I visit Merion that I have stepped back in time. It is to me the purest golf experience. Subtle, brilliant design that challenges all levels. History that sends chills down your spine. Thanks for sharing your travels.
I’ve been playing Merion for the past 18 years, about 25 rounds, each course. A couple things I wanted to mention. NO “breakfast/lunch, or dinner balls.” – The frosted beer mug on the patio after your round, along with the BEST shower, is almost as good as the course itself (Please, don’t miss out on this part of the experiance! Those reading will thank me one day, in their hearts.) – Taking a divot in the fairway is like NO other place I’ve played, and I’m playing Fishers Island in about 6 hours, if that gives you an idea how lucky I am. I’ve played 6 of the top 35 in the past 45 days. – I love Merion, I learned a great deal of golf there (COURSE Management, for those of you long hitters, that can’t seem to control your long shots, and allow my short/bump and run game take a chunk of your cash:o) – Oh, don’t cry Tiger(s), it’s just me, little old pussy cat (going to take your milk money.) – What else? Oh, good luck to all those who’s course management is a foreign language…bring a box of tissues. – Caddies are real, embrace the course/game, and you’ll remember your round for as long as you can play the game.
Merion is by far one of my favourite courses although links courses are my specialty. Nevertheless I’ve played Merion East three times. The first time I didn’t know what I was doing and shot a respectable 79. The second time, I thought I knew everything and whimpered at a 102 though relieved it wasn’t worse. My final attempt and a round I remember fondly, I shot a 76. I learnt to be patient, take advantage of good bounces and lastly, stop being unrealistic and foolish. Knowing my weaknesses and accepting them, made Merion a less harrowing and more enjoyable experience.
I’m curious about the flagpole seen in the background of Hogan’s famous 1-iron shot.
Does anyone know what the height of the flagpole was in 1950? Or if it’s height is unknown who might have installed it.
Our group played in the pouring rain. We flew in from Iowa in a private jet, so we gave it our best. The rain was sideways by the time we got to 15. We finally gave up. Cold and wet, we were introduced to the greatest showers in all of golf. Shower heads the side of dinner plates. With pencil sized holes. You can drown under those showers. The caddies and the members we played with we’re so accomodating. They never complained, even when we pressed on after a wet nine and an excellent lunch. We got a standing ovation from the lunch crowd when we teed off at ten..The members were great sports and only quit when we gave up.
Even in the rain we could tell it was a great course..
Just finished with 3 rounds in two days at Merion from the back tees. If it stays dry, that Open field has a monster on their hands. It’s as stern of a test as I have played anywhere. The par 3s are brutal, and they have brought in the rough and added back tees on 6 or so holes. I can’t wait to watch next year!
I watched the best amateurs in the world (with Fowler being the main draw) attempt to tackle this course in September 2009. Merion has terrific balance. A few holes gave the players fits: I saw 5 players in a row miss 17, and only one of them got up and down. 5, 15, and 16 are also terrific challenges, with some of the best green complexes i’ve ever seen. However, Merion did reward excellent shots. Morgan Hoffman in particular hit some superb iron shots (he put a wedge inside two feet on 4), and ended up beating the long hitting brit that he was paired with. That just goes to show that decision making, accuracy, and especially putting are needed on the course. There are great strategic options off of the tee, especially with the awesome short par 4′s. Merion will certainly provide a great entertainment next summer, and force the pro’s to think more than any other course in the world.
Great pictures that bring back some memories since I haven’t played the course in years. Seems like the only times I get to see Merion these days are during family luncheons for recently deceased aunts & uncles. But I plan to be there for this last Open and hope it holds up to the onslaught. Hopefully, the rough will grow early, and the greens will dry out during the actual event. If there is rain, it might be target practice.
I’ve played Merion East several times. Although it seems short on the score card, it is very, very long if you are not an accurate hitter. The rough is beyond description. It’s like steel wool. Trying to hit out of it is hopeless. I finally got smart and treated being in the rough as a lost stroke and just punched out. The course is visually gorgeous. I hope the pros don’t tear it apart. I saw the US amateur there a few years ago and they pretty much had their way. My guess is the fairways will be two feet wide and the rough eight inches tall.
Played there in the 89 U.S. Am. and regret not purchasing everything in site. What a layout.
I just finished a round at the East Course. 20mph winds, rough is about 3.5″ right now, greens were only running 10, but it was still TOUGH. All of the large grandstand complexes and many tents were already set up, which gave a really cool atmosphere to the round.
What amazed me the most was that even a high-handicapper can score if you put together 3 good shots, but then just how punishing the course can be on your miss hits. I had one stretch of par, double, birdie, double and i was swinging well and hit each of those the fairways! There will be plenty of birdies at the Open but a ton of big numbers as well. If the course stays dry and there is any wind at all, Sunday at the 2013 Open should see plenty of drama.
PM, Thanks for the update. could you actually hit shots out of the rough or did you have to just wedge it out?
Wedge it out was the smart and typical play but I got brave with a 7-iron twice from about only about 140 and then 130 and came up well short both times, leaving it the rough around the green with difficult up and downs. It was kind of fun to experience conditions that difficult, but not fun at the same time…
How did you play merion? I want to get a round after July for my dad and I but I can’t seem to get a way to play it.
Fortunately I have a close (and generous!) friend who is a member there. Unfortunately I don’t think there is any other way to get on. Weekends are easier as the tee sheet on the East Course is packed with business rounds Tuesday-Friday almost indefinitely. They have also cut back the number of rounds significantly until the Open with the last group going out each day at abut 1pm.
It’s well worth trading in a favor if you know someone at Merion, though.
Great pics, look forward to watching the action. Played Merion a few times (Phila Open) just a fantastic shotmakers golf course. Greens can be so difficult to navigate. Played in US Open in 99 at Pinehurst, lifetime dream to compete and play against the best in the world. Golf course will be the winner again. Prediction: 1 under par, Luke Donald.
I like your prediction. If Luke is playing well going into the US Open it could be a perfect spot for him to get his first major.
I’ve got tickets on Tiger (7/2), Graeme McDowell (30/1) and Matt Kuchar (33/1).
I love reading all these comments. It makes me realize how fortunate I was to grow up playing there. The blog with pictures took me back in time – trying to outdrive my grandfather and playing the back holes with my Dad after work in the summertime. I was there in ’81 as a volunteer delivering name placards to the tees and greens. In fact I think there are still a few in my parent’s garage! The course looks beautiful and I look forward to watching. It’s funny, I think more than anything I’m cheering for the course!
We are all cheering for the course John!!! Hopefully, the rain doesn’t make it too easy on those guys.
It appears the course won! Watching this the little amount that I did (took me a while to sort out a live, free feed from Australia) and seeing such incredible players look like mere mortals was very entertaining! I have made many – if not all – of the bad shots they did, so I could relate – it’s just that I do that more often and I rarely make the great shots they make…..but even though I was hoping for Phil, when he sailed the 13th green, I realized “hey, I’ve done that!” and I felt his pain, as if ribbing from a friend equals losing the US Open, but it’s all relative. It’s what, I believe keeps most people playing the game – that one great shot that makes you believe you finally “get it”.
Kudos to Justin Rose, a strong showing and he seems like such an honorable and articulate guy.
I am really jealous of all who have played this course. It really looks to be a huge challenge. I have been watching all week on the golf channel the presentation on the course. I hope it will dry out enough so the greens will be the challenge they were meant to be. I am a huge Phil Michelson fan, but I think it will be difficult for him to dial back, he is such a hardhead to strategic play. I am looking forward to tomorrow the start of the Open and thru the weekend. I hope that it will come back here again. I work with a guy that has played the course and he also has spoken of the showers and the experience that they are, and he gave me a Merion ball marker and a blank scorecard today as a souvenier. Anyway, lets hope for a great open and I can’t wait for it to begin tomorrow.