New Yardage at Merion....

[Don Herdrich]

I know Merion is discussed a lot on this board......what is the yardage going to be from the tips for the Am?  I have heard 6,800+........if so what holes have added yardage?  

[Jeff_Mingay]

Don,

I bet Tom Paul will know the answer to your question.

What I know is, the fifth has been stretched to nearly 500 yards par 4. And a new tee at the eighteenth has added significant yardage there as well. Kye Goalby went back there on my last visit to Merion and could barely drive it over the quarry!  

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

they have added yardage to numbers 2-3-5-14-17-18 versus the course from two years ago.
The big differences are numbers 2..about 15 yards
number 5 about 50 yards
number 14 about 20 yards number 17..about 15/20 and number 18 about 20 making what I believe is a 250 carry just to reach the tip of the quarry.

Quite a challenge, which has been supplemented for fairness with a little extra fairway room on numbers 2-5 and 14

[ChipOat]

Michael Wharton-Palmer:

Also #'s 6,9,12 and (especially) 15.

Plus, the tee boxes on #'s 11 and 13 have been lowered.

The only short hole that was lengthened was the par 3 ninth.  In all other cases, the long got significantly longer.

While the carry on #12 across the creek is now +15 yards, the trees have been cleared out on the right somewhat so that "chute" is less narrow.

[Gene Greco]

should be over 7000 yds from what Chip and Michael state.

[RE Blanks]

What are they trying to prove?  Three of the four par 3's will play 210+.  Adding length to par 5's and 4's is one thing, but to add yardage to holes that already provided a great test is in my opinion a mistake.  i hope the additional 75 yards looks good on the scorecard.  If a hole is lengthened for the purpose of imrovement, i am in favor, but to just add scorecard length becasue you have room is ridiculous.  Merion is a good test of golf at par 70 and was not about the power game.  Do they just want a Major that bad?

[Mike_Cirba]

If a hole is lengthened for the purpose of imrovement, i am in favor, but to just add scorecard length becasue you have room is ridiculous.  Merion is a good test of golf at par 70 and was not about the power game.  Do they just want a Major that bad?

Yes.

[RE Blanks]

What is wrong with a par 70 6500yds with a slope of 142

[JSlonis]

What is wrong with a par 70 6500yds with a slope of 142

There is nothing wrong...but...

Sadly, a golf course of those dimensions, regardless how great it is, has ZERO chance of ever holding another US Open.

Even though 3 of the par 3's can now play over 210 yards, they all play actual club yardage quite differently.  Although # 9 can be stretched to 210-215, it plays significantly shorter due to the downhill tee shot.  For the top players, it is at most a mid-iron shot, 5-6 iron.  The interesting thing about Merion is that even before this added length, it always played longer than its 6600 yds.

With the routing being as it is, it just turned out that the shorter par 4 holes at Merion could not be lengthened due to the property borders, and the only place there was room to expand, happened to be on the already difficult longer holes.

**Thanks TEPaul.  I thought the new yardage at Merion was about 7000.  I do know for a fact that the new back tee yardage at PVGC is now 6999 yds.

[peter_mcknight]

The USGA's website says Merion will play at 6846 yards for the 105th Amateur, but hasn't posted the US Amateur website with the yardages as yet.  I also haven't seen any articles in either the Phil. Inquirer or the Daily News about specifics about the new length added to Merion.

[TEPaul]

The rated new tip tees are not going to hit 7,000 and that's bona fide as that info came from GAP rating. The interesting thing about the new tips though is there probably will be two par 4s that have rated tip yardage over 500 yards--and that will be unusual for any course. The odd thing to me though, is #5. It's a helluva hole from the "new' new tips at 504 but I just can't figure out why they completely removed the old "new" tip tee that only lasted for a few years. That one was 475. Now they have a gap of over 75 yards between the "new" new tip tee and the old original tip tee of about 425. Why didn't they just leave that old "new" tip tee at 475 when they went back to 504?

[peter_mcknight]

In re rating a course from the tips with 2 par 4s over 500:

Whisper Rock in Scottsdale, the new upper course, has two par 4s over 500 for the upcoming rating purpose--the 15th at 512 and the 18th (with the crazy lake in the middle) at 501.

If Baltusrol Lower decides to rerate its course after this year's USPGA, that course could have 2 par 4s over 500 as part of its rating--the 3d at 503 and the 7th at 505--if the club decides to rate the course at a par 70.

Lastly, I thought only the 5th was over 500 at 504 and the 18th maxed out at 498.

[Don Herdrich]

good god..........I had enough of a time from 6,482

[Gerry B]

was just there  a couple of weeks ago

5 and 6 are monsters as is 17 which will play around 240 yds according to the member I was playing with.

18 is a 251 yd carry over the quarry - took a look and it is a pretty intimidating site indeed

The rough was no picnic either - 4" -5 " already - was told that it will be at least 1-1.5" longer come August. If the Amateurs miss the  fairways  - par will not be easy - especially with those fast greens and interesting pin positions.

Yes, at 6482 it is already a stern test.

Hoowever the course is in fabulous shape and will be great for match play

[Tony_Chapman]

Are they playing the "other" Merion course for qualifying or another club closeby? Thanks!!

[RE Blanks]

Philly Country Club