Ed and all, (especially the new guys!)
Just a reminder, the material used was not Bunker Wol, but a product called the Sand Trapper.
Yes, Merion is a private course, one of the best courses in the game that totally represents us as American's, as a whole.
It was conceived in an early age of golf in these United States, where the thought on golf design revolved around emulation, (not copying) the great courses of Great Britian. the person who designed the course-of which I'm forever an ardent admirer and consider him one of the great souls of the game--Hugh Wilson, was an AMATEUR architect, yet seemed to know more about how a golf course should play and look then Tom Fazio, McDonald Duck, or Buddy Marruci could ever hope to dream. He was elected by committee to see what golf was all about in Great Britain, and he brought those experiences back to not just his club, but the game of Golf in America. Charles Blair McDonald furthered his insight, and if I'm the only one that finds amazment that after one amazing night of discussion between the two probably was one of the more defining moments of Golf Architecture in America.
The club even has an annual tournament in his honor called the "Hugh Wilson." (we are also very gifted here on Golf Club Atlas to have several people that play in this great tournament and know exactly how prestigious of an honor it is to play the event.)
So why on earth would the club so desperately look to alter it's heritage with such "ILK" that they have passed over asThe Great White Faces? They hire a man that has admitted to having NO connection what-so-ever to the classic courses of the game, and he puts an underling of an associate in charge of the task of change. He is to work with one of the more respected amateurs of the game, along with one of the least desirable contractors to build them.
85+ years of phenominally evolved history was taken away from the game when these types of bunkers were built. Personally, I think it is just another precedence that has further alienated the game from its roots. (Like the man said, "Scotland's Gift-Golf.")
But the sad fact isn't that this whole ordeal and attack against the game was based-off of ego and politics. One only has to see that Merion was on the correct path to rejuvenation, but it was more about WHO was actually out there doing the work--the guy that knew these bunkers best and how EXACTLY they should look and play--Bill Kittleman.
But that is another story for another time.
Still, I think history will decide who was right, because despite the Mike Tirico's of the media, there are in fact people out there that do know how to read and do research. They also know how look at old pictures and say to themselves, "Can you believe how fearsome these bunkers looked?!?!?" And hopefully our childrens, childrens, children will know the same.