Merion Memories / Day One at the Walker Cup

[Matt_Ward]

Just a fantastic time I had with a few friends and myself at the Walker Cup at famed Merion GC -- day one.

The course truly looked grand -- even with the incredibly piss poor weather. The Sunday forecast looks to be much better.

Give high marks to all the folks involved in bringing to life all the elements that make the course so special.

Unfortunately, the sheer amt of H20 falling took plenty of fire out of the course. It's something that makes me wonder how low the world's best can go should rain of a comparable nature fall either prior or during the '13 US Open. Merion under dry conditions -- really dry -- would be very interesting to observe.

The big items that concern me for the '13 event is the logistics and how the club will fare. The place is VERY small in all senses of the logistical equation. Capping tickets will be done but frankly when you place anywhere near 20,000 people on Merion it will be stuffing people into the facility with a shoe horn. And, with the USGA's recently new penchant to provide for graduated rough there will be less "extra" space for the gallery to move around. Likely those going had better grab a particular location because I can only think what an experience it will be when Tiger leaves the 12th green to head to the 13th and Phil is exiting #1 for #2. Wow, what a crush !

No doubt some very smart people have thought about the logistics in getting people to and from the place but it's one thing to plan and quite another when D-day arrives.

Just a few thoughts on some of the holes ...

I now have a greater appreciation for the 3rd hole -- really gets little attention given what the other three par-3's usually get. The 14th has been mentioned by others -- I love the hole immensely. There's a risk / reward with cutting the corner and the mound that hangs to the left of the green is so marvelously positioned to handle anything that is not well-played.

Not to add anything that has not been stated many times before -- but it's hard to fathom too finer ending holes than the par-3 17th -- could be the most under-appreicated long par-3 (that doesn't have H20 connected to it). Ditto the manner by which the new tee boxes work for the 18th hole. I have to say a front pin placement on #18 is sheer terror -- just ask Morgan Hoffman about that.

Despite those concerns -- the course looked great and those who are fans of the place (myself included) conrgratulations on the preview part before the big show returns in '13.

[Brian_Ewen]

Matt
Have I got this right ?

To you the Walker Cup is a second rate warm up event ?

[Matt_Ward]

Brian:

Please don't put your words in my mouth.

I think the Walker Cup is a wonderful event -- but hosting that event and hosting a US Open (in the 21st century with all its demands and needs) is another matter entirely. That's not a putdown -- but a simple statement of fact.

I saluted the club and in doing such fine job in bringing to life all the design elements that make it such a special, special course.

[Ronald Montesano]

Matt voiced my precise concerns RE:  US Open.

1.  More and larger grandstands than in 1981...What will they do on 13, turn it into 16 at Phoenix tour stop?

2.  Shots missed right of #17 green will be in drive line of #18.

3.  Movement around clubhouse, particularly #18 green, #14 tee and #1 hole.  They did it right at Bethpage in 2002 and avoided traffic jams by adding a walking bridge for players.  PGA did an abysmal job at Oak Hill in 2003 by not using a bridge and plugging up the area by #1 tee and #18 green.

4.  Parking and clubhouse areas at Merion are intimate (read SMALL).

That said, the course is absolutely deserving of a US Open.  Irony...Hogan hit 1 iron from 223 on 18 to force playoff in 1950.  Fowler and Co. hit 4 irons from that spot.  Even at 505 from tips, they're flying past the Hogan plaque with their 300 yard bombs.

[Ronald Montesano]

5.  Other thread got me thinking...#10 is essentially a par three for the pros.  The Walker guys were blasting balls pin high, right of green, Uihlein and a couple others got on the fringe, and Bud Cauley went straight at the green and hit the front high grass (basically on the green.)  That will be yet another traffic jam area, coming on the heels of another par three, #9.

[Sean Leary]

I believe that they may change the front 9 routing to alleviate crowd backups...

[Steve_ Shaffer]

How about the 275y par3 3rd hole in the afternoon round using  6tee?

[Matt_Ward]

I agree w Ron M -- the 10th may turn out to be a long par-3 for the guys when they get there in '13. Doesn't seem to have the wherewithal to hold the Walker Cuppers now.

Final point of agreement -- the congestion choke points at Merion will be a major issue unless total number of people are kept to reasonable number. I frankly don't see how 20,000 people can be handled unless they have them stay in stands for the time they are at the event ... wandering around will be akin to the amount of leg room you get on the IRT subway heading downtown in NYC.

[Ronald Montesano]

Note about #10...I was ten feet from where Cauley's ball came down.  All I heard was a sucking noise!!  I walked to the other side of the bunker and watched the officials gingerly comb through the tall stuff.  They told Bud that they had found a ball that might be his, but that he and his opponent would have to identify it and then replace it.  If they grow the stuff tall and pick some murderous pin positions on that hole, guys will think before bombing away at the green.  As we know, over is dead.

[D_Malley]

singles matches scoring
all scores were between -2 to +2 when matches ended
except for fowler's opponet who was +6
five players were under par when their matches ended

all four players in matches 6 & 7 were under par
with both players in match 6 posting 68's thru 18 holes

[Ronald Montesano]

#10 will play from the third tee from the top...I paced it at 265, without taking into consideration the double drop in altitude.  They tucked the tee markers to the left, forcing a right to left swinger if you want to run at the green.  The flag is all the way in the back left, between nowhere and more nowhere.  Watch for this hole this PM.

[ed_getka]

I had a great day at Merion with my son who was attending his first Walker Cup. The course just grows in my estimation with each viewing. Seeing some quality golfers interfacing with the architecture there allowed me to see some more of why Merion is such a great test of golf. Unfortunately the rains of the past couple of days had made the greens too receptive to iron shots, but the pace was still decent. There were at least a couple of instances where some putts would have rolled off the green under normal conditions.
   It was fun to see some old friends and put some more faces to the names I see here. A wonderful was  lunch provided by Shreiner Tree Care and was a very nice place to relax between matches. I hope they raised a lot of money for the caddies.
Irregardless of the crowds and whatever the scoring may be I am really looking forward to seeing the US Open in 2013. Almost as much as seeing the Walker Cup at NGLA. Add in the Women's Open at Sebonack and it is going to be one great summer in '13.
   I was thinking that the US had an unfair advantage having Merion caddies with all the local knowledge that comes with that. In talking to a caddy it turns out that both teams were provided with Merion caddies. A very nice gesture in keeping with the spirit of the matches.

[Mark Woodger]

i went to merion yesterday and thought it was amazing. loved the fact you could walk on the course and get so close to the players. a wonderful experience. I thought the greens were very quick even with the rain so i dread to think how quick they could be. the course looked like an absolute pleasure to play. The par three's on the front 9 looked particularly challenging to me.

i thought the standard of play was great and these kids strike the ball in a way i can only dream of.

one thing i was disapointed to see with regards to ettiqutte was that when player A had a 20ft putt for par to halve the hole, player B walked off the green and on the the next tee before player A had even addressed the ball. not in the spirt of the game in my opinion and i believe the Captain of player B was following the match at the time and told the player not to do that again. Did anybody else see this incident?

[Bill_McBride]

i went to merion yesterday and thought it was amazing. loved the fact you could walk on the course and get so close to the players. a wonderful experience. I thought the greens were very quick even with the rain so i dread to think how quick they could be. the course looked like an absolute pleasure to play. The par three's on the front 9 looked particularly challenging to me.

i thought the standard of play was great and these kids strike the ball in a way i can only dream of.

one thing i was disapointed to see with regards to ettiqutte was that when player A had a 20ft putt for par to halve the hole, player B walked off the green and on the the next tee before player A had even addressed the ball. not in the spirt of the game in my opinion and i believe the Captain of player B was following the match at the time and told the player not to do that again. Did anybody else see this incident?

Marik, how far away was the tee?

[ed_getka]

Mark brings up a great point about this event. Walking on the course and seeing the golfers up close is such a superior way of watching a golf event. My son really enjoyed that aspect yesterday and a couple of years ago when we went to the Amateur at Olympic.
    I didn't see the incident you refer to, but it is nice to hear it was addressed by the captain. I felt like overall the crowd was appreciative of good shots from both teams and was more in keeping with the spirit of this type of event than the rah rah "patriotism" of the Ryder Cup.
    I am certainly going to make a point of seeing more USGA events in the future when they travel to courses I find architecturally interesting.

[Mark Woodger]

bill: it was between 8 and 9 so maybe 20yrds from edge of green to tee. there was no way the player who walked away could see his opponents shot.

ed: walking on the course was great because you could see actual shot the player was faced with and imagine yourself trying to hit that shot from the fairway. not as is the case with pro events where you are at an angle to it. unless of course they hit it into the gallery.  .  I won't go back for the US Open as i think there will be too many people to really enjoy it and it will be frustrating not being able to be on the fairways.

i think you are absolutely right with how the spirt of the matches are being played and being supported. this was just one incident that was addressed by the captain in the right way. i also saw a number of occasions where the players were walking up the fairways chatting together.

[ed_getka]

Does anyone have a Merion Walker Cup logo ball they could sell me? My son wanted one very badly, but they were sold out when he went to get a souvenir. Thanks.

[ed_getka]

I was just looking through the program for the Walker Cup at Merion. This is easily one of the best programs ever for someone with an interest in architecture. Hole by hole analysis with photographs AND an architectural analysis by Wayne Morrison AND an essay by Tom Paul about Amateur/Sportsman Architects. I should have looked more closely yesterday and bought a couple of extra copies.