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Dan Herrmann

  • Karma: +0/-0
To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« on: December 16, 2012, 10:56:43 AM »
Sometimes I wonder why clubs put themselves through the pain that accompanies holding a major.

http://myphillygolf.com/detail.asp?id=12341

To quote:  "To what lengths will Merion GC go to prepare for the 2013 U.S. Open?  Would you believe they are hitting off artificial mats from the fairway?
 
"It’s for divot control," said Bob Rex, Merion’s Green Chairman.
 
The mats, which have been in use since October, are rectangular, about 5 inches wide by 15 inches long, with a little bulbous knob on the end.
 
It’s a simple concept.  Each caddie at Merion, which is a walking-only course, carries a mat in the pouch of his caddie bib.  By the time his player reaches his tee shot, the caddie has lifted, cleaned and placed his ball on the mat.
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Garland Bayley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #1 on: December 16, 2012, 11:43:29 AM »
I think the people who insist on such measures should be taxed more.
 :P
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"I enjoy a course where the challenges are contained WITHIN it, and recovery is part of the game  not a course where the challenge is to stay ON it." Jeff Warne

Ed Brzezowski

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #2 on: December 16, 2012, 01:46:14 PM »
I guess all the GAP matches will be on the West course?. Damn finally got  my cap down too.

I assume rounds played this way, in season, are not being posted for handicap?..
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Jim Colton

Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #3 on: December 16, 2012, 01:58:32 PM »
Hitting off mats 8 months in advance? I could see maybe doing this 3-4 weeks before the Open, but 8 months!

Maybe they should make the pros do this during the practice rounds.
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C. Squier

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #4 on: December 16, 2012, 02:10:17 PM »
This has been done for as long as I can remember at TOC. Any slaying you guys give Merion for this, be prepared to do the same with TOC.
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Tim_Weiman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #5 on: December 16, 2012, 02:10:25 PM »
I actually don't see what is so bad about this. For comparison, when I used to play Ballybunion during the winter months (January & February), the practice was to pick up all balls hit into the fairway and drop them in the rough to play the next shot. At first I thought it kind of weird, but to my local friends it was quite natural and so I learned to accept it.

Ballybunion, like Merion for the U.S. Open, did this for maintenance reasons.
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Tim Weiman

Tim Martin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #6 on: December 16, 2012, 02:30:12 PM »
Without looking to skewer the powers that be at Merion do any of the grass growers out there have a feeling about this practice? Needlessly early?
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Joe Bausch

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #7 on: December 16, 2012, 02:45:01 PM »
More from Logan's article, which I think should be mentioned:

The mats aren’t used on every fairway shot on every hole.  They are mostly brought out for second shots on the course’s shorter par 4s (No. 1, 7, 8, 10), where most players hit wedge or another divot-gouging short iron into the green.
 
The mats also aren’t used in the rough, or on the fringes of the fairways.  The idea is to protect the prime landing areas of the fairways.
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Jonathan Mallard

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #8 on: December 16, 2012, 02:46:20 PM »
We played 36 at Royal Aberdeen August 1st, 2011. Just 6 weeks before the Walker Cup.

We took divots in both rounds.
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Peter Ferlicca

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #9 on: December 16, 2012, 02:47:05 PM »
At Medinah for the Ryder Cup, I guess the fairways were in pretty bad shape the month before.  They closed the course completely 2 weeks before and they were good for the Ryder Cup.  To have every member hit off of mats from here till the US Open seems ridiculous to me.  Grass grows in quick, I would say May 15th you tell everyone to hit off of mats, and they should be good then.  
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Ivan Morris

Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #10 on: December 16, 2012, 02:51:54 PM »
One voice of experience says that the secret to getting a good strike when using those 'horrible' mats is to turn them upside down! Being forced to play off mats diminishes the game hugely. I played at Ballybunion today (45f) and nutted every drive bar one straight down the centre cut because I had a line of white posts (defining the centre of the fairway) to aim at! There was no problem whatsoever about picking the ball and going to the nearest side to place it in a perfect lie. Incidentally, the course (and greens) were in beautiful condition for December.
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Mark Chaplin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #11 on: December 16, 2012, 03:17:04 PM »
The trouble this time of year is there is no growth. Jonathan playing when you did the new divots recover quickly.

Funny story from Hoylake before the Open an elderly lady member was given a mat "to protect the course", she arrived at her ball on the first fairway, dropped the mat, stood on it and hit her ball!!
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Cave Nil Vino

Mark Johnson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #12 on: December 16, 2012, 03:53:22 PM »
the most shocking part of the article was that Merion only expects 3-4 foursomes of member play per day.

Is this really true?  Even when you cut out the guest play only 16 members playing per day.   I kew member play was low, but this seems extreme.

The one time I was there I remember the tee sheet was nearly full (and this was tuesday late morning)
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Mark_F

Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #13 on: December 16, 2012, 04:39:54 PM »
Quote from: DSchmidt on December 16, 2012, 04:21:20 PM
What else are the members supposed to give up?  Are they supposed to hit run-up shots only into the greens to avoid pitch marks? 
No tee shots.  Place the ball in the middle of the fairway so that you don't go trampling the rough for wayward drives and inadvertently widen the fairways.
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Jason Walker

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #14 on: December 16, 2012, 04:42:42 PM »
Luckily, it appears none of you are Merion members so your inconvenience will be minimal.
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Wade Whitehead

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #15 on: December 16, 2012, 05:08:03 PM »
Professionals are entitled to perfect conditions every time they play, right?

WW
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Greg McMullin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #16 on: December 16, 2012, 05:31:03 PM »
What is the second rule of golf?
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Mark Chaplin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #17 on: December 16, 2012, 05:39:43 PM »
Mark - Chicago GC averages 5/6 fourballs a day mid week and they have 125 members. The Merion figure sounds far too low.
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Cave Nil Vino

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #18 on: December 16, 2012, 07:28:59 PM »
Quote from: C. Squier on December 16, 2012, 02:10:17 PM
This has been done for as long as I can remember at TOC. Any slaying you guys give Merion for this, be prepared to do the same with TOC.

But that's every winter, not just in prep for a tournament. 
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Steve_ Shaffer

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #19 on: December 16, 2012, 08:34:08 PM »
The Merion members can play their West Course, a fun course to play,any time.


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Wade Whitehead

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #20 on: December 16, 2012, 08:42:48 PM »
Can a score achieved from artificial mats even be posted?

WW
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Sam Morrow

Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #21 on: December 16, 2012, 08:44:26 PM »
As long as the members don't mind, their opinions are the only one that matter.
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corey miller

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #22 on: December 16, 2012, 08:56:40 PM »

I played the course three weeks ago only learning of the mat situation upon arrival at the club.  It is not as bad as it sounds.  There is an area within each fairway where balls are most likely to congregate that is about twenty yards wide where the mats are required. 

I suspect after a few selective moves of the ball I hit only about four or five shots from the mats.  Not sure it matters as the fairways are too darn narrow anyway. ;D
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Ross Harmon

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #23 on: December 16, 2012, 09:27:22 PM »
I don't think I'd fare too well at Merion on a number of levels...
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Anthony_Nysse

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: To prepare for the Open, mats come to Merion GC
« Reply #24 on: December 17, 2012, 05:46:38 AM »
Quote from: DSchmidt on December 16, 2012, 04:19:40 PM
Well, what do you expect from a super who is deathly afraid of losing his cushy gig because of one random divot?  Screw the members who own the place. Screw any sense of reason.  If I was a super, and I knew my job security hinged on having a 100% perfect course ready for a major in 2017, I'd close the damn place RIGHT NOW!!

This is on the members for acquiescing to this, not the super for suggesting or implementing it.  Suckers.  All they had to do was guarantee the super that an extra dIvot or two would not cost him his gig and they could play REAL golf whenever they want - you know, golf as it has been played for 700 years - without the stupid mats

Matt's job is not on the line, so I am not sure where that comment came from. He is actually one of the most inavative, thorough and smart turf managers were have in the country and is at Merion for those reasons. He job security is not in doubt.
  I'd guess the situation with the mats is because of no growth this time of year. Kind of like other courses I know dealing with carts on dormant, cool season turf. It really depends on what you want to tolerate looking at in the spring. I know of a lot of courses in that areas that use temp greens for winter play...same thinking.
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Anthony J. Nysse
Director of Golf Courses & Grounds
Apogee Club
Hobe Sound, FL
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