I thought you guys might like this Merion video

[Ian Larson]

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid900841591/bclid625328674/bctid1443714477

[CJ Carder]

What a fantastic video.  I was particularly happy to hear him talking about the bunkers as "I hope the idea of 'this is a better option [than the rough]' never enters their head."  Those look like some unbelievable bunkers and, though I've never seen the course except for on tv, probably part of what makes Merion such a great place.

On another note, what exactly was he talking about with regards to the liners in the bunker?  Is that the graph / meshy sort of stuff that lies underneath the sand?  I assume that's used to help the sand stay in place and reduce erosion, etc, but I didn't know it was commonly used.  Our course uses that stuff and they unfortunately don't do a good job of raking the bunkers (something I find a lot of courses don't do) and so we have the mesh come up through the sand in places and I've also had my club grab on the mesh stuff before.

Man, what I would give to be able to play a course with some decent bunkers.  :-)

[Peter Pallotta]

Ian - thanks!

I thought I had some sense of what it took to keep bunkers looking the way they do, but after watching that I realize I had no idea.

Peter

[wsmorrison]

Thank you for posting that, Ian.  Matt is one of a kind and I'm sure glad he he is at Merion.  He welcomes challenges and devises interesting solutions.  Keeping the East Course at near championship conditions on a daily basis (really) is a challenge that is successfully met...unless Mother Nature is especially unkind. 

Having the Amateur, Walker Cup and Open in an 8 year span sure is a challenge but one that Matt is enjoying.  When he says he has a disregard for grass...he means it.  Playability is first and foremost.  They are able to hand water more than most courses so the grass doesn't turn very brown but takes on, as Tom Paul says, a light green sheen. 

Philadelphia has some excellent superintendents that believe in playability.  The return to this philosophy probably originated at Huntingdon Valley with Linc Roden III, Jim Sullivan and Scott Anderson.

[TEPaul]

What a guy that Matt Shaeffer is. I love to hear him speak, he always surprises audiences with some of the things he says. You didn't see it that much on that video but he can also be absolutely hilarious in how he can talk about grass and maintenance.

One time I was sitting in a cart with him up behind the 17th green (I didn't even realize you could take a cart up behind that green but that's the beauty of being out there with him) and he suddenly said;

"You know, I actually HATE grass."

So I said--"WHAT, how can the superintendent of Merion say something like that?"

He said because he loved the course of Merion so much and the way it can play and his grasses were always fighting him on that goal and direction. He even named a couple of greens whose grass he particularly hated.

So he said his approach was to beat the hell out of it and threaten to kill it if he had to. Can you imagine that? If you were Merion's green chairman do you think hearing things like that would make you kinda nervous?

That's why, if you have a superintendent like Matt Shaeffer, you have to have real faith in him and in my opinion Merion certainly should.

The Merion bunker saga (Merion bunker project of 2001) was one of the most contentious series of threads this website ever had and its probably still on going to some extent.

The truth is the look of the Merion East bunkers has probably had 3-4 different iterations in the history of the course and the look they have now is a different one but over the last few year I like it. Some on here still don't like it because it's different from the look the bunkers used to have before the 2001 project and obviously that bothers some people.

But particualarly after hearing that video of Matt Shaeffer I'm more inclined than ever to recommend that everyone, including the club, just let Matt do what he does best with those bunkers and don't try to change things at this point---which some fear may be the next push. And for those on here who can never seem to let it go----just remember, Matt knows a ton more about that course and its bunkers, the way they've been through the years and the way they are now, than you do or ever will!   

When you've got a super like that just let him do his thing. If the weather come the Spring and into June 2013 and the US Open give him a break that golf course will be very interesting to watch deal with the best players in the world.

[David Stamm]

Ian, thank you for posting this. Mr Shaffer certainly looks to be doing a fantastic job and his comments are refreshing. Merions condition looks just awesome and I'm really looking forward to the Open.

[W.H. Cosgrove]

Thanks for sharing the link.  The comment on how golf has become sterile and what hwe attempts to make it live are simply fascinating.

[wsmorrison]

It is nice to see that Merion photographs so well.  Nothing beats being there in person, but I think the film snippet does represent the look of the course accurately. 

[Adam Clayman]

Kudos to TurfNet for delving deeper into the finer points. I wonder how may supers who might watch that video will actually re-think their approach to playability.

I'm curious, and if it's inappropriate to ask I will edit my post, but...How long has the playability been the major focus at Merion? What I'm getting at is... how does the "green is good" "Augusta Syndrome" influenced member react to this radical philosophy? (Assuming there are some)

[Phil McDade]

Neat video; thanks for posting.

An interesting point raised by Mike Schaeffer: he said there are "no straight lines" at Merion. Can someone -- beyond his example of mowing patterns -- delve into that a bit further? Does the course, because of the way it flows over the terrain and its use of natural features, give the golfer a sense of uncertainty in how to play it? Is it full of what you might call mis-direction? Is the apparent route toward a target -- be it fairway or green -- something that's difficult to figure out, or judge, because of the lack of "straight lines?" I'm assuming he's referencing something larger than just mowing patterns. Interesting comment; I'd be curious to find out more from those who know the course well.

[Dan Herrmann]

I had the privilege of spending about a half hour with Matt a couple of years ago.  Even better, Tom Paul, Wayne, and others were also there. 

I learned SO much. 

Great guy!