Any Advice About Merion

[Mike Sweeney]

If you play early, do not drive up to the range in a car. Ask someone to drive you up in a cart with 4-5 clubs and hit your balls on the range. Then walk back to the clubhouse via #16 and 18. It is a quiet little pleasure before your round and a nice way to see the famous final 5 holes at Merion. If it is later in the day and play has reached those holes, you may not be able to do this.

Unfortunately you can't see too much from the road, but drive over to The West and take a peek.

[wsmorrison]

Gene,

It is off the menu 

You and Christian need to come back down and ask that it be returned to the menu.  All they have are Kobe sliders and that simply won't do 

[Karl Bernetich]

Be mindful of the pace of play.
Your host will appreciate it !

[Joe Bausch]

Gene,

It is off the menu 

Then order the snapper soup.  Tasty!

[Dan Herrmann]

Here are some ideas..
1.  Be sure to take time to look at and read the plaques.  The first tee, the 11th tee, 18th fairway, etc.   You're playing in a cathedral.

2.  Get there early and hit some balls to loosen up.  Enjoy youself.  Hit your shots with a smile.

3.  Hit some practice putts.  Merion's greens are as firm and fast as I've ever seen.

4.  On the first tee, try a 3 wood, 5 wood, or whatever you like.  Remember to breathe.

5.  Oh yeah - enjoy the tee markers.

6.  Hit enough club on #3.

7.  When you get to 11 tee, read the plaque and realize the historic ground your find yourself on.

8.  Ignore the bunker on 13.  Just hit your normal club and you'll be fine. 

9.   Check out the bench around the flagstick on 14 tee.  Pretty cool.

10.  As you walk through the quarry on 16, take some time to think about those who have gone before you walking on the same path.  Presidents, hall of famers from every sport, etc...  Pretty cool

11.  Check out the back tee on 18 and chuckle.  That's one hellua carry from back there.

12.  Be sure to have a chat with the locker room attendant.   What stories you can hear!

13.  Check out the replica trophies.

14.  Look for Bob Jones' scorecard.

15.  Look out for the attic's hitting stalls.

16.  Buy a hat and shirt.  They take credit cards

And Wayne is right- don't worry about your score.  And don't let him fool you about his driving in our match last week (which wasn't at Merion or French Creek).  He hit one out there 300.  Birdied the hole too. 

[Kyle Harris]

Wayne is sneaky long.

I was about 185 out once on the 5th hole at Rolling Green, slight upslope (I missed the turbo boost) and stuck 5-iron to within 3 feet. When I said I had hit 5, he looked at me and went, "Psht, I just hit 7."

[Dan Herrmann]

Kyle - We were on a hole where he was about 190 in heavy rough to an uphill green.  Caddy (who was a good player) asks what he wants and Wayne asks for an 8.   Caddy thnks Wayne is nuts and kinda snickers. 

Damn Morrison - he hit it over the green!

It's those Nike Pro Soft ($15/dozen) golf balls he uses!

[Tom_Doak]

My advice would be to arrive early and stay late.

And if your host mentions the West course -- though he probably won't -- tell him you'd love to see it, too.

[Mike Nuzzo]

Take a shower.

[Mark Chaplin]

I only played 5 holes on the East due to a late arrival however;

Enjoy the pressure of the first tee, the members are real close!

Number 11 is as historical as the game gets, take it all in.

Agreed ignore the front bunker on #13, then worry about the back bunker.

Ask your host to show you around the clubhouse, what I missed on the course was compensated by supper, drinks and a slow walk around the place.

Finally the pro shop will ease some cash from your wallet but it's worth it!

Be kind to your host he may ask you back.

[wsmorrison]

Mark,

That was a fun 5 holes, but let's be clear...that was just a warm up.  You were going to play a full round the next day but some water park golf course across the river offered you a day pass and off you ran 

Next time you're in the States...you owe me a complete 18 holes    Then we'll have an interesting discussion!

See you next year in Kent with Dave and David.  By the way, I heard you relaxed your admission standards and let some short-knocker from St. Louis in   

[John Gosselin]

No lids under cover.

[Dan Herrmann]

John,
That's the case for almost any golf club, public or private  -  at least in the Northeastern USA.

[John Gosselin]

Dan, thanks, I am well aware of club life.

The last time I played Merion was at a one day M/G earlier this year and a certain member with deep commitment to tradition spent the day catching his fellow members and their guest violating this rule. As they would walk off the course to the outside bar, under a canopy, he was their to instruct forcibly "no lids under cover". It was only two steps on to a covered patio, never the less, a roof.

For the rest of the day I felt the need to take my hat off when walking under a tree or if a cloud passed over head.

[Dan Herrmann]

John - that's funny

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

Speaking of traditions... don't go reaching for a "breakfast ball" off the first tee.

[Mike Hendren]

Forego the Confederate skull cap and do not pocket any range balls.

Bogey

[wsmorrison]

Buy the Golf at Merion history book.  It has some excellent photos.  Despite the protests of a Californian and a Buckeye, it is pretty darn good on the history of the club and has excellent photos.

Wayne Wiggins is correct.  There are no mulligans on the East Course.  You can take one on the West Course though.

No yardage indications anywhere and of course the baskets give no indication of the wind.  You have to rely on your caddy and gain a deeper perception of things on your own.  It is unique and fun!

[Dan Herrmann]

One of my fondest golf memories was walking to my car at Merion at about 8:30 on a summer's night.  Sunset was about 15 minutes away.

There was a group of kids carrying their own bags coming up 18 with the setting sun giving everything a golden hue.

I can't imagine a better scene for depecting the pure childlike joy that golf can give. 

[Rick Sides]

Is the rough at Merion  so thick in the fairway that it is better to pitch it onto the fairway or can you make decent contact with the ball?

[wsmorrison]

Rick,

The rough is as it should be, that is not standardized.  You can get good lies and real nasty ones.  Just the right amount of iffiness.

[JESII]

Wayne,

The rough at Merion is famously deep and thick. Has there been a change of preparation?

[wsmorrison]

Jim,

In order to promote speed of play (4 hour rounds), the rough has been kept lower than usual this year and last.  I think they mowed it everyday during growing season when nature allows and it has been kept at 2.5" instead of the usual daily height of 3.5".  Sometimes the ball sits up, sometimes it sits down.  I like the fact that there is no standard result in the rough.  Interestingly you can sometimes get a lie that sits down in the step cut as well.

It will be much more difficult for the Walker Cup and the Open, though it needn't be.  For the superintendents out there, at what grass height (Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass and some areas of tall fescue) does the grass start to lay over and not have the playability (or lack of it) as intended? 

[JESII]

Thanks Wayne, sounds like a good idea...with the greens a bit firm the course is much more enjoyable when you get to hit a flyer over the green from an unexpectedly gooe lie in the rough than just pitching out from a deep lie...and pace of play should improve.