Merion's flow is brilliant, is it unique?

[ian]

THe photos were screwed up give me til 8:30 to fix this
Thanks to Tom MacWood I have become obsessed in understanding how flow influences the way you enjoy a great design. The last time this discussion took place it was about how Cypress Point was a slow build to a wonderful Oceanside climax.

In a recent thread Tom MacWood posted the following paragraph;

Darwin was a fan of Hunter’s book ‘The Links’ – but in the book Hunter argued that the 10th at St.Andrews (I believe it was 10th or maybe the 9th) was great golf hole. Darwin said he couldn’t possibly believe that, it was a non-descript breather. But Darwin said it would be a crime to touch the hole, it came at a natural point in the round (between some very challenging/confounding holes coming in and then going out) and its place in the greater scheme of the golf course was perfect. His thoughts are similar to Simpson’s who believed that the ideal golf course must possess at least one bad or odd golf hole

This got me thinking where is another example of a difficult start, a breather (or shorter stretch, and a big bold tough finish. Merion!

I was at Merion this week-end past and there is something special in the way Wilson has presented his eighteen holes. I was taken by the way every hole fitted together, but more so about how the course unravelled like a three act play. The first six holes is a build of difficulty to the 5th and 6th, where precision is paramount. He then takes down the distance, for the short middle which is fraught with difficulty and lots of options. It is the thinking part of the course. It also presents the most pressure for a good player, since he feels he should score well and gets really dejected if he drops shots. Finally Wison comes in really tough getting harder to the extremely difficult 18th. Each shot is more difficult than the last finishing with the iron to 18. The pressure and build to the final shot is almost epic.

It left me wondering if this flow happened with the holes just working out that way, or if this was an ingenious technique to mentally test and manipulate the players emotions.

Most architects typically try to build the round like a good story leading to a climax. There usually try to build through moments of excitement interspersed with fun holes (peaks and valleys) along the way; all leading to something more dramatic or clever at the end.

Is there other examples of golf courses with major pace changes like Merion, or is this uncommon, and is this why I like Merion so much?

ACT 1 – the build
The opening act, under the watch of the patio no less an inviting first shot


Tougher tee shot, but a shorter five


A really tough long par 3 where you need your best


The long difficult three shoter requiring three well placed shots


One of the most difficult holes in golf, second shot is a draw lie into must fade green. Two extremely exacting shots required.


A long uphill par 4 into a green with a false front. this hole requires accuracy and supreme distance control.


ACT 2 –the “shorter” stretch
The first of the shorter fours with less yardage, but no easier a target


A green you can not stay on without hitting the fairway, options for placement of tee shot.


A wonderful downhill 9th


the short 10th where you can take it at the green, but missing left means not hitting the green. Player can play two well placed irons and find the surface with good course management.


the hardest target the 11th surrounded by creek and bunkers. you simply must make the approach shot.


the steepest green on the course where above the flag is dead.


the tiny short 13th with the deep front bunker


ACT 3 – the tough finish

The long very uphill 14th, feels like a long slog after the short 13th


the dangerous 15th with OB being the penalty for being long and left, and a very tough long uphill approach the penalty for not taking that risk


the quarry hole with a down hill tee shot and a forced carry into the two level green


the long demanding par 17th with a deep valley of sin in front and surrounded by bunkers all the way around, very demanding lond iron or wood


finally the uphill 486 yard finisher where the fairway is a ribbon and the green demands a perfect long iron approach……an the green falls away from play no less

[Patrick_Mucci]

Ian,

Flow may be more of a spectator's observation rather than a  participant's observation, due to the retro-active and projective nature of the evaluative process and the ultimate determination.

In the context of your point about CPC, do you feel that the
routing and flow of Pacific Dunes is compromised by its early introduction to the ocean and its climax away from the ocean ?

[ian]

Absolutely not. David Kidd made the same decision as Tom, to take you out and away and back again as much as possible to make it aprt of the whole golf course. I liked their technique a lot. You must also concider that they probably both had to finish away from the ocean for reasons beyond their control (my assumption).

Tom found a great valley that seemed to fit well into the whole experience and made a great finisher. I found the flow of pacific Dunes a beautiful ride of drama and fun. I found David's finish....lacking because he finished on one of the least inspiring holes and it did effect my feelings towards the course (I still like what he did but the finish was a letdown after such a good run of holes).

[Gary_Smith]

Man, what a course.

Love that look of the second shot into 11, and also the target 13th. I think the medics (or Mr. Husqvarna) need to be called in to attend to that sycamore? to the right of 13. That downhill third shot into that par 5 sure appeals to me.

15 is the Beman hole, I seem to recall. I remember Jim McKay's audible gasp  on ABC TV when Beman hooked one out of bounds on 15 to start his slide to oblivion from a 5 shot lead in the third round of the U.S.Amateur held there sometime in the mid '60s. (the USGA conducted the Amateur as a stroke play event during that era)

I'm not sure if I like that big bunker in the middle of the quarry on the 16th. A merciful refuge, I presume. No bunker might be more stark, and the quarry says stark to me.

The 18th is that manly 4 par finisher that I like in a course. "Let's see what you really have" type of hole. Unfortunately, technology has turned many of those long iron finishers into mid-irons for the big hitters.

I would like to see Merion host a Senior Open at a shade under the 6700 mark. The carry off of the 18th could not be the full distance for the Senior crowd. Better yet, a tournament ball and the U.S. Open. 15,000 max on the grounds and no corporate tents.

P.S. Great pictures!

[JSlonis]

Gary,

There are a couple of bunkers down in the quarry, and the large bunker that you see in the picture does seem to stand out from the rest.  It is my understanding that the bunker in question is under consideration for some change.  I believe it will be changed(but not eliminated)to be less conspicuous and blend in more with the surrounding landscape in the quarry.  

If you look closely at the picture of #16, you will notice two smaller bunkers ahead of the one you mentioned at the front part of the quarry toward the green.

[Gary_Smith]

JSlonis,

Yes, I looked closer and can see the the two smaller bunkers you are talking about. Thanks for pointing them out. Scaling the big bunker back and blending it in more would be a good idea. The way it is now just stands out a little too much.

Merion is a truly great course and I will be very interested to see how it plays in the U.S Amateur when it goes there.

Ian,

I like your 3 part play theme, and Merion sure builds to a iron-fisted, big time finish.

[Tim_Weiman]

Ian Andrew:

When I think of Merion, the word "intimacy" comes to mind, i.e., how well everything fits together on such a small, compact property.

I wish I knew more about how Wilson put this routing together and the different options he considered (excluding the well known changes due to traffic on Ardmore).

Pat Mucci:

I can think as several noteworthy courses that introduce ocean views early in the round but finish inland: Burnham & Berrow, Turnberry, Royal Troon, Royal County Down, Lahinch and the original routing for Ballybunion. It’s hard to think of any of these courses as having a “compromised” routing.

Do you feel there is some kind of formula that architects should follow so that courses near the ocean finish up there? Or is it just a preference for you?

[David_Elvins]

Thanks for the great photos, Ian. Great way to illustrate your point.  Just one quick question: Is this THE Merion?  Is there only one course there?  The photos look alot different to the photos I have seen in books, especially the style of bunkers.  Have they redone the bunkers?

[David_Elvins]

Sorry, just amusing myself (and probably no-one else). Please do not respond to the above post.

[Chris Kane]

Outstanding bunkering  

[ForkaB]

To get back to the central question, Merion is not at all unique in having discernible "changes of pace" over its 18 holes.

The classic example woudl be TOC, whcih not only has the same sort of 3 Acts (the "blind tee shot, semi-blind 2nd, gorse down the right 2-6; the crisscrossing shortness and general flatness of 7-12; the "up against the (righthand boundary) wall m**********r" demanding 13-17) but also a Prologue (1) and Epilogue (18) which let you play golf over the child's delight of a wide open field.

Others I can think of off the top of my head are:

--Golspie (6 links, 6 heathland, 6 parkland)
--Spyglass (5 Ocean side, 6 inland, 6 inland, 1 inland)--OK, RTJ got repetitious after 5......)
--Pacific Dunes (linksy holes, semi-linksy holes, heathlandish holes, Painswickian tributes, all mixed together in a marvellously confounding concoction)
--North Berwick (Prologue and Epilogue--see TOC above; flatland links along the sea , more bumpy inland links, particularly 4 and 5 and from 13-17).

I think you can make similar statements about a lot of good and great golf courses.

My question re: Merion is:

Did Wilson actually route the course with this 3 Act symphony concept actively in his mind, or did he just lay out the best golf course he could with the land he was given and someone later treid to apply a more lofty concept to what he ended up doing?

[Mike_Sweeney]

Is there other examples of golf courses with major pace changes like Merion, or is this uncommon, and is this why I like Merion so much?

Ian & Rich,

I do think it was a conscience effort by Wilson to route a "soft middle" based on his other courses.

Just drive down the road to The West Course at Merion, and Wilson does the same sort of thing at holes 6, 7 and 8, which is a short 3 and two short 4's. I don't remember Cobbs Creek as well, but the first 5 or 6 holes were routed along, between and crossing Cobbs Creek. It lightens up for a while, then there are some very long tough holes on the back. However, neither is as dramatic as the "Whew" feeling when you finally hit the 7th tee on The East. Your swing has a letdown, goes OB right and then you are hitting 3 to start out the "easy holes".

[ForkaB]

Mike

As I parred 5 and 6 from the tips on my only bite at the Merion East cherry, I found 7-12 to be far too easy, which is probably why I bogeyed the lot of them!

[T_MacWood]

Pat/LIRR/Hamilton
I wouldn't characterize Darwin as a spectator and not a participant. The guy played more golf than you and I put together. He also had a strong amateur record.

Darwin made a similar observation about the ninth at Royal Wimbledon after Colt redesigned it - he descrbed it as "mild".

"A drive and pitch can be a very soothing and delightful thing on a course so rigorous and obviously splendid as this new Wimbledon."

[Mike_Cirba]

Chris and David;

Are you trying to bait some of us?  

I'm having none of it!  

Ian;

Thanks for sharing your pics with us.  Glad you enjoyed your trip to Philly!  

[Patrick_Mucci]

Tim Weiman,

....The last time this discussion took place it was about how Cypress Point was a slow build to a wonderful Oceanside climax.....

Most architects typically try to build the round like a good story leading to a climax. There usually try to build through moments of excitement interspersed with fun holes (peaks and valleys) along the way; all leading to something more dramatic or clever at the end.

I would have thought that you would have questioned Ian's above statements with respect to being formulaic.

It would seem that his above statement conflicts with the routing and finishing holes at Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes
and I was questioning him in the context of his post.

Tom MacWood,

The betting window remains.... perpetually open for you.
Just send your cashiers check to Ran anytime you get a pang of confidence and some spare cash.

It's doubtful that Darwin played as much golf as the two of us, let alone myself, so you may want to requalify your statement.

Was Darwin an observer at Merion, or a frequent player at Merion ?

The flow of a golf course can only be determined at the completion of the round.  How can anyone, standing on the first tee for the first time at Merion, or any other course have any concept of what lies ahead ?   Neither can they make that determination as they stand on the 10th tee.
The evaluation must come vis a vis reflection, not prognostication, unless of course, they have your ability to analyze a golf course without ever having seen it.

[TEPaul]

Pat said;

"Flow may be more of a spectator's observation rather than a  participant's observation, due to the retro-active and projective nature of the evaluative process and the ultimate determination."

Pat;

That's the Goddamnedest sentence I've ever seen on Golfclubatlas and a classic Muccism! I also have absolutely zippo idea what it means. The truly frightening thing, though, is someone on here might actually think it means something. In this case you may not be wrong just totally mind-muddled where words emanate but they have no cohesion whatsoever.

That sentence is about the same thing as saying;

"Flow is due to abadabadoo!"

[Patrick_Mucci]

TEPaul,

Sorry, I didn't mean to confuse you so early in the day.

The flow of a golf course can only be determined at the completion of the round, retro-actively.

Golfers, in the play of a round, don't have the power to guess what lies ahead, unless of course they're Tom MacWood. Most golfers focus on the hole at hand, without reflection on what they've just played, and without conjecture with respect to what they will be playing for the remaining holes.

So, determining flow is a process that occurs after the completion of all 18 holes, vis a vis reflection.

Hence, the reflectee, is a now spectator, not an on the course participant, evaluating the played holes and guessing at the holes to be played, in the context of the flow of the golf course.  To say otherwise is mental masturbation or a round gone seriously astray, or both.

One can only make the assessment in the context of having played all 18 holes in sequence.

[Chris_Clouser]

It's nice to know the clouds haven't left Philly since my trip there in April.

Nice photos Ian.

[Dexter_Gresh]

Thanks for the pix Ian!

I notice that the high grass between some of the holes that was allowed to grow up last year has been mowed.  Does anyone know if that's a permanent thing?  Have they gone back to the traditional parkland look?  Or are they just waiting for drier weather before they let it grow again?

[T_MacWood]

Pat/LIRR/Hamilton
What does Darwin playing (or not playing) at Merion have to do with his observations of the Old Course? His observation of the flow of the Old Course was based on what must have been hundreds of rounds – casually and in competition, as well as an observer of numerous championships over TOC. And who said anything about prognostication?

As far as shear number of rounds - you obviously are ignorant of Darwin. He began playing the game in the 1880’s; he died in 1961. I’d estimate he played the game for seventy years – year round no less. Perhaps you are older than I thought.

Although it is imeterial to Darwin’s thoughts on TOC and its flow, I’m pretty sure Darwin did play Merion. He visited the US a couple of times and played most of our countries finest courses – including The Country Club, Garden City, Baltusrol, Chicago, Onwentsia, Myopia, Lido, NGLA and Pine Valley. In fact he competed in the 1922 Walker Cup at NGLA – weren’t you in attendance?

[TEPaul]

"TEPaul,
Sorry, I didn't mean to confuse you so early in the day."

You amended that incredible sentence to say;

"The flow of a golf course can only be determined at the completion of the round, retro-actively."

Pat:

Then why didn't you just say that in the first place?

But the truth is it should read more like at the completion of the first round anyone plays there. After you play that golf course the first time the unusual "three set" flow to it is definitely something that one never forgets and it gets right into your head every single time you play that course BEFORE you tee off which is definitely not retro-actively at the completion of the round (after the first playing of it in other words).

Just another classic example of how muddled your thinking and writing can be--ie WRONG!  

[A_Clay_Man]

As Rihc eludes to, the ability to mesh  ones round, with the flow, is what should make us Hack's appreciate when we are in tune.

The ability to appreciate the moment is as RARE as the "flow" in question.

[ReesJ]

McWood you stubborn SOB.

Why don't you just take Mucci's bet already?  Instead you stubbornly post those names and hope that by doing so it will become truth.  

Take the freekin bet and let the money go to GCA regardless of who wins.  I see you have not contributed anything yourself.  What gives with that?

Take the bet and let Ran post the IP #'s!

[Mike_Cirba]

Ian/Tom;

There has been some discussion that part of the club's work in going "back to 1930" would include restoring some of the historic fairway width.

Any progress on this front?