The different styles the bunkers have gone through is something I know little about. I do not like the heavy grass edge on bunkers because from a strategic standpoint if the bunker isn't enough to cause one to consider where to play the shot, or cause havoc once one is in the bunker other considerations should be given to the form of the bunker other than growing a bushy eyebrow on it, further the look for the most part does not carry beyond the bunker edge, outsdie the bunker edge everything for the most part goes back to the maniicured look, so there is a disconnect in my view. The grass plugs in the bunkers are downright silly, I think what Gil has done at French Creek, and CC at Hidden Creek with the introduction of grass into bunkers in the form of a clump or on an earthen form is much more attractive and certainly can wreak havoc on the recovery shot. Spading plugs into the sand does not look right. Certainly this is all a matter of personal opinion as much as it is professional opinion, professional opinion probably is best left to those who have extensive knowledge of the full history of the course bunker evolution. And finally the fairway lines so distant from the bunkers is disturbing.
Ed I am not certain of the grass type on the bunker edges it appears there is some form of fescue in there. I think if the bunkers were to take on a more rustic look unirrigated fescue along the edges that then flows into unirrigated fescue in the roughs is a very attractive look, but a parkland bluegrass course that tries to spot in fecuse patches almost never looks right. Personally I don't like bluegrass because I like a more rustic look outside the fairways and blue grass is too manicured and almost artificial for my taste. I like the mixtures of fescuses that transitions out to the warm season natives, little and big bluestems, wild ryes, etc. Merion looks like it could go either way and really shine but it seems to be a little of both, and I think falls flat.