[Chip Gaskins]

I had the great pleasure of teeing it up again at Merion this morning. 

Today starts the first day of Club Championship Match Play finals.  Needless to say the greens were double cut, double rolled and not watered as close to Walker Cup and US Open conditions as you get.

We played from the tips and had a grand match.

I have to say, today's round may have been on the "prettiest" course I have ever played.  The contrasts between the brown wispy tall grass around the bunkers and the emerald green fairways makes for a spectacular vista from every tee.





Wow, I love #10


How good is the #7 green...


Does it get any better than #17 tee shot...

[Richard Hetzel]

I really like the brown grasses in contrast with the green. It really sets the course off and BTW, totally jealous of your time well spent there today. That golf course is a pure classic on one of my favorites.

[Jim Nugent]

Chip, how did you like the course this time? 

[Ash Towe]

Chip,
Thanks for the photos.  These along with Sean Arbles posted a few months ago illustrate what a great course Merion is.
By the way, how did you get on ?

[John Kirk]

Great pictures, Chip, and thanks.   What a golf course!

[Chip Gaskins]

Jim-

I thought it was fantastic.  It was in absolute prefect condition.

The things that really jumped out this time were:

- The tiers on the 7th green and how fast the uphill putts are


- How great the 17th green really is.


- How great the bunkering around the #4 green (as good as any I have ever played)


- The 14th hole now rivals #3 at Oakmont and #17 at Pine Valley as my favorite in golf.




- Simply an observation: The speed and tilt of the 5th green.  Basically good and bad shots end up with 30 foot putts from the far left side.  Speeds any faster than yesterday for the Walker Cup or the US Open and I am not sure how they can put the pin on the right side of the green?


- Simply an observation: How easy it is to make 7 from 90 yards on the 12th.  As with #5, if the greens are faster than yesterday for the Walker Cup or US Open then I am not sure how you will be able to keep the ball on the green.  I can honestly say I tried my hardest on every shot and made 7 with 5 pretty decent shots around the green.


- How long 18th tee shot plays into the wind


Ash-
I played with a member.

[Dan Herrmann]

One thing to note about Merion East - These bentgrass greens actually have grain, and nowhere is it more important than on #7.  Uphill puts DO put a lot faster than you'd think, and downhill putts are MUCH slower than you'd think.

This one green messed me up so much that my first putt on #9 ended up 15" - 20' PAST the hole.  No doubt to me that Merion East has the best green surfaces I've every played.

[D_Malley]

wasn't there a rumor or a statement that the usga planned to soften three greens at merion in order to accomodate us open speeds?  i would think that those greens you are talking about  5 & 12 would be canidates along with the front of #15.  it would be sad to see that happen.

[John Foley]

Chip great pics - keep them comming.

Does anyone know is the front section of 17 pinable?

[JSlonis]

Chip great pics - keep them comming.

Does anyone know is the front section of 17 pinable?

You could probably put a hole location on that front section, but I've never seen one there.  I'm not sure if the club ever does use it.

[Michael Blake]

author=Chip Gaskins link=topic=35555.msg718853#msg718853 date=1216054600


- How great the 17th green really is.


- How great the bunkering around the #4 green (as good as any I have ever played)

17's very deceiving because from the tee you can't see the run-up area in front of the green.  You think you have to hit a very long shot when in fact a shorter one is o.k., or at least it is safe.

I remember walking over the hill on #4 and seeing the bunkering surrounding the green and saying to myself that this is one of the coolest looking approaches.  It was a strange feeling--it was very exciting to see 'the look' of the approach to #4, but it also had a very calming 'feel' to it.... before plunking it into the stream.

[Carl Nichols]

Chip:
Do I recall correctly that you had previously been underwhelmed by Merion?  Do you still have that view?
PS:  Thanks for the great pics.

[mike_malone]

 Chip,

   What is it about #10 that you love? And I find par threes of the length of #17 that play uphill to be something "better than this".

   Should a "parkland" course have the brown grasses or only a "heathland" ?

[Matthew Rose]

Merion always looks so aesthetically pleasing.... for the love of God, they better not Rees-ify this one too much.

Actually, one thing I've always been curious about in regards to the Open whenever they hold it there - do they leave the baskets in or does the USGA make them use their flags?

[Dan Herrmann]

Matt,
Baskets rule the day.   Local rule covers a situation if a ball lodges in the basket.

[Joe Bausch]

Matt,
Baskets rule the day.   Local rule covers a situation if a ball lodges in the basket.

But what is that local rule Dan?!

[Dan Herrmann]

Joe,
I think you place the ball, penalty free, on the lip of the hole.    Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.

[Joe Bausch]

Joe,
I think you place the ball, penalty free, on the lip of the hole.    Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.

That is exactly what I heard as well.

[ChipOat]

Dan Herrmann,

You are correct re: the local rule.

However, even the oldest of the old-timers have never known that rule to be operative.  Because the baskets are quite hard and eliptically shaped (and this happens to somebody a couple of times a year - sort of like a hole-in-one), a ball that hits one on the fly has never been known to end up in anything other than a bad place.

I have done it twice.  On #7 my 2nd shot riccocheted dead right OB and, some years later, a similarly excellent looking shot on #9  also caromed straight right - this time into the creek.

For all you historians out there, the USGA did require the club to use conventional flagsticks during the 1950 U.S. Open.  Otherwise, it's been the baskets for every other competition.

[Mike Sweeney]

I am somewhat embarrassed  that I know this (or think I do). It is NOT a local rule to place it on the lip. See USGA:

http://www.usga.org/playing/rules/books/decisions/dec17.html


17/6 Ball Lodged in Flag Attached to Flagstick

Q. A player’s ball lodges in the flag attached to a flagstick. What is the procedure?

A. A flagstick is a movable obstruction and Rule 24-1 applies. However, in taking relief the player may not place the ball in the hole. Therefore, in equity (Rule 1-4), the player must place the ball on the lip of the hole when taking relief.

The local rule at Merion IS that the basket is the flag. I could be wrong but I did have this conversation with someone who knows much better than me.

[Mark Studer]

Yes Dan ; decision 17/6 applies.  " A flagstick is  a movable obstruction and Rule 24-1 applies. However, in taking relief the player may not  place the ball in the hole.       Therefore, in equity(Rule 1-4), the player must place the ball on the lip of the hole when taking relief."    I am surprised that a few balls don't  occasionally ricochet straight down into the hole... of course that would be considered skill!!!    Thanks for the great pics.  It really is a special course.  Matt  has the place in superb condition.

[John_Cullum]

Mike S

No need to be embarased to know the rules.

But note that a basket is not a flag. There is no such thing as a flag in the rules, only a "flagstick" with or without "bunting" or other material attached

[Ash Towe]

Chip,
My apologies.  I did not mean how you got on the course.  I thought you were playing in the club champs.  I was wondering about your result.
Sorry for being misled.

[Dan Herrmann]

Chip - I know where Ash is coming from - I think he's referring to the note stating that you played in the Club Championship Match Play Finals.  Not a big deal

[Chip Gaskins]

Oh sorry about that....no no, I wasn't saying I was playing in the club championship...I was saying the club championship started the day I played so the conditions were perfect. I didn't mean to mislead.

Ha, Ha, that is pretty funny, me a member at Merion playing in the club championship (I could only dream)...my home course is Hanies Point in Southeast DC.

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