John,
I am sorry you didn't enjoy your day at Merion East.
Decisions being made today are being done with the Walker Cup in mind next year and the US Open in 2013. The typical aeration that was to be done in June could not be done. This recent work was a large tine drill and fill aeration and is the last major aeration before the Walker Cup. I don't think it is fair to compare the processes going on at a club with major events on the horizon with clubs that have different agendas and requirements. Some clubs allow poa annua and other clubs want to control it. The fairways have a fair amount of poa in some spots and it is being controlled which at times is not a pretty sight. They are going to be sodded a bit later in the year with bent. They know what they are doing. It was unfortunate that the timeline for the club did not coincide with the timeline of a guest. If a club chooses to act for the long run and the membership is OK with it, that is the most important factor. If you only live 4 hours away, perhaps you could have put off your round till later in September or in October. Those are wonderful times to play in and around Philadelphia. Or perhaps you can come back sometime. You chose the wrong time to visit. Did you tell your host that the course had a muni feel to it? If not, why did you do so on the Internet?
The course is improving dramatically day by day. I don't know if there were agronomic or other reasons why the greens weren't cut and rolled until a few days later, but I assure you all, we have one of the finest staffs in the business with the means to do what is necessary. The decision timeline is longer than most clubs, but that is understandable. Right? I can tell you that today was a lot better than yesterday and certainly the day before. This past weekend and the first couple of days this week weren't really worth playing unless the opportunity to do so is rarely available. Still, the architecture is worth considering if that's what you're into. You said you are in the business and fairly well connected with the privates in the area. Why didn't you go elsewhere? Your host properly alerted you that there were conditioning problems. The decision was yours and yet you seem to be transferring that responsibility or at least the consequences of your decison.