[Bill McKinley]

Over 200 photos from various days (none from 2011) here:

http://xchem.villanova.edu/~bausch/images/albums/merion/

Comparing this older picture of #2 from Joe's collection:  http://xchem.villanova.edu/~bausch/images/albums/merion/pages/page_17.html

Looks like the second fairway has been expanded well to the left towards the OB.  Is it possible the fairway is about the same width as it was just shifted to the right?

Good point there Sean.  It certainly looks like that's the case.  I understand as well, that they're going to add another bunker, kind of where the dirt is now, about 280 carry from the new back tee.

[Sean Remington (SBR)]

   I meant to say fairway is shifted right.    But , yes I can see were an additional bunker on the left would really force the angle from the new back left tee.  This may result in many of the US Open players hitting a fairway wood or long iron off the tee for saftey.  Not sure I agree with defending this tee shot so strongly however.  Might just eliminate a greater percentage of players who might take a look at the green on the second shot.  IMO the green is very well defended and offers the proper risk vs. reward.  it's so early in the round I would like to see the players taking a chance here if available to them.   But, the US Open is all about par so I guess there will be no easy decisions.

[Jim Tang]

That for sharing the pics.  The one day I spent at Merion this past summer is burned into my brain forever.  From having lunch on the veranda to the old school locker room to the course, Merion offers a complete experience from beginning to end.

We played from the member's tees.  Merion has to be the most difficult 6000 yards course I've ever played.

[Dan Herrmann]

I dare you to play today - It's snowing here in Philly.

[Ed Brzezowski]

Thanks. Great pics..

No first cut it looks like. Don't remember that from when I have played it...Any pictures of the new tees for the US Open, 14 specifically?

I
it is back by the practice bunker. the distance marker (gap marker) is amost the the intersection of Ardmore ave and Golf Course road. Looked at all the new tees when rating the course. A real handful for the average golfer.

[Matt Dupre]

The East course is now closed, and a ton of work is being done - you can see a lot by driving down Ardmore Avenue and Golf House Road.

After moving the fairway on #2 more towards the right OB, they've added the rough to the left side.  They've also added rough to the second shot landing area on #4.

Bill, what did you think of the new tees on #7 and #9?  Those were done earlier this year.

The practice green/practice bunker behind #14 tee has been completely redone - lengthened back towards the first green, and the bunker removed completely.  It looks like they added a bit more distance to the hole from where they used that green as a tee in the Amateur.

The work on #15 green as started - they've added soil to the front of the green and approach in order to level off the slope.

It also looks like they've recently started a fairway bunker to the left of #16, in the landing area just before the quarry.

There are a ton of little flags on every fairway, but I have no idea what those are for.

[D_Malley]

i have heard that they are also taking the fairwaiy right to the road on 15, and adding a large bunker in the LZ.  also rebuilding the left side fairway bunker on 16 so it is mainly in the fairway.  i also heard they are adding a bunker in front of the green on #2.  and combining the 11 & 12 fairways at the bottom of the hill. the course will be hard to recognize. it is incredible the length that the usga must go to in order to challenge the worlds best players on a mere 7,000 yard course.

[Mike_Trenham]

Some of the fairway modifications are for spectator traffic, space.

[David_Elvins]

I am sorry, but they are ruining my hometown memories. This really sucks. The entire point of the second is to have options - left vs right. The right side was always the best route to the hole. With OB on the right, it was also risky. Left side was safe but brought bunkering and strange angles into play. They are all eliminated now.

I will always remember watching Greg Norman and Tom Watson driving the second hole in the 1981 US Open. Goodness, I sound old but now that hole is simply a different hole.

Stupid.

To be fair, Mike, they have extended the second fairway to the right.  Brining it closer to the out of bounds can only create greater strategy and somewhat offsets any narrowing of the fairway on the left (I assume the fairway is being narrowed on the left.  But I agree, you could extend the fairway 15 metres to the left and it would not be a worse hole.  

Merion has the narrowest fairways of any great golf course and the architecture critics have been incredibly generous to it in this regard.  

EDIT:  Oops, already mentioned.  

Matt Dupre,

they also added fairway recently to the second shot landing zone on 4 (left side) so perhaps the recent rough added to that area is also a case of the fairway being moved, rather than narrowed?

I am surprised no one is mentioning the new tee on 9 which would appear to me to be the worst change to the course in some time.  

[Bill McKinley]

Matt, 

new tee on #7?  not sure if you meant 6, which we didn't play the new back tee.  But if that is the one you're talking about, they will be using it for #3 some days and for #6 some days during the Open.  I think it works really well for #6 for the tour player.  #3 i'm not sure about, that hole is tough enough as it is!

#9 i would say sadly, I'm not a fan of.  240 yards is not a good distance for that hole.  I think it works great at 185-195 downhill.  The 1st day we all hit fwy woods b/c it was into the wind on that new back tee to a back pin.  In the goal for shot variety on par 3's playing 9 at about 190 downhill, so about a 175-180 shot would be great in my mind

[David_Elvins]

Any pictures of the new tees for the US Open, 14 specifically?

Sean,   

As I understand it, this the proposed back tee on 14.  I believe that they will remove the stop sign!

Are we unfair in asking pro golfers to understand great architecture when they so often get the short end of the stick with back tees that add length but so distort the architecture of a hole? 

[Adam Clayman]

Beautiful pictures, thanx.

Mike Sweeney's comments are especially germane since the 2014 open will be played on a sans rough course.

[JC Jones]

Some of us have the ability to be analytical, some of us have the ability to access!!

Shouldn't you be trumpeting some Doak 4 in random, New Hampshire?

Rather than distract this conversation away to states that you have never seen and courses that a Golf Digest rater will never take the time to play, let's focus on common ground:

Merion's 2nd hole

You have played that hole and you have read my critique of what they are doing (it appears) to the hole. We now have the added information that they are adding a back left tee from where this photo was shot.

Where is my critique incorrect?

It's not your critique, it's your mindset!

[Matt Dupre]

Bill - I last played there when they were just starting to outline the new tee on 7.  From what I understand, it wraps by the fence toward the 6th green, changing the driving angle more toward the OB on the right.  I don't think it would lengthen the hole by much, but that's probably not the objective.

Curious as to whether anyone's seen it or played it.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Bill Nice pictures and great title. I look forward to seeing this most magical course.

[Bill McKinley]

Bill Nice pictures and great title. I look forward to seeing this most magical course.

Thanks Tiger.  The line was taken from Lee Trevino I believe

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