[ChipOat]

Patrick:

Re: your post #23

1) You're entitled.

2) I'm more confident than you are that it won't happen.

3) There have been threads on GCA in prior years that "accused" Augusta National of being "the first domino to fall".  I believed then, as now, that there would be no Masters had the original golf course been left largely untouched.  Olympic and Oakmont have seen meaningful "amendments" prior to recent U.S. Opens.  They still seem to be serving their members pretty well.  Other than three new bunkers, and two greens that are once again playable, what will the Merion members face that is different after the fairways are returned to their pre-championship width?

[Patrick_Mucci]

Patrick:

Re: your post #23

1) You're entitled.

You too

2) I'm more confident than you are that it won't happen.

Time will tell

3) There have been threads on GCA in prior years that "accused" Augusta National of being "the first domino to fall".  I believed then, as now, that there would be no Masters had the original golf course been left largely untouched. 

You can't put Merion in the same category.
ANGC hosts a Major EVERY year.
I suspect, that if Merion held a Major every year the course would be renamed "Joan Rivers" due to all the surgical modifications.

Olympic and Oakmont have seen meaningful "amendments" prior to recent U.S. Opens. 

I don't recall Oakmont altering any of their greens and I don't recall them adding or deleting bunkers, although I couldn't state that with 100 % certainty.

They still seem to be serving their members pretty well. 

Oakmont's membership is a unique culture, they seem to revel in the difficulty presented by the greens and the course in general.

As to Olympic, I don't know that it belongs in the same league as ANGC, Oakmont and Merion.

Other than three new bunkers, and two greens that are once again playable, what will the Merion members face that is different after the fairways are returned to their pre-championship width?

A fellow that I know, sold his business for in excess of a billion dollars.
A friend of his said that it must be nice to have all that money.
The fellow replied that his life hadn't changed much due to the influx of all that money.
His friend then said, well you bought a home in Palm Springs for 6 million and you kept your other home in Palm Springs, you bought a penthouse apartment in New York for 20 million, a 15 million dollar home in Southampton and a 35 million dollar jet.
Dead serious and matter of factly the fellow said, "yeah, but other than that, nothing's changed.

So I say to you about the changes at Merion, "yeah, but other than that." 

[ChipOat]

Patrick,

1) The two modified greens at Merion may have been prompted by the impending U.S. Open, but where we disagree is that they needed to be made playable again, anyway.  I hope #5 green doesn't turn into a situation like #7 at Shinnecock or #18 at Olympic two Opens ago.  I will be spending time there next June to see for myself.  "Those guys are good", so my concerns may be overblown.

2) Your friend added much more to his life, and spent much more money doing it, than Merion has done regarding the everyday golf course.  Also, your friend will now spend much more $$ maintaining his new acquisitions than Merion will spend on the upkeep of three new bunkers.  I don't know the club's plans for the upkeep of the new tee boxes that will, for the most part, see no action until the next national men's championship comes to Merion.  Most of them (but not all) are not appropriate for even a state or local championship.

[jonathan_becker]

Jonathan,

Sully got it right.  One other thing - the bunker in the picture has been removed (not sure why).

Thanks, chipoat.  I would assume that the bunker was removed because, with the fw width in the photo, it was clearly out of place being 10-12 yards into the rough by itself. ?

[ChipOat]

That bunker was a legitimate hazard for a hooked tee shot.  I've been in it more often than I would like.  Now deep rough is required at that spot in order to retain the same degree of difficulty.  And you know how I feel about deep rough.

[Mark Bourgeois]

I don't know Mark, but I'll be disappointed if they remove it.

Rarely have I seen a better chance to prove you have a sense of humor than this...

Humor is a non-threatening way to voice the fundamental. A stop sign could provide the Chernyshevsky moment for the I&B counterrevolution: What is to be done?

[Mark McKeever]

It seems like a lot have of people have been there to see the modifications, but nobody bothered to take any pictures??

Mark

[D_Malley]

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/golf/Merion_Golf_Club.html

there are a couple of decent pictures at the link above

[DMoriarty]

I have been assured the Stop sign will be removed for tournament week (sorry, Sully).

I wish they'd read it before they remove it.

[ChipOat]

D_Malley,

Thanks for those pictures.

All,

The new bunkers on #'s 15 and 16 were shown but not identified as being new.  Also, the piece re: the practice putting green did not mention that it will, in fact, be the 14th tee box during the tournament.

[Mark McKeever]

I feel like I don't mind the new bunkers on 15 and 16 as much as the one on 2. That bunker sticks out as different to me.

Mark

[ChipOat]

Mark,

From a strategy perspective, the bunker on #2 is the one of the three that I like the best.  It really makes both the drive and the second shot much more important.

The new far fairway bunker on #15 is necessary for the Open; need to see how it plays for everyday members.

I get #16 for the tournament; also need to see how it plays for mere mortals from the members' tee box - especially if the fairway is firm and fast.

[Bill Brightly]

It seems like a lot have of people have been there to see the modifications, but nobody bothered to take any pictures??

Mark

Sure,







4th green



16th hole, just barely ahead of a huge thunderstorm

[Patrick_Mucci]

D_Malley,

Thanks for those pictures.

All,

The new bunkers on #'s 15 and 16 were shown but not identified as being new.  Also, the piece re: the practice putting green did not mention that it will, in fact, be the 14th tee box during the tournament.

But, other than that.   

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