Merion #2. How cool would it be ?

[archie_struthers]

 

If they made the fairway so wide that the left side bunkers were engulfed .  It would be such a great look sitting up on that tee and seeing so many options and angles of play.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Archie,

Neat thought !

[archie_struthers]

 

I was looking at how hard it would be to get the ball in play on #2 , as crooked as I can hit it , and was looking to see if playing down #5 fairway was an option under adverse pressure.

Not having played the new tees couldnt be sure if it was reachable or how hard the shot would be . That's when the "lost bunkers" caught my eye.

[rjsimper]

Would make the tee shot way too easy...

As for playing down 5, my last play I was in the bunker in the left rough, and the caddie advised me to play down 5 with my second shot - I could hit it about 180 down 5 or about 80 yards out and across 2. It left me with a blind uphill shot of around 170 yards in to the green.

Being down on 5 strikes me as an option, but certainly not a great one.
 

[archie_struthers]

 

Obviously Merion won't keep the golf course like this for long , and the members will get " their  " golf course back  sooner than you might think. My question about the bunkers was solely for them, not the Open.  Those bunkers left could have fairway all around and  past , setting up some fabulous angles for the second shot . It could tempt many to fire away , instead of just making it a forced lay-up. I rather like it !

[David_Elvins]

Obviously Merion won't keep the golf course like this for long , and the members will get " their  " golf course back  sooner than you might think.

archie,

as far as I am aware, their really wasn't much narrowing of fairways in preparation for the Open.  Some fairways were moved but they weren't really narrowed.  Even if they move the 2nd fairway back to where it was, they will not really bring those bunkers into play as much as they could.  No doubt the members will like some shorter rough, but other than that, I can't imagine the course changing much. 

[archie_struthers]

 ???f

David,  I think they really changed the fairway contours a lot, at least from my memory . It's been a long process . But my guess is the fairways will be widened a lot . Sure someon can verify.

[David_Elvins]

???f

David,  I think they really changed the fairway contours a lot, at least from my memory . It's been a long process . But my guess is the fairways will be widened a lot . Sure someon can verify.

Archie,

Whilst it doesn't show all the current fairway lines, google earth has historical images dating from 2011 to 1992.  There appears to be little change in the fairway lines over this time frame.