In 1968, I was in my spring semester at U of Penn. I had read Dan Jenkins' Best 18 Holes in America, published in Sports Illustrated a few years earlier. Merion was the only course that had 2 holes included in Jenkins' course (1 and 11), so it was Merion that made the greatest impression on my uneducated mind. Jim Litvack, a Princeton economics professor and the son of my mother's very dear friend, arranged for us to play at Merion that year. I was beyond excited. When he picked me up, he apologized for having to deliver disappointing news - the Merion game had fallen through, so we would be playing 36 holes at Pine Valley. I was crushed.
That was the day I fell in love with golf courses, as opposed to golf. I don't remember what I shot, but I remember not caring. I am lucky enough to have played dozens of rounds at Pine Valley since, including several member and senior member guest tournaments. Every visit has been a treat. No matter how high one's expectations, they will be exceeded if one plays there. This film is good, but inadequate.