Merion Golf Club has two courses: The West Course and The East Course. The East Course is highly regarded and is a private golf club located in Ardmore, Pennsylvania.
It is considered among America’s greatest golf courses and has hosted four U.S. Opens in 1934, 1950, 1971 and 1981 and is to host the same in 2013 also.
The course has 6,482 yards of golf for a par of 70 from the longest tees. The course rating is 72.9 and slope rating is 144. Merion Golf Club has two regulation 18 hole golf courses (36 holes) and both the courses are built on a slightly rolling terrain. The course has fast greens, narrow fairways and thick rough.
History
Merion Golf Club (East Course) opened in September 1912 and has been designed by Hugh Wilson. The club is being managed by Christine Pooler as the General Manager. The fairways have less number of trees and are lined with a thick rough. The 16th hole is considered as one of the best hole on the East Course since it features a limestone quarry to be carried on the approach shot. The course has hosted the 1934, 1950, 1971, and 1981 U.S. Opens.
Course Information
The course is famous for the 16th hole which has a limestone quarry in front of the green that should be crossed on the approach shot. Another specialty is that the pins are topped with wicker baskets in place of flags.
Tournaments at Merion Golf Club (East Course)
The course has hosted a great number (17) of tournaments till date. It has played host for the US Women’s Amateur Championship in 1904, 1909, 1926 and 1949, US Amateur Championship in 1916, 1924, 1930, 1966, 1989 and 2005 and US Open Championship in 1934, 1950, 1971 and 1981. Some of the other tournaments held at the course include Curtis Cup (1954), Eisenhower Trophy (1960), US Girl’s Junior Championship (1998) and Walker Cup (2009).