450 Ardmore Ave,
Ardmore, Pennsylvania 19003
Office
+1 (610) 642 5600Pro shop
+1 (610) 642 9820Fax
+1 (610) 642 2980Website
Visit websiteGolf pro
Scott Nye (Head Golf Professional)The Course:
18 holes. Open inland links. Undulating terrain - several slopes to climb.
Surroundings:
Woodland and limited high-end residential.
Designer:
Hugh Irvine Wilson designed both Merion's East course (1912) and West course (1914).
Above distances are for the East course. Also at Merion is the 18-hole West course (par-70; 5,989 yds from back tees). The West course has its own clubhouse, and is located 1 mile west of the East course.
39.999619
-75.311193
1.5 mi W of Ardmore / 9 mi NW of downtown Philadelphia.
Merion
Merion Golf Club is home to two championship layouts, the world-renowned East course and the also impressive West course. In the East course you will find one of the United States' most admired tree-lined and open parkland layouts, with an outstanding array of excellently crafted and challenging holes. However, this is a very private course, playable only by its members and their invited guests.
Designed by Hugh Wilson, an unknown course designer at the time, Merion’s East course has played host to more USGA Championships than any course in America. It was here that the great Bobby Jones completed golf’s elusive Grand Slam at the 1930 U.S. Amateur. Here that Ben Hogan hit his legendary one-iron on the 72nd hole during the 1950 U.S. Open.
The sculpted greens, fairways, and treacherous bunkers of Merion have shaped its reputation. And so too the wicker basket flagsticks, the origins of which remain a mystery. By the summer of 1915, William S. Flynn, at the time Merion's superintendent (and later to become a celebrated course architect), received patent approval for his wicker basket design. Merion had baskets from that point onward.
Limited access: these private courses are generally playable only by members and their invited guests.
Private club; visitors/guests may only play if hosted by a member.
Merion is a walking course. Golf carts only available if required on medical grounds. Caddies always available.
Excellent practice facilities are located at the East course.
Merion Golf Club came into being in 1896, when members of the local Merion Cricket Club (est. 1865) decided to open a golf course in Haverford. In 1910 the club commissioned one of its members, 32-year-old Hugh Wilson, to design a new course for the club, to replace the existing course.
After extensive discussions with the "father of American golf course design" Charles Blair Macdonald, and a seven month trip to study many notable layouts in England and Scotland, Wilson designed what would become Merion's famed East course. Two years later he also designed the West course.
Merion has hosted 19 USGA championships (mostly on its famed East course), more than any other golf club in the country. The club's Roll of Honour includes Walker and Curtis Cups, US Open and US Amateur Championships, US Women’s Amateur, US Girls’ Junior Amateur and Men’s World Amateur Team Championships (see our Tournaments section >by Venue >Merion GC).
East course:
Pennsylvania's 2nd best course (Golf Digest, 2023/24).
USA's 6th best course (Golf Digest, 2023).
World's 13th best course (GOLF Magazine, 2023/24).
The Masters: The 88th Masters Tournament at Augusta National sees LIV golfer Jon Rahm defend his title against the world’s best. Pressing hard will be world No.1 and 2022 champion Scottie Scheffler and world No.2 Rory McIlroy (April 11-14).
Chevron Championship: the women’s major championship season gets underway for the second year at its new Carlton Woods home outside Houston, Texas. World No.2 Lilia Vu defends (April 18-21).
Nelly Korda: records a perfect start to 2024 with five wins out of her last five starts on the LPGA Tour. Winning the Chevron Championship also brought the second major championship win of her career.
Scottie Scheffler: narrowly missed out on matching Nelly Korda's five wins in five starts, when he placed second at the Houston Open. Either side of that, he won The Arnold Palmer, The Players, and then The Masters and The Heritage.
Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.
Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.
Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.
Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available
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