Photo of Merion Golf Club (East course)

Merion Golf Club

450 Ardmore Ave,

Ardmore, Pennsylvania 19003

  • Office

    +1 (610) 642 5600
  • Pro shop

    +1 (610) 642 9820
  • Fax

    +1 (610) 642 2980
  • Golf pro

    Scott Nye (Head Golf Professional)

About the course

  • 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).

Back
tees
Club
tees
Front
tees
Yards
6592
5746
5746
Par
70
70
74
SSS or slope
73.4
69.5
75.2

At the same location:

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.

Location

Latitude:

39.999619

Longitude:

-75.311193

How to get there:

1.5 mi W of Ardmore / 9 mi NW of downtown Philadelphia.

Merion Golf Club (East course)

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.

Est. 1896

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.

List of courses: Around Philly & Atlantic City
  • Photo of Merion Golf Club (East course)
  • Photo of Merion Golf Club (East course)
  • Photo of Merion Golf Club (East course)
  • Photo of Merion Golf Club (East course)
  • Photo of Merion Golf Club (East course)
  • Photo of Merion Golf Club (East course)
  • Photo of Merion Golf Club (East course)
  • Photo of Merion Golf Club (East course)
  • Photo of Merion Golf Club (East course)
  • Photo of Merion Golf Club (East course)
  • Photo of Merion Golf Club (East course)
  • Photo of Merion Golf Club (East course)

Visitors

Who can play and when?

Private club; visitors/guests may only play if hosted by a member.

Green fees

Outside visitor fee not applicable; private course for members and their guests.

Other information

Merion is a walking course. Golf carts only available if required on medical grounds. Caddies always available.

Practice facilities

Excellent practice facilities are located at the East course.

Did you know?

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).

Published ranking

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).

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