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 par-70 West course (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.
Private club; 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:
World: 15th best course in the world (GOLF magazine, 2020/21).
USA: 6th best course in the USA (Golf Digest, 2019/20).
State: 2nd best course in Pennsylvania (Golf Digest, 2019/20).
Tournament of Champions: the PGA Tour’s calendar-year starts, as it has done since 1999, with this iconic event in Hawaii. The field is drawn from players who won a PGA Tour event in 2022, or were amongst the top 30 in last year’s FedEx Cup final standings (Jan 6-9).
Desert Swing: the European (DP World) Tour launches into 2023 with three events in its UAE “Desert Swing”. Up first is the Abu Dhabi Championship (Jan 19-22), followed by the Dubai Desert Classic (Jan 26-29) and the Ras Al Kaimah Championship (Feb 2-5).
Kathy Whitworth: the end of 2022 saw the passing of LPGA Tour legend Kathy Whitworth. Her 88 LPGA Tour victories is more than achieved by any other golfer on either the LPGA or PGA Tours. Amongst her victories were six major championship titles.
Barry Lane: the golfing world was also saddened by the passing of Barry Lane, one of the European Tour and European Senior Tours most popular players. Enjoying success on both Tours, Lane was know for his excellent ball-striking and amiable personality.
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.
Costa’s "Cruise & Golf" allows golfers and their families to combine a unique golfing experience with the relaxation and fun of a cruise on board Costa Smeralda. Golf enthusiasts are offered a choice from 23 top-quality golf clubs; their chosen courses are played during the ship’s port calls in Italy, France and Spain. While the golfers are driving the fairways, accompanying non-golfers are able to enjoy the amenities and activities on-board, or explore wonderful places on day excursions organised by Costa. Read more ...
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