Merion Golf Club is a private golf club located in Ardmore, Pennsylvania that is consistently rated among America's greatest golf courses, and will host the Walker Cup in 2009 and the U.S. Open in 2013. The club contains two courses: The West course, and the East Course, which is the more highly regarded. Image File history File links MerionGolfClubLogoLoRes. ... Golf is a sport in which individual players or teams of players strike a ball into a hole using several types of clubs. ... Ardmore is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. ... The Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland (in political terms the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland). ... The United States Open Championship is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. ...

History

The Merion Golf Club dates from 1896, when members of the Merion Cricket Club (founded in 1865) opened a golf course in Haverford, Pennsylvania. In 1910, the membership decided to build a new course and chose 32-year-old club member Hugh Wilson, a Scottish immigrant, to design it. Merion East opened in September 1912, and the original course was closed. The West Course, also designed by Wilson, opened in May 1914. The Merion Golf Club did not officially separate from the Merion Cricket Club until 1941. The ground of the Merion Cricket Club in 1880 The Merion Cricket Club is a private club in Haverford, Pennsylvania. ... Haverford Township is a township located in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. ...

Hugh Wilson had never designed a golf course, so he went on a seven-month trip to Scotland and England to study British courses. Several features of Merion East are derived from famous British courses, not the least of which are Merion's distinctive Scottish-style bunkers, which are now known as the "white faces of Merion". Wilson's layout covers only 126 acres of land, a very small area for a golf course. It was ranked seventh in Golf Digest's "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses" in 2005, and Jack Nicklaus has said of Merion East, "Acre for acre, it may be the best test of golf in the world." Golf Digest is a monthly golf magazine published by Advance Publications in the United States. ... This article refers to the golfer. ...

Merion has held 17 United States Golf Association (USGA) championship tournaments, more than any other course. The first two, the 1904 and 1909 U.S. Women's Amateur Championships, were held at the original Haverford course. The first USGA tournament held at the East Course was the 1916 U.S. Amateur, won by Chick Evans. This was also the first time Bobby Jones appeared in a national championship; he was 14 years old. Jones would win his first U.S. Amateur in 1924, also held at Merion. The logo of the USGA The United States Golf Association (USGA) is the United States national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf for the U.S. and Mexico. ... The U.S. Womens Amateur is the leading golf tournament in the United States for female amateur golfers. ... The U.S. Amateur Championship is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for male amateur golfers. ... Charles Evans, Jr, who was generally known as Chick Evans, (July 18, 1890 - November 6, 1979) was a leading amateur golfer of the 1910s and 1920s considered second only to Bobby Jones in his era. ... Bobby Jones won the first Grand Slam of golf in 1930. ...

In 1930, the U.S. Amateur was again played at Merion. Earlier that year, Bobby Jones had won the British Amateur, British Open, and U.S. Open, so anticipation was high to see if he could complete the sweep of all four major championships of the time. Jones played well, cruising through to the final 36-hole match against Eugene Homans. A gallery of 9,000 was on hand for the start of the match and swelled to 18,000 by the afternoon round, forcing the competitors to be escorted to the tees and greens. Following the morning round Jones was ahead by seven holes, and when both players parred the 11th hole Jones had an 8 & 7 victory (8 holes ahead with seven to play). Searching for words to describe the unprecedented feat, Atlanta newsman O.B. Keeler used the term "Grand Slam", which has stuck ever since. Seven weeks after the tournament, Bobby Jones retired from competitive golf. The Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held in the United Kingdom. ... “British Open” redirects here. ... The United States Open Championship is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. ... // The Major Championships, often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf. ... The Grand Slam in mens golf is an offical concept, having changed over time. ...

Merion's 1950 U.S. Open was also the site of Ben Hogan's comeback, after a head-on collision with a bus in 1949 which shattered his pelvis and nearly killed him. On the 72nd hole (and 36th of the day), in extreme pain and facing a shot of over 200 yards into the wind, Hogan needed a par to force a playoff. Hogan used a 1-iron to hit a superb shot which stopped on the distant green well within two-putt range, and made his par. Hogan then defeated Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio in an 18-hole playoff the following day to win the tournament. Hy Peskin's photograph of Hogan's 1-iron shot, taken from behind during Hogan's follow-through, is among the most famous pictures in golf. Some golf clubs Golf clubs are used in the sport of golf to hit a golf ball. ... Lloyd Mangrum (born 1 August 1914 in Trenton, Texas, died 17 November 1973) was an American golfer. ... George Fazio (November 12, 1912 – June 6, 1986) was an American professional golfer and a golf course architect. ... Hy Peskin (born November 5, 1915 - June 2, 2005) was an American photographer notable for several famous photographs of American sports people and celebrities published by Sports Illustrated and Life. ...

Following David Graham's win at the U.S. Open at Merion in 1981, it was felt by many that the relatively short course (about 6400 yards), small course area (which limits gallery size), and lack of grounds to hold corporate tents would preclude Merion from holding a major again. However, following some land acquisition nearby and lengthening of the course to 6,846 yards, many of these concerns appeared to be addressed. After successfully holding the 2005 U.S. Amateur, the USGA awarded the 2013 U.S. Open to Merion. David Graham is an Australian golfer. ...

Merion Golf Club was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1992. This article or section needs additional references or sources to improve its verifiability. ...

Wicker Baskets

On the East Course, all pins are topped with wicker baskets instead of the usual flags. Their origins are unknown, with the best guess being that Wilson saw something similar during his trip to Scotland and used the idea at Merion. One effect is that the baskets are visible no matter which way the wind is blowing — and also that they do not give the golfer any indication of wind direction at the green. They have been used since the course's opening, and are featured in the club's logo.

Tournaments

• 1904 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, won by Georgianna Bishop (original course)
• 1909 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, won by Dorothy Campbell (original course)
• 1916 U.S. Amateur Championship, won by Chick Evans
• 1924 U.S. Amateur Championship, won by Bobby Jones
• 1926 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, won by Helen Stetson
• 1930 U.S. Amateur Championship, won by Bobby Jones
• 1934 U.S. Open Championship, won by Olin Dutra
• 1949 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, won by Dorothy Porter
• 1950 U.S. Open Championship, won by Ben Hogan
• 1954 Curtis Cup, won by the United States over Great Britain & Ireland, 6-3
• 1960 Eisenhower Trophy, won by the United States
• 1966 U.S. Amateur Championship, won by Gary Cowan
• 1971 U.S. Open Championship, won by Lee Trevino
• 1981 U.S. Open Championship, won by David Graham
• 1989 U.S. Amateur Championship, won by Chris Patton
• 1998 U.S. Girls' Junior Championship, won by Leigh Anne Hardin
• 2005 U.S. Amateur Championship, won by Edoardo Molinari

The U.S. Womens Amateur is the leading golf tournament in the United States for female amateur golfers. ... The U.S. Womens Amateur is the leading golf tournament in the United States for female amateur golfers. ... Dorothy Iona Campbell (born March 24, 1883 in North Berwick, Scotland – died March 20, 1945) was the first internationally dominant female golfer. ... The U.S. Amateur Championship is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for male amateur golfers. ... Charles Evans, Jr, who was generally known as Chick Evans, (July 18, 1890 - November 6, 1979) was a leading amateur golfer of the 1910s and 1920s considered second only to Bobby Jones in his era. ... The U.S. Amateur Championship is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for male amateur golfers. ... Bobby Jones won the first Grand Slam of golf in 1930. ... The U.S. Womens Amateur is the leading golf tournament in the United States for female amateur golfers. ... The U.S. Amateur Championship is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for male amateur golfers. ... Bobby Jones won the first Grand Slam of golf in 1930. ... The United States Open Championship is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. ... Olin Dutra (January 17, 1901 - May 5, 1983) was a professional golfer born in Monterey, California. ... The U.S. Womens Amateur is the leading golf tournament in the United States for female amateur golfers. ... Dorothy Germain Porter (b. ... The United States Open Championship is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. ... Personal Information Birth August 13, 1912 Stephenville, Texas Death July 25, 1997 Fort Worth, Texas Height 5 ft 7 in (1. ... The Curtis Cup is the best known team tournament for women amateur golfers. ... The Eisenhower Trophy is a biennial world amateur team golf championship for men organised by the International Golf Federation. ... The U.S. Amateur Championship is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for male amateur golfers. ... Gary Cowan (born 28 October 1938) is a Canadian golfer who has achieved outstanding results at the highest class in amateur competition. ... The United States Open Championship is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. ... // Lee Buck Trevino (born December 1, 1939) is an American professional golfer. ... The United States Open Championship is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. ... David Graham is an Australian golfer. ... The U.S. Amateur Championship is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for male amateur golfers. ... The United States Girls Junior Championship is a golf championship organized by the United States Golf Association for amateur girls under the age of eighteen, first held in 1949. ... The U.S. Amateur Championship is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for male amateur golfers. ... Edoardo Molinari (born 11 February 1981) is an Italian golfer. ...

Future Tournaments

• 2009 Walker Cup
• 2013 U.S. Open Championship

The Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland (in political terms the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland). ... The United States Open Championship is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. ...

External links

• Official Site
• Course overview and history
• Aerial photograph of 1930 U.S. Amateur Tournament at Merion Golf Club