A Rough Day w/ Wayne Player @ Merion Golf Club

Merion Golf Club – East Course
450 Ardmore Avenue, Ardmore, PA 19003
Yards: 6,103, Par 70 (Middle Tees)
Course Architect: Hugh Wilson
Built/Open: 1896
Website: http://www.meriongolfclub.com/
Course Ranking: 7th – America’s 100 Greatest (Golf Digest Rankings 2009-2010)
Course Ranking: 2nd in Pennsylvania (Golf Digest State Rankings 2009-2010)
Score: 112 (59 out – 53 in)
Date: May 20, 2009

I had the great privilege of playing at Merion Golf Club, the East course, an ultra-private golf club with over 100+ years of golf history. I played with three nice guys, one being Wayne Player, Gary Player’s son. I headed out to Merion with intentions to just have fun and enjoy this historic course, walking the same fairways as the golfing greats. With a goal of posting a score under 120 and to par at least one hole, I achieved my goal. After playing a few rounds before arriving at the 7th ranked course in the country, I was feeling pretty good about my game until the second hole, (See below). I shot an 18 hole score of 112 on a picture perfect, warm sunny day in the low 80’s with 3 pars, hitting 5 fairways, 1 green in regulation and lost 4 balls. My driving was average, I hit 5 fairways out of 14, which means 9 of the drives ended up in the 4 to 5 inch rough. It was so thick, I hit the ball as hard as I possibly could and advancing it only 10 or so yards at a time. I tried everything, sand wedge, 8 or 9 iron and my rescue clubs to get it out of the rough with no real positive outcome. I asked the caddie, ‘What do you suggest?’, ‘Hit it in the fairway!’, he said, smart ass. My mid and short iron game was average as well hitting only one green in regulation, I was not hitting the ball real clean since I was hitting out of the rough most of the time. My chipping was awful, I was off on all my distances, chipping it short most of the time with a few chunks as well. My putting was pretty good only three - 3 putts, the fast greens keep the ball rolling to the hole and not short as usual. I really liked the basket pin ‘flags’ a signature symbol at Merion Golf Club – East Course. The idea behind the baskets pins was to make golfers think about wind directions without help from a traditional pin flag.

The Wayne Player experience: Before the round, I had the opportunity to have lunch with Wayne, as you sit and talk, you instantly recognize he is a great person, very friendly, good spirited and has great passion for the game. Playing golf with Wayne was a great thrill, he is very friendly, helps you with your game, has lots and lots of jokes and told some great stores about his and his father’s travels around the world. One of the most interesting topics of the day was how Wayne tees his ball. On the first tee, he pulled out a broken off iron handle with a tee in the end of the handle and stuck it in the ground. He placed his ball on top of this 12 to 14 inch high ‘tee’ and crushed his tee shot, he used this technique on every hole he hit driver. I thought it was an ice breaker on the first hole, but that is how he tees his ball every time. He said it makes for a flatter more consistent swing and it works for Wayne. On the 18th hole, after hacking my way out of the jungle like rough, I stood just behind the Ben Hogan plaque in the fairway where he hit his famous 1 iron at the 1950 US Open, Wayne was standing by his tee shot which was about 75 yards further down the fairway then Ben’s shot. Check out Wayne’s website at: http://www.wayneplayer.com/. Great person, great golfer, great experience!

FROM THE WEB SITE: Championship golf and champion golfers have long been intertwined with the mystique of Merion Golf Club’s East and West Courses. Designed by Hugh Wilson, Merion’s East Course has played host to more USGA Championships than any course in America and is home to some of its greatest moments. From Robert Tyre Jones, Jr.'s completion of golf’s elusive Grand Slam at the 1930 U.S. Amateur held at Merion to Ben Hogan’s awe inspiring performance and now legendary one-iron on the 72nd hole during the 1950 U.S. Open, the sculpted greens, fairways, and treacherous bunkers of Merion have shaped the game. Merion continues to not only challenge the world’s best, but identify them as well.

COURSE CONDITION: The course is playing in championship caliber condition, every square inch of the course. The teeing areas were lush green, the fairways were cut short which made the ball get a little extra roll. The rough on the other hand was 4 to 5 inches high, which I seemed to be playing out of a lot. The undulating greens were cut tight and rolling fast and slippery. The course is ready to host the Walker Cup and the US Open now.

FACILITIES: Top notch practice facilities (driving range, putting and chipping greens), dinning, pro shop and staff.

SHOT (HOLE) OF THE DAY: Hole 1, Par 4, 333 Yards. Before the round, having lunch with my playing partners, they asked me my handicap. I told them I was a high handicapper and was here for the experience, to have fun and I wouldn’t slow them down. With that said, the club house is a 100+ year old farm house with a huge outside dinning area overlooking the course. The first tee is directly adjacent to the main dinning area, the back tees are next to the dinning area, literally 3 to 4 feet away. Luckily the middle tees are about 10 feet past the main dinning area but in clear view of everyone eating. There was a women’s outing that just finished and both outside dinning areas were full with a few 100 people. Standing on the tee, the first player pushes his tee shot way off line in the right rough, the second player pulls his tee shot in to the left rough. The third player hits his shot down the middle, watching the first two shots end up in the rough, and one from a golf pro, my nerves calmed down slightly. I loaded up and smoked one down the middle of the fairway past the other ball in the fairway. My second shot was a 9 iron onto the green then a 20 foot lag putt to about 14 inches. Short putt for PAR! I pared the first hole at Merion!! Everyone looked at me with the sandbagger look, and then I proceeded to shot a 10, 7 and 9 on the next three holes.

SUGGESTIONS AND COMMENTS: This course is tight and preparing for the Walker Cup in the fall, so the rough is 4 to 5 inches high. The ball nestles down deep in the dense rough and if you don’t watch where it goes, you will never find it. Don’t EVER pass on an opportunity to play here! Check out the facilities and if you have time, have lunch or dinner on the outdoor patio over looking this gorgeous course.

GOLFNERDNESS: This place is awesome, I hope to get another chance to play the East Course and maybe the West Course!

GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT: Keep the ball out of the 4 to 5 inch rough and watch where it goes into the rough! I played Bethpage last fall, this course is much harder for the high handicapper.

For all your local golf information, check out http://www.twooverpar.com./

For personal golf course reviews and comments, check out http://twooverpar.blogspot.com/!

Follow us on Facebook, search “wheresthegolf.com”. Post your course experiences, shot of the day, course reviews, etc… you get the point.

Follow us on http://www.twitter.com/, search “twooverpar”.