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Merion Golf Club, home for the 2013 US Open golf championship, not only carries a reputation as one of the top courses around the world, but its story is really exceptional. At the time the club membership in 1910 decided to build a brand new golf course, they selected a member of the club who was 32 years of age and had not designed one golf course. To think that someone who had been on his initial piece of work would create such a stunning success that would be the home of five Opens in the following 100 years is truly amazing. Located just west out of Philadelphia, there exists an East and West Course, but the one we will talk about here will be the East Course, the very first of the two built and the one where the tournaments have been held. Hugh Wilson is the course designer who had been from Scotland, a member and an accomplished player. The first thing he would do was tour Scotland and England for seven months studying and playing the celebrated courses of the time that were there. As you walk Merion during the Open or watch it in the media, you'll likely make out several of the features that you're going to discern in old courses in Great Britain. Probably the most notable will be the bunkers; the 120 steep-faced bunkering is very remindful of what you will see in Great Britain. The other remarkable point regarding this remarkable course will be how tight it is. It had been initially constructed on just 126 acres, as compared to some that are 300 acres and perhaps more. The initial course was about 6500 yards, and following the 1981 U.S. Open it was thought that the undersized space would make this great course obsolete for yet to come Open tournaments. Not only were most professionals able to overpower some of the shorter holes, but bigger galleries and corporate tents needed more space. Concerns were alleviated when more adjacent real estate was obtained to increase the course to its present almost 7000 yards. Merion Golf Club has had a major impact on several among the golfing greats, but a couple of the all-time premier players stand out. For Bobby Jones, the 1916 U.S. Amateur marked the first time Jones appeared in a national competition at 14 years of age. In 1924 he would be triumphant in his first U.S. Amateur victory, as well as in 1930 Jones finished winning the "Grand Slam" of golf by winning that year's U.S. Amateur, all at the Merion Golf Club's East Course. Seven weeks later Bobby Jones retired from golf competition at 28 years of age. The other distinguished golfer that made golf history at Merion had been Ben Hogan. He won the 1950 U.S. Open in one among the great athletic achievements of all time, playing 16 months following a head-on collision with a bus that nearly ended his life. He was able to win in a playoff, playing through incredible pain while still recovering from the crash. It is really one among the great moments in sports history. On our website we talk about all aspects of golf, such as the golf swing. Most amateur golfers put too much into their swing, causing the body to work against itself. Even when we are chipping a golf ball, if we could just simplify things we would have a lot more consistency. Jim O'Connell is a writer and avid golfer living in Chicago.
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