A short but ferociously difficult Hugh Wilson design — site of Bobby Jones's Grand Slam-clinching putt in 1930.
About the Course
Merion Golf Club's East Course, on a small parcel in suburban Philadelphia, packs more strategy and difficulty into 6,996 yards than almost any course in the world. Famous for its wicker-basket flagsticks (in place of flags) and dramatic finishing stretch over an old quarry.
History
Hugh Wilson, a member with no formal design experience, traveled to Britain to study links golf and returned to design the East Course, which opened in 1912. Bobby Jones won the 1930 U.S. Amateur at Merion to complete the Grand Slam.
Signature Features
Wicker-basket flagsticks, the quarry holes 16–18 (especially the long par-3 17th and brutal par-4 18th), and Ben Hogan's famous 1-iron approach plaque on the 18th fairway.
Notable Events & Championships
Five U.S. Opens (1934, 1950, 1971, 1981, 2013), four U.S. Amateurs, and a U.S. Women's Open. Hogan's 1950 victory 16 months after his near-fatal car crash is among the most celebrated comebacks in sports.