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 West course (par-70; 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.
Limited access: these private courses are generally playable only by members and their invited guests.
Private club; visitors/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:
Pennsylvania's 2nd best course (Golf Digest, 2023/24).
USA's 6th best course (Golf Digest, 2023).
World's 13th best course (GOLF Magazine, 2023/24).
124th US Open: the No.2 Course at Pinehurst once again plays host to this most illustrious championship (June 13-16). Wyndham Clark defends his title, having won at Los Angeles CC in 2023.
79th Women’s US Open: the second women’s major championship of the season gets underway at Lancaster CC in Pennsylvania. It’s the second time the championship has been held here.
(May 30-June 2).
Nelly Korda: won the Mizuho Americas Open (May 16-19) at Liberty National GC, continuing her extraordinary form in LPGA events. This was her sixth win in seven starts in 2024.
Xander Schauffele: recorded his first major championship win, and second record-equalling low score of 62 in a major. Only he, Branden Grace, Rickie Fowler and Shane Lowry have achieved this feat in a men’s major championship.
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.
Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.
Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available
You can subscribe to the Where2Golf channel on YT if you like to see more video content. You'll find a "Subscribe" button on any of our YouTube videos. Or if you want a quick and direct access subscribe here. Once done, any new published videos will show up in your Subscriptions feed.
