American
Golf Archive
Log in

Return to Michigan Club Marks

Ardmore, PA

Merion Golf Club

Hugh Wilson designed both of Merion’s courses, the East and the West. The East Course connects Bobby Jones’s 1930 Grand Slam and Ben Hogan’s 1950 U.S. Open to the players who followed them; the West is its companion course.

Merion Golf Club club mark
Merion Golf Club’s Club mark
Courses
2 courses
Club website
Visit website

Courses

Earlier routings and other records (1)
HaverfordOpened 1896

Course design

Two courses, generations of championships

Golf began here as an activity of Merion Cricket Club. Its first course opened on rented land at Haverford in 1896 and expanded to eighteen holes in 1900.

The East Course opened on September 14, 1912. The West Course followed on May 30, 1914.

The East’s wicker-topped flagsticks are part of its identity. Merion records William Flynn’s basket patent approval in 1915 and baskets on the course that autumn, while leaving their original inspiration unresolved.

On the East, Jones completed his Grand Slam at the 1930 U.S. Amateur. Twenty years later, Hogan’s 1-iron approach on the final regulation hole became one of the defining images of the 1950 U.S. Open.

The 2013 U.S. Open was Merion’s fifth staging of that championship. Justin Rose joined Olin Dutra, Hogan, Lee Trevino and David Graham on its list of U.S. Open winners.

Championships

1950 U.S. Open

Ben Hogan

Hogan returned to Merion and won.

Sixteen months after a near-fatal automobile accident, Ben Hogan completed his return with a playoff victory in the U.S. Open at Merion.

Championship history

  1. 2026 U.S. AmateurEast
  2. 2022 Curtis CupMerion Golf Club
  3. 2013 U.S. OpenEast
  4. 2009 Walker CupMerion Golf Club
View all 21 past editions
  1. 2005 U.S. AmateurEast
  2. 1998 U.S. Girls' JuniorMerion Golf Club
  3. 1989 U.S. AmateurEast
  4. 1981 U.S. OpenEast
  5. 1971 U.S. OpenEast
  6. 1966 U.S. AmateurEast
  7. 1960 World Amateur Team ChampionshipEast
  8. 1954 Curtis CupEast
  9. 1950 U.S. OpenEast
  10. 1949 U.S. Women's AmateurEast
  11. 1934 U.S. OpenEast
  12. 1930 U.S. AmateurEast
  13. 1926 U.S. Women's AmateurEast
  14. 1924 U.S. AmateurEast
  15. 1916 U.S. AmateurEast
  16. 1909 U.S. Women's AmateurHaverford
  17. 1904 U.S. Women's AmateurHaverford
Upcoming championships5
  1. 2030 U.S. OpenMerion Golf Club
  2. 2034 U.S. Women's OpenMerion Golf Club
  3. 2040 U.S. OpenMerion Golf Club
  4. 2046 U.S. Women's OpenMerion Golf Club
  5. 2050 U.S. OpenMerion Golf Club
Results and dates 21 editions

U.S. Amateur

  1. Charles Evans Jr.

  2. Robert T. Jones Jr.

  3. Robert T. Jones Jr.

  4. Gary Cowan

    –

  5. Chris Patton

  6. Edoardo Molinari

  7. Jack Whaley

    –

U.S. Open

  1. Olin Dutra

    –

  2. Lee Trevino

    –

  3. David Graham

    –

  4. Justin Rose

    –

U.S. Women's Amateur

  1. Georgianna Bishop

    –

  2. Dorothy Campbell

    –

  3. Helen Stetson

    –

  4. Dorothy Germain Porter

    –

Curtis Cup

  1. United States (Curtis Cup)

    –

  2. United States (Curtis Cup)

    –

U.S. Girls' Junior

  1. Leigh Anne Hardin

Walker Cup

  1. United States (Walker Cup)

    –

World Amateur Team Championship

  1. United States (World Amateur Team Championship)

    –

In the archive

Clubs in PA
Sources and editorial notes21 references

Sources for this story

  1. Merion Golf Club landmark nomination National Park Service

    Sections 7 and 8: original golf grounds, terrain, Wilson’s background and design work. PDF pages 3, 5, 8–9.

    Consulted 2026-09-14
    Passages:Two courses, generations of championships, paragraph 2
  2. Club Information Merion Golf Club

    East and West opening dates; Jones at the 1930 U.S. Amateur and Hogan in 1950.

    Consulted 2026-09-14
    Passages:IntroductionTwo courses, generations of championships, paragraph 5
  3. 2013–14 PGA TOUR Guide PGA TOUR

    U.S. Open, printed pages 3-58–3-59; Justin Rose, page 2-225. PDF pages 377–378 and 254.

    Consulted 2026-09-14
    Passages:Two courses, generations of championships, paragraph 6
  4. Merion Golf Club, East and West Courses: landmark nomination National Park Service

    PDF pages 7-9: West opening on May 30, 1914 and Hugh Wilson design of both courses.

    Consulted 2026-11-02
    Passages:IntroductionTwo courses, generations of championships, paragraph 3
  5. Merion History Merion Golf Club

    East opening on September 14, 1912; William Flynn basket patent and unresolved origin.

    Consulted 2026-11-02
    Passages:Two courses, generations of championships, paragraph 3Two courses, generations of championships, paragraph 4
Record sources16 references
  1. Merion Golf Club, East and West Courses: National Historic Landmark nomination PDF page 3: golf as an adjunct to Merion Cricket Club, rented Haverford site, opening in 1896 and expansion to eighteen holes in 1900. PDF page 7: the golf organization became independent in 1942. Architect fields naming Hugh Wilson concern East and West, not the earlier Haverford course.
  2. Merion History History paragraph: the old Haverford course officially closed on September 12, 1912, although used for another year; the new course and clubhouse opened on September 14.
  3. 2013 U.S. Open Continues Merion’s USGA Legacy The article explicitly places the 1904 Women’s Amateur at Haverford, states that Merion’s first two USGA championships were on the Merion Cricket Club course, and lists 1904 and 1909 Women’s Amateurs first. East opened in 1912 and first hosted a USGA championship in 1916.
  4. 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur Record Book PDF page 7, 1904 and 1909 result rows: Georgianna M. Bishop won 5 and 3 in 1904; Dorothy I. Campbell won 3 and 2 in 1909. These are match-play margins, not stroke totals.
  5. Club mark source
  6. Merion Golf Club official history
  7. Championships at Merion 2050 entry identifies this host. Club-level connection only; no Course identity is inferred.
  8. U.S. Amateur Champions 2026 entry identifies this host. Course identity is explicit in the source.
  9. Fast Facts for 2026 U.S. Amateur Championship Venue row names the East Course; it is the principal venue, not the sole stroke-play venue.
  10. R&A official Curtis Cup match history The primary match-history entry records these dates: 2022 (June 10-12): USA 15½, GB&I 4½; Merion G.C., Ardmore, Pa. ( Final Results ) Dates corroborated against the retained official USGA 2026 Record Book. No participant, score or historical routing changes are selected.
  11. Curtis Cup Results 2022 entry identifies this host. Club-level connection only; no Course identity is inferred.
  12. U.S. Open Results: 1895 to Present 2013 entry identifies this host. Course identity is explicit in the source.
  13. R&A official Walker Cup match history The primary match-history entry records these dates: 2009 (Sept. 12-13): USA 16½, GB&I 9½; Merion G.C., Ardmore, Pa. ( Final Results ) Dates corroborated against the retained official USGA 2026 Record Book. No participant, score or historical routing changes are selected.
  14. Walker Cup Results 2009 entry identifies this host. Club-level connection only; no Course identity is inferred.
  15. USGA: 2024 U.S. Amateur Record Book Printed/PDF page 9, 1966 result row. Gary Cowan, 285-75; Deane Beman, 285-76. This edition was contested at stroke play; totals are separate from any playoff round. Actual dates from the retrospective result table.
  16. World Amateur Team Results: 1958 to Present 1960 entry identifies this host. Course identity is explicit in the source.
The collection hit an unexpected error. Reload Dismiss

Rejoining the server...

Rejoin failed... trying again in seconds.

Failed to rejoin.
Please retry or reload the page.

The session has been paused by the server.

Failed to resume the session.
Please reload the page.