2013 US Open Venue
Merion Golf Club, East Course, Ardmore, Pennsylvania
The 2013US Open venue will be the Merion Golf Club's East Course in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. It is a private club which regularly features in lists of America's most highly regarded golf courses. It is due to host the Walker Cup in 2009, before welcoming US Open players in 2013.
The Merion Golf Club has hosted no less than 17 United States Golf Association championship tournaments, which is more than any other course. In 1916, Chick Evans won the US Amateur which was the first ever USGA golf tournament held at Merion.
Merion Golf Club East Course
The Merion Golf Club consists of an East Course and a West Course. The East Course is the more challenging of the two and is the course that will be used for the 2013 US Open venue. An interesting feature of this course is that, instead of flags as is the norm, all pins are topped with wicker baskets. They are both a help and a hindrance to golfers. As a help, they are visible at all times - regardless of which direction the wind is blowing. As a hindrance, they offer no clues as to which way the wind is blowing. These wicker baskets are a core traditional feature of Merion Golf Club and are also present in the club's logo.
Previous US Opens at Merion Golf Club
Merion Golf Club has hosted four previous US Open golf tournaments:
- 1934 US Open Championship, won by Olin Dutra
- 1950 US Open Championship, won by Ben Hogan
- 1971 US Open Championship, won by Lee Trevino
- 1981 US Open Championship, won by David Graham
Future US Open championship venues:
Apart from Merion Golf Club which will be the 2013 US Open venue, other future venues for the US Open are as follows:
- Bethpage State Park, Farmingdale, New York
- Pebble Beach Golf Links (Pebble Beach, California)
- Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, Maryland
- The Olympic Club, Daly City, San Francisco, California
- Pinehurst Resort (Course 2), Pinehurst, North Carolina.
- Torrey Pines is the host venue for the 2008 US Open.
