I have not yet heard of the back door that lets you into Merion but as Born mentioned I don't think it was available last year until after the second CTTH course was up.
I do agree with some of the other posters, Merion looks pretty unremarkable. I will say that many of the US Open courses are very similar since they are set up by the USGA to play a certain way.
Pinehurst and Pebble Beach will be very different. However when we get Winged Foot in a few years, it will look very similar to the others (I say that having played it and knowing that it is one of my favorite courses)..... it will be long, severe rough, etc. but won't get the wow factor in terms of how it looks.