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Merion walk through

Fri, Jun 10 2016 8:37 PM (27 replies)
  • Chinajohn
    1,190 Posts
    Tue, May 7 2013 3:13 AM

    I've played a few disastrous rounds at Merion and taken notes, so I think I've come across most problems. I thought I'd share them with WGT members to use if they so please.

    Please note though.

    1. I'm only a Master.

    2. All distances are from the Master tees.

    3. I use G20 Driver and 3W Rocketbladez Irons CG16 wedges and a Calloway i(s) ball.

    4. There are probably errors in these notes, use them by all means but they are just a guide.

     

    Normal 0 false false false EN-GB ZH-CN X-NONE

    Hole One.

    The Drive - Dogleg right far side of the fairway is at 290ish yds from the Master tees and there is a huge bunker on the inside of the dogleg waiting for those trying to cut the dogleg, don’’t cut the dogleg unless you’ve got 20mph tailwind this drive plays short go straight down the middle and use a 3W if there is a tailwind under 20mph.

    The Approach – If you’re on the far side of the dogleg should be a simple 60 – 90yd wedge into the green. Be short left for an uphill putt, DON’T go right (not much room for that anyway.)

     

    Hole Two.

    The Drive – Long straight but very narrow fairway that plays short as the landing zone is uphill, allow for the wind and get it as far up as possible, but get on the damn fairway.

    2nd Shot – Unless you’ve got huge tailwinds it’s not likely you’ll make the green in two on this one especially as it usually plays short on the drive, there are bunkers short of the green and one cuts right into the fairway just waiting for those who get that 3W out and go for the green, don’t, lay up at wedge distance.

    The Approach – Should be a short wedge, 50 – 60 yards, short of the pin gives the uphill putt, don’t be long.

     

    Hole Three. .

    The Drive 225yds into a very sloping green raised 18ft above the Master tees, this isn’t going to be easy, short left gives the uphill putt, but to be honest anywhere close is a result here. Downhill putts (even over 5ins downhill) still require that extra 6ins.

     

    Hole Four.

    The Drive – Your driving over a canyon and the nearest part of the fairway is 225yds, unless you’ve got a hurricane you should make it no problem the fairway is quite wide in the landing zone but slopes off to the left, make sure you land on the right side to hold the fairway.

    2nd Shot – Again, you aren’t going to make this green in two it’s 300 yards away and guarded by a deep gulley with a stream at the bottom at 260 yards, so lay up short of the stream at your best wedge distance but beware the landing area is 35 foot below so take that into account.

    The Approach -  Should be a short wedge (50 – 60yds) into the green, short right for the uphill shot, don’t be long as the pin is at the very back of the green just in front of some bunkers, but you should be able to get close with a wedge.

     

    Hole Five.

    The Drive – Slight dogleg left to a green 25ft above you, you should carry the dogleg with no problems, fairway is narrow at first but widens out nicely around 290 yds but it slopes off to the left so aim for the right side of the fairway.

    The Approach – Probably around 200yds to the pin which is pretty central, left of the pin gives you a (very) uphill putt, right gives you a seriously downhill putt, so if you’re going to miss do so to the left.

     

    Hole Six.

    The Drive – The fairway angles off to the right to form a dog leg effect, the 210 – 250 yard bunkers on the far side of the fairway shouldn’t come into play unless you have a very short drive, for the longer drivers though the fairway is very narrow and you’re playing across it, accuracy is everything here.

    The Approach – Probably around 140yds to the green which is also about 15ft above you, so it’s quite reachable but the pin is tucked into the far left corner just behind a bunker and this green is very difficult, you need to be close short slightly right is best for the uphill putt, don’t be long though as even if you don’t go through you’ll have a downhill putt from hell. To make matters worse this approach plays long subtract 5 yards from the aim distance. Don’t play downhill putts as a lag, give them the full yardage.

     

    Hole Seven.

    The Drive – Incredibly narrow fairway and the entire right hand side is OOB, you can’t afford to go right as the fairway is so narrow, just get it on the fairway and try not to lose too many balls. There are some bunkers short of the green around 310 yards and this is the safer landing area, wind allowing but the fairway slopes severely off to the left here and right is still OOB, just try to stay on the grass, out of the sand and on the fairway!

    The Approach – Should be a wedge approach, this green looks like a terraced paddy field with four distinct ledges, pin is on the rear most so you cannot go long, you have to be close anywhere else is going to leave a VERY difficult putt. Be close and slightly right for the uphill putt.

     

    Hole Eight. Drive as far as you can then a short wedge close.

    The Drive – Wiggly fairway turns right then left, but wide enough to drive as far as you can. The fairway ends at 311 yds (from the Master tees) andis 35 ft below the tees so if you’re going to drive through use a 3W in which case take care about the left side fairway bunker waiting to catch 3W drives, (ends at 237 yds from the Master tees).

    The approach – Probably a short wedge to a green 15ft below you, but you’re going to have a massively downhill putt! The pin is front of the green and the whole green slopes down to it, you’re not going to get in short of the pin as there isn’t enough room. Just get as close as you can.

    Warning, the light brush between the right side bunker and the green is listed as 30 / 40, a pitch doesn’t move the ball, and a flop only moves it an inch or two, you need to choke down on a full shot, which probably means you’ll go right through the green. So don’t miss right of the green.

     

    Hole Nine. Par 3. 

    The Drive – 210 yards to a pin 28ft below you, pin back left with bunkers top, right and bottom, so be close or right which is fortunate as right gives you the uphill putt, still be close though.

     

    Hole Ten.

    The Drive – The fairway swings so far to the left it actually turns back on itself so in effect you’re going to be driving ACROSS the fairway, judging your distance is crucial. The ‘card’ says the pin is 378yds away (from the Master’s tees) but actually it’s only 267yds as the crow flies but there is a huge tree and a massive bunker plus a gulley full of weeds below it, that you’re just not going to drive through or more to the point you’re not going to get out of in a single shot. The best option is to lay up using a 3W at the end of the fairway (around 260 yds from the Master’s tees).

    The Approach – 50yd wedge in all likelihood, pin is almost sitting on the edge of the right side bunker, all approaches are downhill long left and short right are flatish, so get as close as possible.

     

     

    Hole Eleven.

    The Drive – The fairway ends at 276yds (from the Master’s tees) with a deep gulley and stream and the fairway is 36ft plus below the tees so your ball is going to run on, you’ll need to club down AND put backspin on to hold the fairway.

    The Approach – 90yd wedge into the green there is a river all the way from the rough to the green, you MUST reach the green or you’ll be in the water. The pin is to the front of the green and short right gives you the uphill putt, but then you’re flirting with that river again. The safe option is to play long and trust your putter.

     

    Hole Twelve.

    The Drive - 90˚ dogleg right with bunkers on the outside of the dogleg at 250yds, there is also a stream that dissects the fairway at around 200yds (both from the Master’s tees), longer drivers looking to cut the dogleg will have trees to deal with, you can try to fade round the corner (but that isn’t a shot for the beginner) or laying  up is probably the better option, depends on the wind.

    The Approach – Should be about 130 – 150yds to the pin don’t be short of the green as the fairway slopes incredibly off to the right and will likely run your ball right off the fairway into deep rough. The pin is at the back of the green in a VERY sloping section, be right of the pin for an uphill shot, DON’T be left as that is VERY downhill and almost impossible to control.

     

    Hole Thirteen.

    The Drive – The pin is only 3 yards in front of the back bunker so long really isn’t an option, for once this is a good thing as the green slopes a LOT from the bunker down to the pin so if you go long into the bunker, …………… . Short is best for the uphill shot but as always don’t be too short don’t go right or left either as then you’ll be putting across a severe slope, not nice.

     

    Hole Fourteen.

    The Drive – Dogleg left protected by trees, rough and OOBs you just won’t get through so don’t try. Go straight up the fairway it ends in bunkers about 277yds so lay up if you have to. If you’re up to it, you could try the draw, but laying up is the safer option.

    The Approach – Probably about 150 – 170 yards to the pin which is right on the edge of two humps in the green, short right for an uphill putt but nothing longer than 3 yards is going to be easy.


    Hole Fifteen.

    The Drive – The fairway bends round to the right with an OOB road along the far edge of the bend, there’s a swathe of bunkers from 180 – 255yds (from the Master’s tees) on the inside of the bend waiting to catch the short or unwary. Don’t go long or left (OOB) don’t go short or right bunkers. So accuracy again.

    The Approach – Should be a short wedge into the green which is likely 15ft above you. The pin is right on the front edge of the green on a really nasty slope in fact it’s really a shelf that drops off right and all along the front with a wall behind and left, don’t be short or you’ll miss the green but if you DO just make it on you’ll still have a huge uphill putt, don’t be long or you’ll have a huge downhill putt, get pin high and if you miss do so slightly right, but whatever you need to be within a couple of yards to guarantee your two putt.

     

    Hole Sixteen.

    The Drive – Huge double dogleg right then left, dogleg right is at 280 yds and left at 320 yds (from the Master’s tees) but to be honest, the fairway past the first dogleg is totally irrelevant as you’re approach is across the rough from the first dogleg. So get the ball as far up into the first dogleg as possible without running into the rough.

    The Approach – Should be about 120 – 150yds into the pin as long as you didn’t run into the rough it’s an easy approach. The green has a severe upslope to two terraces, the pin is on the middle one. Get it close for an easy putt, anything long or short will have the slope up to or down to that terrace, pin-high left or slightly right is not too bad.

     

    Hole Seventeen. Long Par 3. Horrible green.

    The Drive – The green is 18ft below you and over 200yds away and is seriously sloped, left and anywhere long will leave you a huge downhill putt right will leave you a huge uphill putt or in the rough or even worse the bunkers, the least difficult is being right but it’s risky and at 200yds plus from the tee that kind of accuracy is very testing. There is no safe option here, so get it close and make sure you’ve taken your magic putting pills. Whatever club you use must have backspin to minimise the roll out, what’s worst of all is there is a huge ridge right along the green just a couple of yards short of the pin, if you don’t carry it your ball will roll right off the green. You MUST carry that ridge add 2yds to the aim distance and go a little long, uphill putts from below the ridge fly 20yds past the hole.

     

    Hole Eighteen.

    The Drive – Long narrow fairway with a couple of kinks in that don’t quite make it to the dogleg category. Trees to the left of the tee (OOB) block cutting across to the leftt so just get it as far up the fairway as you can.

    The Approach – Probably 220yds to the pin which is tucked in to the right of the green protected to the front by a bunker, so you need to come in high. Green is reasonably flat go left for an uphill putt, but you should be able to get close enough for a good birdie shot.

  • SHRUDE
    5,835 Posts
    Tue, May 7 2013 7:57 PM

    Thanks very much Chinajohn for putting this all together!

    Its a good one to bookmark and refer later to.

     

  • alanti
    10,564 Posts
    Tue, May 7 2013 9:44 PM

    Hi John, while I haven't read thru in detail yet, I will praise you for doing this, It is a tough course and any help we can all get is a great help.

    This is a course that needs great course mangement and I find myself using the 3W from the tee more often than not, even an iron sometimes, And the approach shots are critical if you want a chance of doing well. I will take notes and compare.

    Well done!

  • kilbraur
    219 Posts
    Wed, May 8 2013 3:34 PM

    Thank you for your time to do this.

  • gr8flbob
    592 Posts
    Wed, May 8 2013 5:15 PM

    Nice job, CJ! I did same for OLY last year and posted in Courses Forum. Going to post there now with a credited link to this thread.

  • alanti
    10,564 Posts
    Wed, May 8 2013 6:33 PM

    Thanks Bob, this deserves a lot of credit to John for he effort he has put in, I am somewhat surprised not more people have commented,

    For the record I still refer  your Oly walkthrough. players who do this earn my respect

  • josephk2317
    873 Posts
    Wed, May 8 2013 7:01 PM

    Thank you John, I am definitely going to use this in my country club forums so everyone can refer to it before playing.

     

  • justacowboy
    1,338 Posts
    Thu, May 9 2013 8:35 AM

    good job

  • PaulTon
    10,731 Posts
    Thu, May 9 2013 8:52 AM

    Very nice work there, thank you.

  • Crazyfedexguy
    62 Posts
    Sat, Mar 5 2016 1:34 PM

    Great effort!

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