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Merion Greens

• JasonNumber100 2,909 Posts

  Sun, Feb 23 2014 11:54 PM

  Over the last two days I've played Merion front nine. I know it's not the easiest of courses but I have played it okay in the past. However, I took 23 putts and 5 three putts on my last nine holes. Everything else was fine apart from my putting.

  The greens seem to be so much faster and breaks that I hadn't noticed before. Have they got faster? I felt like I was putting on an ice rink. It was so frustrating.

  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

• alanti 10,564 Posts

  Mon, Feb 24 2014 12:19 AM

  JasonNumber100:

  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

  Avoid the course!

  You did say any advice not helpful advice lol.

  The key to Merion is your approach shots, as a rule stay below the hole. I find the greens slower than other courses but downhill breaking putts are slick and it is easy to 3 putt.

  Now if I could only listen to my own advice.......not to play the course lol

• JasonNumber100 2,909 Posts

  Mon, Feb 24 2014 12:32 AM

  Thanks, alanti.

  I was invited to a multiplayer game, so thought why not. I've played it at least to par before. I did a terrible round, but when you fall off the horse you must get straight back on again. So I gave it another try, the same thing happened only worse.

  I still think the greens have changed. I want a word with that greenkeeper lol.

• alanti 10,564 Posts

  Mon, Feb 24 2014 12:41 AM

  I played it a few days ago and the greens were normal speed to me. But anything downhill and over 2 inches downhill (especially with a lot of break) is a nightmare. It really is about the approach. But like I said, I  don't  play it well.

  I would invite you to a game but I am struggling to keep my eyes open, it has been a long day.

• courteneyfish 15,796 Posts

  Mon, Feb 24 2014 12:55 AM

  You'll love that course when you make Tour Legend Jason.  But like others have said always try to be below the pin.

• JasonNumber100 2,909 Posts

  Mon, Feb 24 2014 1:44 AM

  It's okay, alanti. I know it's the end of the day for you.

  There speaks the voice of experience, courteney. However, I don't think it will become my favourite course anytime soon.

• Victoria47 629 Posts

  Mon, Feb 24 2014 2:21 AM

  hi friends of e-golf,

  if you can tame merion, 

  you`ll be on the right way to tame them all...

  I love merion, but not with uneven lies !! lol

  vic

• TracyMax 2,361 Posts

  Mon, Feb 24 2014 10:59 AM

  Victoria47:

  but not with uneven lies !! lol

  tried the uneven lies, tried the "improved" uneven lies and found them so "unreal" that I don't even try playing them anymore.

• CerinoDevoti 3,232 Posts

  Mon, Feb 24 2014 12:44 PM

  I find Merion to be a supreme pleasure to play and with Uneven Lies, it's even better. The greens take some time to get the feel and remember all the breaks. Some uphill putts have to be hit much harder than you would expect from a green speed but downhill it's a fine line between perfect and way too hard. Approach placement is paramount to getting the putts it takes to score well. I suppose it's just finicky and we have to remember so much while playing each hole to get anything out of a round other than frustration.

• Chinajohn 1,190 Posts

  Tue, Feb 25 2014 1:43 AM

  OK, I'm not a 'real' golfer but I've managed to bluff my way through this virtual golf malarkey quite well so far but now you have me.

  I've read about 'below the hole' several times and I"m confused, what does it mean. It cannot be literal as even I can figure out subterranean golf isn't an option. So does it mean don't go past the hole, as in below in 2D or what?

  Explanations in simplese for a  realgolf 101 please.