Merion East's Clever Inland Design on Display at 2026 U.S. Amateur

Small but mighty, that is the East Course at Merion Golf Club to a T.

Merion will host its 20th USGA championship alongside Philadelphia Country Club with the 126th U.S. Amateur, August 10-16. The championship returns to Philadelphia for the first time since 2005, when Edoardo Molinari hoisted the Havemeyer Trophy on Merion’s hallowed grounds.

Occupying a mere ~115 acres and stretching to less than 7,000 yards, Merion doesn’t fit the stereotypical bill of a championship golf course. Yet, the East has hosted more USGA championships than any other golf course and remains a relevant challenge, even in today’s "steroid era” with juiced modern golf equipment. So, how exactly does Hugh Wilson and William Flynn’s 100-year-old design continue to test the best golfers in the world? It’s not over-the-top conditioning and six-inch rough, but more so the ingenious use of the property, variety of golf holes, and heavily protected, tilted putting surfaces.

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Most championship venues require more than 150 acres to properly accommodate the sheer length of the modern game and provide ample space for tournament infrastructure. Comparatively, Merion occupies roughly half the acreage of fellow U.S. Open host Erin Hills. Merion’s winning score in 2013 was over par, while Brooks Koepka came in at 16 under to win at Erin Hills in 2017. Because Merion’s property is so small, the golf holes take up every available yard, which ultimately pushes holes along the boundary and tucks greens up against the meandering Cobbs Creek. Out of bounds comes into play on holes 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, and 18, creating opportunity for match play swings and balloon stroke play scores.

While the scorecard tops out around 6,900 yards, the design demands more than what's on paper. Several holes, like Nos. 2, 6, 10, 12, 14, 15, and 18, play into upslopes, reducing roll out off the tee and creating uphill lies. At the same time, the nature of the design also takes driver out of the hands of elite amateurs and professionals on a majority of the par 4s. This effectively makes the course play longer, but it can also bait you into hitting driver into bad positions. Nos. 7 through 14 can easily be played without driver, but they demand precision off the tee and into the greens to score. Additionally, most greens are propped up from the natural terrain and guarded by deep bunkers, falloffs, and thick rough on all sides, making precise aerial approach shots a key to success. You’ll also find many greens benched into hillsides which create deceptively steep, tilted greens that will punish those who are out of position.

Above all else, Merion East is one of the most clever and interesting inland designs in America, regardless of its championship history. Each hole has a truly distinctive identity and the journey around the property is extremely engaging. It will be an absolute pleasure to watch the world's best amateurs battle it out in a proper match play format.