"I had a chance to walk around this morning watching the players as they chipped balls from different areas off the green, trying to learn the slopes," he said. "And that's when the bell kind of went off for me like, 'Hey, this is going to be at Merion one year from now.' The best players in the world are going to be trying to figure out how to navigate our East Course, trying to win a championship on a course that's had all the great players play it."
Merion, with 18, has been the venue for the largest number of USGA events, the most recent being the 2005 U.S. Amateur and the 2009 Walker Cup.
Yet it hasn't hosted the Open since 1981, when it did so for the fourth time. It was supposed to get one in 1992, which was later pushed back to '94, but that never came about because of minority-membership issues that obviously are no longer an impediment.
A lingering concern, though, had been the conventional wisdom that labeled the layout as outdated because of its relative shortness. And the fact that, logistically, there are inherent problems with handling a showcase of this magnitude when you have only 120-some acres to work with.
In 12 months, none of that will matter.
"The USGA calls it a 'Boutique' Open," said Rick Ill, who just served as Merion's president and is now the general chairman of the club's U.S. Open committee. "That doesn't bother us. We realize we don't have the space other [Open] courses have. The fact is, they feel they can come back to a traditional golf course. The USGA is really good at solving problems. And there's some that are still in the process of being solved.
"But it's going to be great, not just for Merion, but for the Philadelphia area especially. With some things, we're already ahead of the game [compared with] other Opens. We think we can do it."
There will be issues, some easier to address than others. And sometimes, regardless of how much planning is involved, it's always something. For instance, on Monday, Tiger Woods showed up at the practice range at 6:30 a.m. But nobody was there yet, because volunteers were instructed to arrive at 7.
Mostly, all you do is try not to let even the smallest details slip through any crevices, knowing all the while that the whole universe is taking notes.
"I've been to the last five, and every one is different," said Bob Morley, who's in charge of on-course operations. "When you walk in and see everything, you do go, 'Wow, this is a big deal.' "
Much bigger than the last time. In 1981 at Merion, there were 550 volunteers needed. Next year, that number will reach almost 5,000. The checklist is endless.
"It's like knowing exactly what you have to do to set up for a party at your house," general manager Christine Pooler said.
Indeed, the landscape has evolved. Exponentially. Still, one factor remains timeless.
"The infrastructure will take care of itself," head professional Scott Nye said. "It's about the golf championship, on a course that's proven over and over, in comparable situations, that it's a masterpiece."
The ghosts are all over the grounds. It's Bobby Jones completing the Grand Slam there (at the U.S. Amateur) in 1930, on the 11th hole. It's Ben Hogan winning there in 1950, in a playoff, a little more than a year after he nearly lost his life in an automobile accident. And the moment being captured forever in a photo of him hitting that infamous 1-iron onto the green on the 72d hole of regulation. It's Lee Trevino tossing a rubber snake at Jack Nicklaus before their playoff in 1971, then tossing a 68 at him to win by three. And then saying, as only he could, "I fell in love with Merion, and I hardly knew her."
"We know where it stands in our eyes," Morey said. "We are a part of golf. But it's exciting that the world's going to see it [again], in this setting. The next generation, that's never played it."
There's a reason it's continually ranked among the top 10 in America.
Added Ill: "We don't think Merion needs any elevating, with all the history that's taken place there. But this will help perpetuate what it is. The visibility has been raised."
Nicklaus was in recently to see it, for the first time since 1981. Two-time champion Ernie Els played it last year. Graeme McDowell, who won the Open two years ago at Pebble Beach, was in last week.
"He said to [superintendent] Matt [Shaffer], 'You guys got your years messed up,' " Ill related. "He felt we were ready for it now."
Member Buddy Marucci, who captained the victorious U.S. Walker Cup squad, said 1996 Open champ Steve Jones, who doesn't compete much, told him he's going to try to qualify next year "just because" it's Merion.
"It's important that when the players walk off the 18th, whether they played well or not, they had a great experience," Marucci said. "It's a pretty cool place. Whether the winning score is 10-under or 10-over, I'd like to see somebody have to make three putts like Nicklaus had to make at 15, 16, and 17 just to get in [to the playoff], or something like that. I want them to go to the next event and be standing on the range and say, 'Wasn't that a great Open? Amazing.' Because it's that kind of place. And now more people can see why."
Once the last putt drops this weekend, that countdown will begin in earnest.
"Because it's unique, the interest out there right now is significant," Nye said. "Everyone's asking question after question. It's like a mushroom effect going on. I see it every day. There's so much excitement already.
"I play in a really nice pro-am in Florida, with some serious players. Guys on the [PGA] Tour, top amateur golfers. And they all kept saying the same thing: 'We can't wait. We can't wait.'
"We know how good it is. . . . Think about the guys who played it in '81. Now they'll get to see what these guys can do, how much the game has changed since then. It's fabulous.
"And it's only going to add to the lore."
Tickets for Merion on Sale Already
Tickets are on sale for next year's U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, the U.S. Golf Association announced Tuesday. The 2013 Open week will run from June 10 to 16.
Because of the size of Merion Golf Club, there is a very limited number of tickets available for purchase, the USGA said. A total of 25,000 spectator tickets per day will be sold, significantly fewer than for a typical U.S. Open. Since inventory is limited, tickets are expected to sell out quickly.
Tickets and packages include complimentary parking and transportation to and from the parking area and the championship entrance.
Ticket orders will be accepted on USGA websites at www.usopen.com and at www.usga.org/tickets or via
a mailed application.
SOURCE: USGA
Contact Mike Kern at kernm@phillynews.com.
