Merion Golf Club, East and West Courses
Why it's listed
Two eighteen-hole golf courses in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, make up this district, with the East Course laid out on a 130.6-acre L-shaped plot purchased in 1910 and opened in 1912, and the West Course on 126.2 acres opened on May 30, 1914. Both were designed by Hugh Irvine Wilson, an amateur architect and Princeton graduate. The East Course combines penal and strategic design, with 116 bunkers, quarry hazards, and holes such as the 11th and 16th that test golfers. The club has hosted national championships, including the U.S. Open in 1934 and several U.S. Amateurs. The groundskeeper Joseph Valentine discovered the original patch of Merion bluegrass behind the 17th tee of the East Course in the 1930s. The main clubhouse grew from an 1824 farmhouse and a barn joined in 1948. The West Course clubhouse is a log structure in the form of a Greek cross. Both courses retain their original character.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | 1912-1942 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Landscape Architecture |
| Acreage | 256.8 |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | Merion Golf Club, East and West Courses (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.