LIBERTYVILLE – Despite just eight months to prepare, Course Superintendent John Nelson says the Merit Club is in good condition and ready to host this week’s UL International Crown.
“Course is looking good,” Nelson told LPGA.com by phone. “It’s right where we want it. I would say we’re on the dry side, extremely dry right now but that’s the way the Merit Club looks, it’ll turn off color.”
A venue change in November to the Merit Club didn’t allow time or budget for many changes to the course, so the same conditions members face throughout the year will challenge Crown competitors this week. Recent high temperatures in the Chicago area have dried out the course, which is Bentgrass throughout, and kept the rough from growing much higher than it’s current two and a half to three inches in height. Nelson says the rough will be allowed to grow up through the rest of the week since it hasn’t seen much growth and much of the grass off the fairway is brown in color.
“We’d like to think we keep it in tournament condition everyday for our members anyway and honestly, the green speeds are a little slower this week than we’d keep for our members so everything is right where we want it,” said Nelson, who said greens are expected to reach just over 12 on the Stimpmeter by the end of the week.
A prairie style course on 340 acres, Nelson says 120 acres of that land is prairie, which makes the Merit Club a unique design similar to a links style layout. The course will play 6,600 yards this week at a par 72.
“You know, it’s open but there are trees. So it’s not a links style but you kind of feel like it because the trees aren’t really in play. They don’t use the trees, they frame a hole, they’re not the challenge you know, you don’t have to hit around a tree,” said Nelson. “Not many bunkers, about 65 bunkers, not a lot. They’re positioned more to frame the fairways than to hit into. No forced carries on the golf course either.”
There are 14 ponds on the course but Nelson says they won’t necessarily be a factor unless players bring them into play, which would be the more aggressive line for players who want to score. Fairways are very generous but players who aren’t able to keep their drives in the short grass will pay a penalty with the first 10 yards off the fairways extremely dry and thick rough.
“You can find it very easily and see your ball, but it’s a challenge, it’s true rough. That’s what most of our members say and we’ve got our fairways are very generous,” said Nelson. “We have 18 holes but three practice holes almost 40 acres of fairway in those 21 holes. So it’s a lot more than the average fairway. If they miss it, it’s their fault.”
Designed by Bob Lohmann and Ed Oldfield, Merit Club opened north of Chicago in 1992 and last hosted the LPGA Tour in 2000 for the U.S. Women’s Open, won by Karrie Webb who returns this week as a member of Team Australia.
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