Merion Named a Permanent Home of the U.S. Open

The United States Golf Association has named Merion Golf Club in Ardmore its fourth U.S. Open anchor site, locking the historic Main Line course into championship golf’s long-term future. The USGA announced the designation on Oct. 8.

Merion joins Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh and Pebble Beach Golf Links in California. Together the four venues will host 22 U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open championships through 2050.

The club already had plenty on its calendar. The USGA previously awarded Merion the U.S. Open in 2030, 2040 and 2050, plus the U.S. Women’s Open in 2034 and 2046. The anchor designation makes additional championships beyond those dates more likely and deepens planning between the USGA and the club.

“Merion has long been one of the defining venues in championship golf,” USGA chief championships officer John Bodenhamer said in the announcement. “The anchor site designation is about more than just semantics. It represents a shared commitment between the USGA and Merion to plan further in advance, make strategic investments and continually elevate the championship experience.”

The history backs up the honor. Founded in 1896, Merion has hosted five U.S. Opens, most recently in 2013 when Justin Rose won his only major. It is where Bobby Jones completed the grand slam in 1930 and where Ben Hogan struck his famous 1-iron in 1950. This summer’s U.S. Amateur drew more than 20,000 spectators, a record for the event, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

For the region, the designation means decades of lead time. Major championships bring millions in visitor spending, hotel bookings and temporary jobs, and organizers get years to plan transportation, parking and public safety around Ardmore.

The USGA created the anchor model in 2020 to build lasting partnerships with its most revered venues. Merion’s celebrated East Course ranked sixth nationally on Golf Digest’s 2025-2026 list of America’s 100 greatest courses.