On June 13-16, 2013, The Merion Golf Club‘s East Course will host the U.S. Open, (one of men’s professional golf’s four major championships), for the fifth time.  This club’s golf course is considered one of the finest in the country, and has hosted more USGA Championships than any other in America.

To quote Jack Nicklaus, “Acre for acre, Merion may be the best test of golf in the world.”

U.S. Open – Merion Golf Club

Some one hundred thousand fans are expected to the championship event from Thursday – Sunday, filling 16,000 grandstand seats. To accommodate such massive numbers, nearly 5,000 volunteers, media crews, security personnel and other agencies are well into preparation to make these the most captivating rounds of golf ever.

The excitement and anticipation is growing each day as we draw nearer to the event in late Spring. While this facility is only half as large as the typical open layout course, 25,000 visitors per day are to be expected, and a great deal of preparation is in the works to pull off the event.

This has always been the case for an event of this magnitude, particularly when dealing with a general restriction of space. For the first time, event organizers have had to rely on outside resources for rented space to build additional facilities, including land leasing from neighboring Haverford college and rentals from several Golf Course Road homeowners.

Hank Thompson, the sponsoring U.S. Golf Association’s on-site representative comments, “It’s a totally different world, especially the security. If anyone was here in ’81 and came back in ’13, that’s the biggest difference they’d see.” Thompson’s team will be running extensive background checks on all event concession vendors, delivery personnel, event volunteers and anyone who may be in the proximity of the championship golf professionals. Spectators will be screened at all entry points to ensure that no weapons, or phones & mobile devices are permitted into the event, so be sure to leave those items at home or in your locked vehicle. Outside food and drinks also will not be allowed.

Law enforcement agencies from the Haverford Township Police Department all the way to the Dept. of Homeland Security are working diligently to ensure that this will be a safe event for all professional golfers and spectators alike.

One challenge for officials will be rental accommodations for the golf pros and throngs of visiting spectators. 7,000 hotel rooms have been blocked out in the King of Prussia area for the week of the U.S. Open, to house event volunteers and officials, in addition to media teams.

There are several hotels near the Merion Golf Club, and if you haven’t booked your stay yet, you won’t want to wait – get your reservations handled while there may still be rooms available.

Here is a list of great hotels in the Merion Golf Course vicinity:

1. The Rittenhouse Hotel, Philadelphia, PA – 210 West Rittenhouse Square
2. Sofitel Philadelphia – 120 South 17TH Street
3. The Westin Philadelphia – 99 South 17th Street at Liberty Place
4. Loews Philadelphia Hotel – 1200 Market St
5. Omni Hotel At Independence Park, Philadelphia, PA – 401 Chestnut Street
6. Hotel Du Pont – Wilmington, DE – 11th and Market Street
7. Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue – 4200 City Avenue
8. Crowne Plaza Hotel PHiladelphia West – 4010 City Avenue
9. The Inn At Penn A Hilton Hotel, Philadelphia, PA – 3600 Sansom Street
10. Courtyard Philadelphia Valley Forge, Wayne, PA – 1100 Drummers Lane
11. The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia, PA – Ten Avenue of the Arts
12. Palomar Philly A Kimpton Hotel, Philadelphia, PA – 117 S 17th Street
13. Hyatt at The Bellevue, Philadelphia – 200 South Broad St
14. Renaissance Philadelphia Airport Hotel – 500 Stevens Drive
15. The Westin Mount Laurel, Mout Laurel, NJ – 555 Fellowship Road
16. Philadelphia Marriott West – 111 Crawford Avenue
17. Homewood Suites by Hilton Philadelphia City  – 4200 City Avenue
18. Courtyard Philadelphia Devon, Wayne, PA – 762 W Lancaster Avenue
19. Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel – 3549 Chestnut Street
20. Crowne Plaza Hotel Philadelphia – Valley, King of Prussia – 260 MALL BLVD

Another challenge for this event will be transportation to and from the venue.There’s only one way in and out of the city and at certain times, (especially during weekend rush hour), traffic can be quite congested. It is highly recommended that those attending the U.S. Open at the Merion Golf Club this June will find alternative transportation, as those driving personal vehicles may encounter frustraion and delays.

To do our part to help make travel to the U.S. open a much easier, and more enjoyable experience, we’re offering special pricing for round-trip group transportation to and from Philadelphia area hotels, so you don’t have to fight the traffic yourself. We know the area, the routes, the schedules and traffic trends; we can not only make your trip a faster and more smooth ride, but we’ll do it at a cost that won’t break the bank. Be sure to secure your transportation now to ensure there’s a ride waiting for you:

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Looking forward to seeing you for the 2013 U.S. Open at the Merion Golf Club East Course in June!