The U.S. Open got off to a soggy start today with weather stoppages already. But the weirdest thing out there so far has been the red wicker baskets instead of flags on top of the pins.
What’s the deal with them? They’re sort of a signature thing at Merion, where they even appear in the club’s logo.
The exact origins of them are shrouded in mystery, however.
The club’s website says:
“The wicker baskets’ origin is a mystery to this day. There was a great deal written in 1912, and for three years thereafter, locally and nationally about this new course in Philadelphia. However, there was no mention of the soon-to-be famous wicker baskets. It could be assumed they were not there. By the summer of 1915, William Flynn, Merion’s Superintendent, received patent approval for his wicker basket design. Merion had baskets that fall and from then-to-today.”
But they’re more than just an unusual quirk of the course–they’ll have a direct affect on play, according to The Daily Mail:
“The baskets, featured in the club logo, can be clearly seen no matter which way the wind is blowing but they give no indication of the strength and direction it is blowing by the green.”
Oh, and we do still have tickets available for the weekend, of course!
