Wicker Basket Origin Noted in 1915 Philadelphia Newspaper

I’m fascinated by the wicker basket pins at Merion or standards as they are called.  Read a nice little Geoff Shack piece this morning giving more insight on the origin of the baskets and the revelation that a patent was even applied for.

Architect William Flynn, who Morrison has written a book about, was behind the baskets and even applied for a patent.

One of the first newspaper accounts describing the basket standards is found in the July 2, 1915 edition of Philadelphia’s Evening Public Ledger.
“The new hole pins at Merion have been the subject of much favorable comment, not alone among the men stars who played there last, but by the women who played in the Griscom Cup matches three weeks ago, as well. Instead of the usual flags, which, when a head wind is blowing are invisible, wooden pins, with alternate stripes of black and white, and large, wicker, pear shaped tops, are used. On the out holes the tops are red, on the in holes yellow, and they can be seen for a mile. William Flynn, the Merion greenskeeper, is the originator.”
Today, the first nine baskets remain true to the original red, while the second nine baskets are no longer yellow but a more visible orange color.

 

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