Merion Golf Club’s East Course is available on WGT by TopGolf. The 2013 US Open venue with its iconic wicker basket flagsticks, white stone quarry bunkers, and the narrowest fairways in championship golf is part of the 20-course library. You can play it on the free tier for roughly $3 in credits or get unlimited access with the $9.99/month WGT Premium subscription.
Merion is the course that tells modern golf architecture to sit down.
The East Course measures 6,850 yards from the tips. That is shorter than the municipal course in your hometown. But Merion has hosted more USGA championships than any other course in America, and the 2013 US Open proved it can still dismantle the best players in the world. The secret is not distance. It is the narrowest fairways in championship golf, rough that punishes every miss, greens the size of postage stamps, and a routing that forces you to hit every club in the bag.
On WGT, Merion is one of the most rewarding rounds in the library. The narrow fairways, the punishing rough, and the tiny greens demand precision over power on every shot.
Why This Matters for Sim Owners: Most course guides tell you whether a course is available and what it costs. We’ll tell you whether it’s worth your time. We’ve played Merion across WGT, GSPro, and E6 Connect, and we know which version delivers the experience that actually mirrors playing the real course. The $3 WGT rental is the cheapest way to test-drive one of America’s most architecturally significant courses — and for sim owners who care about course design, Merion is required playing.
How to Access Merion on WGT
Merion is available on WGT through the standard access model with no special tier, extra purchase, or hidden license key required.
Free tier: Download WGT for free. Rent Merion for 24 hours using in-game credits. A typical course rental costs around 3,500 credits, which works out to roughly $3 if you buy credits directly. You can also earn credits by playing rounds and completing challenges.
WGT Premium ($9.99/month): Unlimited access to Merion and every other course in the library. No rental fees. No credit costs. If you play more than three rounds a month across any courses, Premium pays for itself.
WGT Home Simulator: If you connect a launch monitor — Full Swing, SkyTrak, Uneekor, GCQuad, or any supported device — the software auto-detects it and switches to sim mode. Merion is available in sim mode the same way. Same access model. No extra fees.
This is the WGT advantage over every other platform. You can try Merion for $3 before committing to anything. GSPro requires a $299 annual subscription before you see a single course. E6 Connect requires a $600/year Expanded tier. WGT lets you play a round for the price of a coffee.
What Merion Plays Like on WGT
The WGT version of Merion East captures the essential character of the course. The wicker basket pins are there — a Merion tradition that replaces traditional flagsticks with woven baskets. The white stone quarry bunkers are rendered correctly. The tight driving corridors are as claustrophobic as the real thing.
The 2013 US Open at Merion was defined by the tension between the course’s short length and its brutal precision demands. WGT captures that tension. You can hit driver on most holes. You should not. The fairways are so narrow that a 280-yard shot in the fairway is better than a 310-yard shot in the rough. That is the opposite of how most modern courses play.
The greens are the real test. WGT’s physics engine handles the subtle breaks well. Three-putts are common. Par feels earned. The 5th hole (the 225-yard par-3 with the quarry bunker guarding the green) is a genuine test of long-iron accuracy. The 18th hole (the uphill par-4 that decided the 2013 US Open) plays exactly as tense as it should.
The only limitation is visual. WGT’s graphics are not as detailed as GSPro’s premium course builds. The trees are simpler. The textures are flatter. But the gameplay is accurate, and the course plays correctly. That matters more than polygon count.
The WGT Merion Tradeoff
Merion on WGT trades visual fidelity for accessibility. The GSPro version of Merion looks better. The E6 version (available in the Expanded tier) has higher-resolution textures and more detailed bunker modeling. But the WGT version is the only one you can play for free.
If you are a golf architecture nerd who wants to study the routing, the green complexes, and the strategic demands of a top-10 world course, the WGT version gives you everything you need. The wicker baskets, quarry bunkers, and claustrophobic fairways are all present. The course plays like Merion, even if it does not look like a 4K screenshot.
If you want the best visual experience, play Merion on GSPro or E6. But if you want to try Merion for $3 and decide if you even like the course before spending more money, WGT is the right call.
The Best Courses on WGT
Merion is a strong addition to the WGT library, but it is not the headline act. The platform’s strength is its curated collection of licensed courses. Pebble Beach, St Andrews, Pinehurst No. 2, and Bandon Dunes are all excellent. The full breakdown is in the best courses on WGT guide.
For a complete overview of the platform, hardware compatibility, and how it compares to GSPro, E6, and TGC 2019, read the WGT by TopGolf review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Merion on WGT free to play?
Merion is available on the free tier of WGT. You can rent it for 24 hours using in-game credits. A typical rental costs roughly 3,500 credits, which is about $3 if you buy credits directly. You can earn credits by playing rounds and completing challenges. WGT Premium ($9.99/month) gives you unlimited access to Merion and the entire course library.
Does the WGT version of Merion have the wicker basket pins?
Yes. The wicker basket flagsticks are a Merion tradition and the WGT version includes them. They are a small detail that matters to anyone who knows the course.
How does WGT’s Merion compare to GSPro and E6 Connect?
The GSPro version of Merion has higher visual fidelity and more detailed bunker modeling. The E6 version is part of the Expanded tier library. The WGT version is the most accessible — you can play it for $3 on the free tier or $9.99/month on Premium. The gameplay is accurate across all three platforms. The main difference is visual quality and cost.
What other US Open courses are on WGT?
WGT’s library includes several US Open venues: Pebble Beach (2010, 2019), Pinehurst No. 2 (2014, 2024), Oakmont (2016), Erin Hills (2017), Torrey Pines South (2021), Chambers Bay (2015), Congressional (2011), and The Olympic Club (2012). Merion (2013) fits right in with that group.
Can I play Merion on WGT with my launch monitor?
Yes. WGT supports launch monitors from Full Swing, SkyTrak, Uneekor, GCQuad, and other major brands. The software auto-detects the hardware and switches to sim mode. Merion is available in sim mode with no additional purchase beyond the standard access model.