CB Macdonald and Merion

[Tom MacWood (Guest)]

Macdonald was evidently involved with the development of Merion. I never seen his name in connection with design of the course, does anyone know to what extent he was involved?

[TEPaul]

Tom MacW:

Without getting into too much detail the "development" (as you call it) of both Merion East and West was an interesting affair. When the Merion Cricket club decided to move from Bryn Mawr to its present site on Ardmore Ave it tapped 30 year old Hugh Wilson to take the lead with the golf courses. Wilson was a good amateur golfer (Princeton golf) with no apparent previous architectural experience.

Wilson spent two solid days with C.B. MacDonald in New York in sort of a crash course in how to go about building a golf course and how to find architectural inspiration by studying golf courses and architecture in Europe. Following that Wilson then spent six months in Europe in 1910 doing just that. (Wilson's European trip preceded Geo. Crump's by a few months).

In 1911 Wilson with a number of others working with him (most notably F. Pickering, W. Flynn, J. Valentine, possibly H. Toomey, A. Wilson) began constructing Merion East in 1911 and essentially had the course built by 1912 for a strictly architectural cost of $45,000. Merion West was done in 1914 due to the amount of play on Merion East. (Merion may have been the first 36 holes course in the world).

But from that rather short time span to opening (the architectural portion) they continued slowly to perfect the course with some alterations to the routing progression and the architecture of a number of the holes (#1, 2, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14) most taking place in 1925 (H. Wilson died in Jan. 1925). It's believed the course basically reached the absolute final stage of completion by 1930-2).

A number of architects are "known" to have come around Merion to look over the development of the course and some are "believed" to have come around at some point during  developement (Crump, Tillinghast, Thomas, Colt, Alison, Raynor, MacDonald, Travis etc). Some or many of those visits were during the national tournaments that Merion held in those early years.

Despite this it does not appear that Merion took on the collaborative modus operandi architecturally that Pine Valley did, or at least not to the same extent. In the initial stage of construction it seems that Wilson was the architect but nothing at this point seems to be specifically known (there seem to be no known architectural records of this early stage but we're searching). In the second stage (alterations in 1925) Wilson and Flynn appear to have been the architects (the architectural drawings in this second stage are Flynn's).

However, there has been recently discovered the most enormous set of files of collaborative correspondence (over 1200 letters) on strictly agronomy between Hugh Wilson and Piper and Oakley of the US Dept. of Agriculture beginning in 1911 and lasting until just before Wilson died in 1925.

During this time period (14 years) these three men (but including Flynn and Toomey) probably became the world's experts on golf course agronomy, grass types and agronomic problems and diseases. (The name Fredrick Winslow Taylor also appears at this time in both green building and agronomy). Before Wilson died those three created the National Green Section which in 1926 with the induction of William Fownes (Oakmont) as President of the USGA became the USGA Green section (with Piper and Oakley running it).

Within this enormous correspondence on agronomy C.B. MacDonald's name does appear and is mentioned a few times but only to put them in touch with a few people in the seed and stolon business and such. Within this correspondence is some brief mention of Macdonald's total agronomic failure at NGLA in the year or two following NGLA's opening. Also mentioned in connection with this correspondence is the total agronomic failure of Pine Valley during construction. The interesting agronomic tid-bit in this correspondence is the immaculateness of Taylor's greens at Ross's Sunnybrook (Philadelphia).

All of those mentioned surrounding the development of Merion also became practically the sole developers and purveyors of bent grass for golf course use.

[Tom MacWood (Guest)]

TE
I knew Wilson met with Macdonald prior to his tour of the UK. I'm referring to Macdonald on site at Merion during its development. Does he deserve more credit than he is given? Is there much documentation as to what model holes Wilson & Co. were trying to replicate and what influence Macdonald may have had on this?

[TEPaul]

Tom MacW:

There're a few vague references (in second party writing later) of both who may have stopped to see Merion and also whatever Hugh Wilson's architectural inspirations may have been regarding holes or design ideas (for instance the enormous dip before #17 green is said to be an inspiration from the "Valley of sin"). But not much more at this point (that we've found). A man by the name of Philler wrote a history of Merion in 1926 and asked Alan Wilson to write a full report of what went on during the building of Merion's course but his report seems remarkably unrevealing about the architecture, as he said it might be.

Essentially there's no real architectural records of any kind that have come forward in that vein at this time. There seems to be very little left from Hugh Wilson (of that early period) other than that immense agronomy correspondence (which surfaced last year and is now at the USGA Green section).

This does not mean it doesn't exist, of course, just that it hasn't been found. Wayne and I are hoping that somehow it may still exist somewhere hidden in a file or closet at Merion Cricket club which is the tennis facility from which Merion Ardmore (East and West courses) split off from in the 1940s. We're hoping that maybe records such as this just never made it over from the Cricket club to the now independent golf club.

As I said before there's indirect menition of a number of architects coming around probably including Macdonald and Raynor (and the others I mentioned above) but as of now the course's architect was Hugh Wilson.

Naturally we're wondering what Flynn's exact architectural contributions may have been and Toomey's too and it appears they all may have acted in some kind of partnership with specific jobs and functions but the architect of record remains Hugh Wilson and so far it certainly appears to be an accurate representation of what happened.

There is an early description, though, comparing C.B. Macdonald's architectural inspiration and constrcution at NGLA vs Hugh Wilson's at Merion and the conclusion of the writer was that Merion, in fact, is far more of an original design as Wilson did not want to use "copies" of the holes he may have drawn and drawn from from Europe the way C.B. did at NGLA. It was said that any similarity of Wilson's holes to what he found in Europe are in concept only while of course some of Macdonald's at NGLA are much more idenifiable to their prototypes in Europe.

If you have some reason to believe that Macdonald may have been responisible for more at Merion please let us know why.

[Tom MacWood (Guest)]

TE
I believe it was Macdonald and Whigham who were on site advising during the construction. From what I understand 'the committee' may have borrowed certain features they liked abroad and incorporated them into their design. Similar to Macdoanld who might take features from two famous holes and incorporate them into a single whole.

For example the grass patches in the bunkers was a tribute to Le Touquet--an HG Hutchinson creation on the northern coast of France. I suspect there might be an Eden green (#15?), a Redan green (#5?), a Road (?) and other famous holes/features.

Another influence no doubt were the humps and hollows of Royal Mid Surrey designed by JH Taylor (a Hutchinson protege). There seemed to be an almost fetish attraction to Royal Mid Surrey among the Philadelphia trio of Wilson, Crump and Tillinghast.

[TEPaul]

"For example the grass patches in the bunkers was a tribute to Le Touquet--an HG Hutchinson creation on the northern coast of France. I suspect there might be an Eden green (#15?), a Redan green (#5?), a Road (?) and other famous holes/features."

Tom MacW:

As I said earlier there is so far no evidence that Macdonald and Raynor were advising Merion of what to build there. And who would this "committee" you refer to at Merion be? If you mean people like Mr. Francis and maybe some of the railroad magnates and a few other "bighitters" from the Merion Cricket club who were possibly involved in the funding of the courses they had other functions than the architecture.  

It's a well known fact that Merion Cricket Club tapped Hugh Wilson exclusively to do the architecture of Merion East. He did spend that six months in Europe exclusively researching golf architecture and again there doesn't appear to be any evidence of what his drawings were about specifically although it is slightly know where he went. It is also known that his use of "concepts" from Europe was far more "interpretive" than Macdonald. Unfortunately Wilson's material from Europe has never been seen again.

#3 is a reverse redan but the green was built in the position of an old bank barn and does not runaway. Essentially that hole and green is what was there before construction (actually the right side of the green which is the large and high rightside bunker face was part of the old side of the bank barn). There is no Eden green at Merion and no Road green. All the greens of Merion are fundamentally unique.

It really only makes commonsense to give architectural attribution to Wilson at this point as a visit by Macdonald or Raynor for a day or something is just not logically going to produce a course designed even in part by them--and if it was, one would certainly think that either Hugh or Alan, the former probably spending every single day with the construction of the course, would have given them attribution or credit.

Matter of fact Macdonald's own book lists quite comprehensively his contributions to golf and architecture and there's very little mention by him about Merion or anything he might have done at Merion.

Wayne and I are definitely steering very clear of concluding that a course (or hole) might have been done by someone just because some people think it looks like something that someone once did. To date we've already proved a couple of courses to be Flynn despite the fact that for decades others, including the clubs, have stated they were certain it had to be someone else (Ross for instance) simply because some people, including some architects, think or thought it looks like Ross.

That's just not the way we think really good research should make conclusions or even assumptions. There has to be far more than; "if it looks like it, it must be it."

The unusual grass within the bunkers of Merion was an idea that originally came from Atlantic City G.C. Matter of fact the grass itself came from ACGC. We even believe we might know who it was that brought that grass from Atlantic City to Merion.

But again, if you have any real documentation of a Macdonald architectural contribution we would love to see it--or even try to follow some kind of thread to find it. But so far I can't see that there's much of one.

[Tom MacWood (Guest)]

I recall running across some old articles written before and/or right after Merion opened, stating that Macdonald and Whigham were on site assisting. Perhaps they were only giving moral support or turf advice--but on the other hand behind these novice designs is usually an experienced hand. I believe Geoff Shackelford listed Macdonald and Whigham first under Wilson's influences. Have you looked for any articles from the courses opening? Perhaps there may be clues to the origin of some of these holes. I'll search my stuff to see if I noted where I ran across this info.

What do you know about the Wilsons' European tour. I would be shocked if they did not visit Le Touquet and Royal Mid Surrey. Did the Wilsons mention ACCC as the source of the grass within the bunkers--I could have sworn I read something about Le Touquet.

[TEPaul]

"There seemed to be an almost fetish attraction to Royal Mid Surrey among the Philadelphia trio of Wilson, Crump and Tillinghast."

Tom MacW;

That's interesting. I'd very much like to know where that trio mentioned that, as certainly it might have had an influence on Flynn and Thomas too, perhaps even Fownes who could all be called those that made up the original "Philadephia School of Architecture." I'd like to have evidence of something like that as soon I will be writing an article about the original "Philadelphia School of Architecture" (Crump, Wilson, Tillinghast, Thomas, Flynn and Fownes).

It seems, however, that there came a time (1917) when Tillinghast particularly (and in writing) had almost a fetish lack of attraction regarding some architectural ideas to JH Taylor as evidenced by this;

     "Although the criticism is aimed at modern courses in general, it occurs to many that Taylor is taking a long brassey to a blind green on a strange course, for he refers to American courses of which he has (only) heard. Certainly the recollections of the courses over which he played in America during his visit some years ago, made it difficult for him to conceive of the gignatic strides toward perfection, made by American golf since that time. Little wonder! He saw some of the crudest courses of that period and several of the best, which were bad enough as compared with those of today.
       "......The same spirit of progressiveness has enabled this country to produce its own excellent clubs, develop its own professionals, its own golf architects, and to think its own thoughts. Once we gave ear to the words of the masters without question. Now we are pleased to listen just as attentively, yet form our own conclusions with our own brains. In the jargon of the theater, "Waving the American flag has saved many a bad show." Let this not be the excuse for the defense of our modern courses. But it is because I believe we have grown big enough to think for ourselves, I dare raise a voice to assert that Taylor's shot has not found our green."

[TEPaul]

Tom MacW;

In the agronomy correspondence Wilson himself makes mention of the time he spent with Macdonald in Long Island and gives him great credit for the comprehensive advice he gave him about building a golf course in that one two day crash course. Obviously that was the time Wilson certainly felt Macdonald was an influence on his education and his project at Merion. From those agronomy correspondences it is also patently clear that Hugh Wilson was a most efficient man and interested man and not one to waste a minute doing anything.

Presumably C.B. mapped out for Wilson where he should visit and study while in Europe for six months, probably even giving him some entrees. In those correspondences, though, Wilson does not mention Macdonald that much again (except what I've already said) but almost the entire correspondence is concerned with agronomy and very little if any actual architecture.

Macdonald, Whigam and even Raynor were undoubtably visitors to Merion but what does that really mean? Things like the Lesley Cup Matches were where and when many or all those early architects got together, played against each other and got to know each other better obviously.

The Atlantic City bunker grasses are specifically mentioned in the ACGC history book and the story was confirmed to me the other day by Doug Fraser. Before the building of either Merion or Pine Valley ACGC was where all those architectural friends went in the winter months all the time to play golf.

Now that I think more about Macdonald, it appears from one of Wilson's correspondences to Piper and Oakley that C.B may have been the type who did not offer advice very readily at all about architecture or other things.

That would square with what seems evident about anything he may have done with Crump and frankly Wilson did mention to Piper and Oakley that if Macdonald did not respond to their letters that would not be unusual at all and that Wilson might then try to contact him when he was in NYC.

That would also sort of square with what George Bahto and others have said about C.B's apparent jealousy about NGLA being compared to other significant courses of that era. It's also pretty clear that around the end of the teens and into the 1920s Macdonald was getting tired of things to do with architecture at least in the sense of helping others. His letter to Perry Maxwell makes that pretty clear.

[George Bahto]

Tom - remember Macdonald did NOT want to build courses and I'm sure he was peppered with requests to build more all his life.

I'll add a lot of fuel to this discussion with my next post.

[George Bahto]

Well guys I’ve held this thought back for quite a while because aside from the following it is the only such
information I’ve uncovered about it.

This is an excerpt from the eulogy written by Henry Whigham about his Father-In-Law Charlie Macdonald which appeared in the magazine Town and Country. Henry was managing editor for this great magazine for about 25 years.

The title of the piece was “The Evangelist of Golf” which is where I got the title of my book.

Now before I insert the paragraph which is about Seth Raynor I think we can be very clear that Henry was a man of intelligence who wrote a number of books aside from being the head of the magazine for so many years.

It should also be clear that he (Whigham) certainly was overly close to the events of the day because he was “family” and was very also a very close friend of Macdonald’s so, to me, his words are hard to dispute - again, beyond this I have never seen anything else on the subject.

Near the end of the long eulogy he wrote the following about Seth Raynor:

“Raynor had an extraordinary career as a golf architect. He was a surveyor in Southampton whom Macdonald had called in to read the contour maps he had brought from abroad. Raynor
knew nothing about golf and had never hit a ball on any links, but he had a marvelous eye for a country. Having helped lay out the eighteen great holes on the National, he was able to adapt them to almost any topography. The Macdonald-Raynor courses became famous all over America. Among the most famous are Piping Rock, the Merion Cricket Club at Philadelphia .....   , the Country Club of St. Louis, two beautiful courses at White Sulphur, the Lido (literally poured out of the lagoon), and that equally amazing Yale course at New Haven, which was hewn out of rock
and forest at an expense of some seven hundred thousand dollars. From coast to coast and from Canadian border (Bahto insert: Thousnad Island Club) to Florida you will find Macdonald courses. And in hundreds of places he
never heard of you will discover reproductions of the Redan and the Eden and the Alps.”

Isn’t it interesting he noted Merion Cricket Club by name in with some of the most outstanding courses he/they were
involved with?

I don’t know what to think but certainly would like to find out more.

I also recently pulled up an article from the New York Times - an obit of Raynor’s - where it said “Raynor
had built or remodeled nearly 300 courses - leaves me with a lot to do!

[TEPaul]

Again, if anyone has anything about Macdonald, Raynor, Alison or anyone else involving the architectural creation of Merion we'd certainly like to see it or be made aware of it and obviously Merion would too.

But for obvious reasons whatever evidence and material is produced should be pretty solid. I don't think anyone is too interested in stories such as any of those architects may have been around there at some point and so it could be assumed that they must have designed the course or even a hole or part of one just because someone thinks something  might look like something else somewhere else. That kind of thing is just total speculation, in my book.

But anything else, certainly first hand writing, or writing we could check against something else already available would be great.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

For what it is worth, I think the story was more along the lines of Wilson going up to see MacDonald on Long Island AFTER he returned from Great Britain, to verify exactly what he learned from the great links.

I could be slightly wrong there, but that was my understanding. But who am I to argue with Philly's Tom Paul? Mr. Pat Mucci? I do hope he is having a great time in Florida!

[TEPaul]

"Isn’t it interesting he noted Merion Cricket Club by name in with some of the most outstanding courses he/they were
involved with?

I don’t know what to think but certainly would like to find out more."

George;

I don't know what to think of that either and I certainly would like to find out more too. That certainly is interesting and needs to be explored. As I've mentioned over and over again there's very little I'm aware of to date from Hugh Wilson or anyone else regarding the actual original architectural phase of Merion East. The writing Merion appears to have now is a bit indirect regarding the "original" architecture of the course and is what I would term "second hand" reports and not detailed ones at that. But so far we've not come across any real mention in this vein of either Macdonald or Raynor.

One would certainly think C.B would have talked about something that significant in his own book, Scotland's Gift Golf--he talked about everything else he did architecturally in it it seems--and it would be very strange that Hugh or Alan Wilson made no mention about it either--men who were certainly there for the duration.

If Merion East or even West turn out to have been designed, routed, or anything else remotely like that by Macdonald and/or Raynor it would be a real revelation--that's for damn sure! And I guess it would certainly make one wonder what Hugh Wilson had been tapped by the club for and why he had bothered to spend six months in Europe looking for architectural inspiration and preparing to design and build a golf course in Ardmore for his club.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Also, I must warn you all about this H. Wingham-thing. It will only bring one certain and paticular Armenian out of hiding to spout a diatribe of undue passion and abandon that it was in fact Seth Raynor that designed Merion and not Hugh Wilson.

(Hopefully this will get him out of hiding!)

[Tom MacWood (Guest)]

'American Golfer' had regional correspondants that reported on local activities each month. Eastern Pa had a guy called Hazard - if I'm not mistaken Hazard was Tillinghast. Hazard followed the progress of new courses in the Phila area and evidently he followed Merion. I see in my notes from Spring 1911, that he reported that Merion was nearing completion and that during the month (April or May) Macdonald and Whigham have been aiding the committee.

It is possible that he reported every month on the progress of the course, I don't know, I wasn't looking for information on Merion. I also noted at a later date there was an article on the completed course (it says with pictures), the article gave credit to Macdonald as a great assistance to Wilson. It also mentioned something about the use of the hollows of Mid-Surrey, the bents of Le Touquet and the Eden green at the 15th - the author that it was one of the courses failures.

Regarding Mid-Surrey, the course was considered a revolutionary design in 1910-11. It recieved tremendous publicity for it humps and hollows or Alpinization. It would have been logical for those studying course design to have definitely taken a look at the famous new course. Around this same time Tillinghast (Delaware), Wilson (Merion) and Crump (PVGC) were all designing their first golf courses (at approximately the same time) and it was reported that all three incorporated Mid-Surrey features into their designs. Alpinization never caught on, Hutchinson and Darwin were not crazy about the idea of full scale artificial mounding. I suspect Colt was responsible for Crump dropping the idea. MacKenzie was another outspoken critic of Taylor.

It is also interesting that when Macdonald was looking for the finest turf expert available when contructing Lido, he asked Taylor what he thought and he recommended Peter Lees who constructed Mid-Surrey and who was its greenkeeper. Macdonald hired him away with a large annual salary, it was not well recieved in the UK, one gets the impression that one of their national treasures had been stolen.

[George Bahto]

Tom McW: There was an article at that time that appeared in Br Golf Illustrated about how miffed the Brits were - not only was Macdonald "stealing" their holes but now he had taken Peter Lees ..... I think I alluded to that in the book

[George Bahto]

Tom Paul: Do I remember reading that Wilson was very ill during the time the West at Merion was being built?

[TEPaul]

"Tom Paul: Do I remember reading that Wilson was very ill during the time the West at Merion was being built?"

George:

Reputedly, Wilson had health problems at various times in his life but he did not become incapacitatedly ill until near the middle of the 1920s apparently (he died suddenly at 45 in 1925). Merion West was built in 1914.

Anyone can see (from his 14 year correspondence with Piper and Oakley) that Wilson was a man of tremendous energy and one would have to say efficiency. In that term of agronomy correspondence (14 years) anyone would have to categorize his participation at Merion as extremely dedicated, perhaps daily.

As for Raynor's total career output, his New York Times obit mention of 300 courses might have to be looked at with some reserve. 300 courses in an approximately 12 year career would put his annual output at 25 per year, a pace that even high production Donald Ross apparently only exceeded in one of his career years.

A remark like that in a NY Times obit could certainly be broad brush as I doubt a NY Times obit writer would have bothered to do the course research necessary to establish the validity of such a number or let's say 1/100th of the kind of course research you have George.

It was also reported by some otherwise seemingly reliable sources that Ross had worked on over 600 courses in his career--a number that now is far too high.

[TEPaul]

Hopefully, this quotation, although not particularly specific regarding Merion’s construction phase should give a pretty good glimpse of how and by whom Merion East came to be constructed and also what C.B. Macdonald and H.J. Whigam’s participation with it may have been.

      “The Merion Cricket Club played golf on leased property for nearly twenty years and as is usual in this country the land became so valuable the club was forced to move. This experience showed the advantage of permanency; so early in 1911, the club appointed a committee (Messrs, Lloyd, Griscom, Francis, Toulmin and Wilson) to construct a new course on the 125 acres which had been purchased. The members of the committee had played golf for many years but their experience in construction and greenkeeping was only that of the average club member. Looking back on the work, I feel certain that we would never have attempted to carry it out, if we had realized one-half of the things we did not know. Our ideals were high and fortunately we did get a good start in the correct principles of laying out the holes, through the kindnesses of Messrs. C.B. MacDonald and H.J. Whigam. We spent two days with Mr Macdonald at his bungalow near the National Course and in one night absorbed more ideas on Golf Course construction than we had learned in all the years we had played. Through sketches and explanations of the right principles of the holes that formed the famous courses abroad and had stood the test of time, we learned what was right and what we should try to accomplish with our natural conditions. The next day we spent going over the course and studying the different holes. Every good course that I later saw in England and Scotland confirmed Mr Macdonald’s teachings. May I suggest to any committee about to build a new course, or to alter their old one, that they spend as much time as possible on courses such a the National and Pine Valley, where they may see the finest type of holes and, while they cannot hope to reproduce them in their entirety, they can learn the correct principles and adapt them to their courses.
      Our problem was to lay out the course, build and seed eighteen greens, and fifteen fairways. Three fairways were old pasture turf. These will be mentioned later. We collected all the information we could from local committees and greenkeepers, and started in the spring of 1911 to construct the course on ground which had largely been farm land.
After completing the construction of the greens, and thoroughly harrowing in and breaking up the soil on both fairways and greens, we allowed the weeds to germinate and harrowed them in about every three weeks.
      We opened the course September 14th, 1912, just a year after seeding…..”

That all seems quite clear to me. Given what Wilson said about Macdonald's contribution to his (their) education regarding the 'principles on Golf Course construction' preceding Wilson spending six months studying architecture in Europe (1910), if C.B, or Whigam had actually come down to Ardmore to lay-out (route) or designed the holes of the East course one would certainly think Wilson would not have hesitated to say so and thank him (them) for that too.

Of course, again, had Macdonald actually done that one would also think he would not have hesitated to mention it in his own book, Scotland's Gift Golf, in which he did mention all the significant architectural work he did do. This would certainly seem a natural thing for him to do particularly as Merion did hold a number of national championships during C.B. Macdonald's lifetime.

But George, the interesting thing about your mention of J.H. Whigam's eulogy remark is it's not about C.B. Macdonald, it's about Seth Raynor. And you've implied to me and here too that what Whigam may have been referring to regarding Raynor and Merion (the Merion Cricket Club) may not have been the East Course but the West Course.

Given what I just produced from Hugh Wilson regarding the architectural construction of the East Course, and which actually may have been a bit early for Raynor to participate in anyway, possibly the West course is what should be focused on. But that one too, although as to who specifically did the design and construction of it, is a bit hazy too, all indicators of what's available and has been referred to by Wilson (in writing) would seem to indicate that the same team that produced the East course produced the West course.

We do for instance have a mention from Hugh Wilson himself stating that Fred Pickering (foreman on the East Course's construction) had become a bit too inebriated on the West course and was replaced by his brother in law, William Flynn.

Apparently there's also a file, possibly heretofore not really studied, of Joe Valentine's notes and diaries going back on both courses to near the beginning. Maybe we will find something indicative there to shed more light into who did what on both courses.

[Tom MacWood (Guest)]

TE
It seems clear to me that Wilson was the main force behind the creation of Merion, but it also appears that Macdonald assisted him in some way, more than just tutoring him in his bungalow for a day or two. Whigham obviously felt there was more to it also, and he would have first hand knowledge.

The account you qoated does not mention the fact that Macdonald and Whigham were on site in the Spring of 1911 (as reported by Hazard at the time). Also Macdonald didn't recall all his design activities in his book. He does not mention his contributions to Sleepy Hollow, Blind Brook, St.Louis or Shinnecock.

[ChipOat]

Tom MacWood:

You beat me to this thread as I just finished George's book last night (including Whigham's obit) and was poised this morning to ask the very question you proposed.

Great minds think alike?

[TEPaul]

Tom MacW and Chip:

Of course we, doing research on Merion, and certainly Merion too would obviously welcome any information on the architectural creation of either course.

Personally, I'm finding some of Tillinghast's contemporary articles (as Hazard) extremely helpful on both necessary timelines of particularly Pine Valley's design and construction and so there's no reason to think the same would not be true of Merion's.

However, it should be noted that some of Tillinghast's articles on PVGC are of sufficient detail to actually assign architectural attribution for various things to some people.

But if even Tillinghast just mentioned that Whigam and Macdonald showed up at Merion in the spring of 1911 what does that mean without detail? It means virtually nothing without some supporting detail.

Lots of architects were around Merion at one time or another and it happens that their remarks and feelings are recorded or somewhat so, like C.H. Alison, for instance.

Again, I certainly would never accept some attribution to  any architect simply because someone now says that it must be them because it sort of looks like them--and I seriously doubt Merion should or would either.

Clearly that just isn't good enough. But if there's something concrete or from which really good deductions can be drawn then it should be looked at seriously and taken seriously.

[ChipOat]

My guess is that Whigam was stating that CBM provided inspriation and influence to Hugh Wilson.  Perhaps he also believes that (assuming an on-site visit), CBM had a few specific suggestions that were, in fact, implemented by Wilson.

Either way, was CBM as influential at Merion as Colt was at Pine Valley?  Doesn't sound like it.

[George Bahto]

Tom Paul: it would be easier for you to tell me the the Merion Cricket Club and Merion - the connection etc .....   that would help me a lot.