"We now know for certain how Crump died,"
Tom MacWood:
That's true we now do know that Crump committed suicide. You proved that fact and you wrote an interesting and compassionate article on his life and death that many or most had never heard or considered. That is a good and valuable thing, I feel that way, apparently the club does too and I'm sure many members and others who care about Pine Valley will too. Your article may become a valuable part of PVGC history and lore, and that's a good thing.
"we now know that Aronimink was original constructed with multiple bunkers,"
That's true we now do know that—calling the Hagley the other day and finding that they have it and going down there to look at the 1929 aerial at the Hagley the other day proved that, but what does that mean? Does it mean that's the way Ross wanted Aronimink’s bunkers to be? Noone can be sure of that, certainly not you despite what you say to the contrary. If that’s what he wanted one should logically wonder why he bothered to draw and explain the construction of them differently perhaps within months of them being constructed. Does it mean that the club made an incorrect decision regarding what to do bunker-wise in their recent project? No, it doesn't, despite what you say to the contrary--an opinion, by the way, that seems to be held by few or perhaps only you.
"we now know why Ross did not claim the Grove Park Inn,"
That's true too. I suppose that means the GPI and the DRS got overzealous in attribution and need to be more careful and more research-oriented in the things they claim and that's valuable to know.
"we now know that William Gordon thought McGovern was a very good architect,"
That's interesting to know too and frankly I've never heard that before. Perhaps "birds of a feather" think alike, particularly since William Flynn's long-time construction foreman and associate, William Gordon, is considered as an architect in the town in which he lived and from which operated, to be in about the same class as Ross's long-time construction foreman (Wynnewood office manager) and associate, J.B. McGovern. However, it may be more interesting and certainly more revealing in an architectural sense to consider what a far more respected architect, William Flynn, thought of J.B. McGovern, despite your protestations that revealing Flynn's opinion of McGovern, the architect, is dragging the man and his reputation through the mud.
"and most importantly we now know the importance of research over educated guessing."
That's very true too. But perhaps in the end it will be more valuable in an architectural sense and certainly to the clubs involved to have proven not that Crump shot himself (again, the rumor of his suicide had been extant for decades and for whatever reason noone thought it significant enough or perhaps appropriate enough to go through the obvious procedure of petitioning the state for his death certificate) but what Crump really did do at PVGC, what Colt really did do at PVGC, what Hugh Alison really did do at PVGC, what Flynn and the Wilsons of Merion really did do there, (in what sense does proving Crump's suicide lend awareness to what happened at PVGC during it's long and interesting years of construction? In no sense I can think of. Is the revelatoin and proof that Crump did commit suicide important, all things considered? I for one, certainly think it is).
That Concord G.C. really was designed by Flynn and not Donald Ross, that Kittansett really was designed by William Flynn (Wilson) and not be Frederick Hood, what the real contributions were by about 6-7 archiects at GMGC, that Dick Wilson did not design Shinnecock as the club thought he might have etc, etc.
And finally, and apropos of this particular thread, that the correct decision was made at Aronimink in their bunker project to create bunkers to Donald Ross’s own detailed plans and to not indulge in speculation and guess-work with documentary evidence and information about why they were constructed differently. The payoff is that in the last few years since the work was done consensus opinion approves of the decision and the bunker project, despite a lone opinion to the contrary by a self-serving, self-flattering, so-called “research expert” from Ohio who has never seen the golf course!