TEPaul,
You have to understand that every time you or I ask Tom MacWood a question, he scurries to try to find the answer, because he doesn't know the answer at the time the question is asked, because he's totally unfamiliar with the golf course at Seminole.
Secondly, it's a flaw in his character, he can't admit when he's made a mistake, thus he tries to mount a paper tiger argument to support his flawed position and/or conclusions.
For him to support Ross's alleged quote that Seminole is FLAT is absurd. As you said, anyone who's ever played the golf course knows how ridiculous that comment is.
And, for MacWood to put forth the theory that Ross created those massive ridges from the material he excavated from the lakes, was his desperate attempt at having to avoid the FACT that he was DEAD WRONG regarding Seminole.
He knows nothing about Seminole.
He knew even less when he quoted Ross.
The topo he studied was the one my superior research skills provided for him, subsequent to his allegations and implications.
During Coleman's when the greens at Seminole were stimping near 12 and good golfers were putting off of the greens, 30 yards down the slopes into the fairways, I don't think they thought that the golf course was FLAT.
Anyone who's been to Seminole can also tell you that Ross did next to nothing with the modern earth moving equipment, MacWood references, at Seminole, another notion MacWood erroneously clings to regarding the hole designs in the flat portion of the golf course.
He can't admit he was wrong and that he made a colossal blunder about Seminole.
He also can't admit that Ross's alleged quote, to which he clings to as infallible, might be false, fabricated or taken totally out of context, because that would mean that Ross's alleged quote regarding Aronomink might fall into the same category, further damaging and destroying his argument about Ross's direct involvement with the alteration of the bunkers at Aronomink.
And, he can't admit that Watson might have exercized "artistic license" but that McGovern couldn't, because that too, totally undermines and destroys his theories relating to Ross's direct involvement with the bunkering at Aronomink.
You have to understand that MacWood has far more to lose in this debate over Seminole than anyone. For if he's recognized as being incorrect about Seminole, certainly his theories regarding Aronomink must be cast into doubt.
Hence he tries to convince you, me and others, that he's right about Seminole and that Ross's quote is accurate, beyond question and infallible, all of which aren't true.
What I've found most disturbing is his intellectual dishonesty.
Credible historic researchers are objective, he's incapable of being objective when his theories, ego and reputation are involved.