Wasn't Robert Hunter Jr friendly with Marion Hollins through polo? Didn't he put her in touch with his father who then recommended AM through their connection with 'The Links' book, the Doctor assisting Hunter with the gathering of illustrations?
JES II -
I'm not doubting the quotation. I'm sure that is what MacK wrote.
My point is that if you were coming to the US for reasons of political purity, picking California from among 48 possible states is a very odd choice. So odd, in fact, that it would not be out of line to think that somethig else was going on.
Bob
Bob, AM gives us a possible explanation on the following lines. Here's the full text.
I left Europe to reside in America because I felt that it was only a question of time for Europe to be destroyed by socialistic propaganda and legislation.
It is with a feeling of alarm that I notice in the United States the spread of similar doctrines which has led to the misery of British workers. In a time of temporary depression it is so easy to rouse the passions of the people and introduce legislation, like the British dole, which will simply accentuate and perpetuate the evils they are trying to cure.
There are an increasing number of Americans who honestly believe, notwithstanding the lessons of history, that wealth producing machinery creates unemployment and poverty. The present depression and unemployment is due entirely to a cessation in the production of wealth owing to the stock exchange crisis causing a stoppage in the use of wealth producing machines. A wave of optimism succeeded by too great a wave of pessimism.
It is the duty of every good golfer and citizen to dam this tide of pessimism and encourage counter propaganda to neutralize false economic doctrines, for if they do not do so, not only golf but everything else that is desirable will go.---
I know AM had already visited the States before his world trip, but this GI article from Oct 1926 is an important one.
G O L F I L L U S T R A T E D October 1st 1926, p5
Dr. Mackenzie's TourDr. A. Mackenzie, of Moor Allerton Lodge, Leeds, sailed to Australia on September 19 by the ss. Otranto, Orient Line. He is going there for the purpose of designing a new course for the Royal Melbourne golf club, and is also advising other golf clubs there. He is returning by way of California, where he has several big jobs in hand, the principal of these being the reconstruction of the Pebble Beach golf course on the Del Monté Peninsula: the new Cypress Point golf course (situated amongst magnificent sand dunes with glorious views of the Pacific Ocean at nearly every hole), which will probably be the most spectacular course in the world; and in conjunction with his Californian partner, Mr. Robert Hunter (the author of "The Links," a book which has recently been most favourably criticised in this country and is looked upon by many as being a classic on golf architecture) he is designing the Meadows golf course, near San Francisco, and several others in Northern and Southern California.
Other Possible Visits.
Dr. Mackenzie has also received enquiries from golf clubs as to the possibility of his visiting Ceylon, Vancouver, Florida and Jamaica, and he may visit any or all these places. During previous years Dr. Mackenzie has received many requests to visit golf courses abroad, particularly in our colonies and America, but has hitherto refused them owing to pressure of work at home, but this year, at the onset of the coal strike he decided ( with some foresight as it has turned out), that it and its after effects were likely to last for many months and would undoubtedly diminish the volume of trade; including golf courses in this country, and that there could never be likely to arise a more favourable opportunity in the future for taking a long trip abroad without doing much harm to his work at home. Owing to the necessity for returning to his work at home as early as possible he is only devoting a week or two to each place he visits and hopes to arrive home next January or early in February.
Dr. Mackenzie is the pioneer of modern golf course designing and construction in the North. He has advised St. Andrews, Prestwick, Troon and over 300 golf clubs. During Dr. Mackenzie's absence abroad, Major C.A. Mackenzie, his brother, who is managing the British Golf Course Construction Company and the American Golf Course Construction Company, and who has had much experience in the construction and design of golf courses in this country and America, will do his work in his absence. Dr. Mackenzie proposes, during his trip, to give us accounts of golf abroad, and descriptions of Australian and other Colonial and foreign courses.