I tend to agree with you with regard to Flynn and the Torresdale site. I think the only similarities would be in the beginnings and endings of the nines. I think Flynn would have hit the ridges and topo at oblique angles whereas Ross went straight up and down. I don't think Flynn's design style would have dictated an inside/outside routing as Tom said. An inside/outside routing, to me, implies that one nine would need to go around the perimeter and another contained within it. The perimeter of the property is entirely bordered by holes that parallel, so no, it's not absurd to say the holes would be over the same topography or down the same corridors. The only difference could be the location of the greens, tees and the direction (clockwise or anticlockwise).
Are you serious in saying that Rolling Green's property is constricting? I agree with you on Merion.... and Torresdale's property is the same shape... but not with Rolling Green - there's plenty of room to do a lot of different things there. The first hole could go in any direction but south, for example, as evidenced by the fact that 1, 3, 11, and 15 all are within a reasonable first tee distance from the clubhouse and all go in different directions. The sites at Torresdale, Huntingdon Valley and Merion East do not offer such discretion.
Sorry if I misinterpreted, but your post #48, both through wit and direct statement, implies that Ross's standards for quality were not up to that of Flynn's. I can explain the the percentage of work in the Top 100 quite easily, actually - only 100 courses could get on. Ross did more Top 100 courses than Flynn, but if it were a Top 500, how would that percentage change...
Come on Wayne... rank the Flynn clunkers... I'd love to see a battle between the old CC of Harrisburg, Flourtown CC, Plymouth CC and Doylestown CC ;-)