TE -
I think there's a Golf Illustrated article from 1917 in which Emmet makes a very spirited defence of the professional architect. Basically, he says that, CB Macdonald aside -- as there was "only one Macdonald" -- you couldn't expect men who were not making a living day in and day out as golf architects to be able to develop the experience and expertise to oversee the millions being spent in the design and construction of golf courses.
I know that it might've been several years later before he actually started charging for his services, but it seems that he was (in the context of the USGA debate) already thinking quite hard about the subject. That's right, isn't it? I mean, he was still playing the high-level amateur tournaments then, and this was a few years before the USGA granted the exemption to architects, so I imagine he was only arguing for the principle at that point.
Also, there's a Golf Illustrated article from March 1922 that says: "W. H. Follett, former Editor of GOLF ILLUSTRATED, is joining the forces on March 1st with Devereux Emmet in his golf construction work. Follett has been associated with Carters Tested Seeds Company for the last year and a half and has made a great success of his work with them. With Mr. Emmet he believes that he has a larger field of endeavor."
Then, in late 1923, Emmet writes about the Queens Valley Course, i.e. "When the Queens Valley course…was laid out, great difficulty was experienced in assembling the various parcels of real estate that compose it. This land was very valuable. Assisted by the late "Pipe" Follett, I made many layouts which resulted in the end in one of the best I ever made. I consider it one of my best courses. There are some magnificent holes. I was fortunate in having the help of "Pipe" Follett. He was during most of his life a magazine writer and former editor of GOLF ILLUSTRATED, and during the last year or so of his life became associated with me as my assistant. He was a very fine golfer and a more genial soul and pleasant companion never lived…"
All of which to say, I'm guessing that if Mr. Follet was leaving a paying job to join Mr. Emmet, he'd also be getting paid there, as would Emmet himself -- which makes March 1922 the LATEST date possible for the "first time" Emmet was paid (unless I'm misunderstanding something...)
Peter
PS - Saw another very interesting article from early 1923 that was subtitled "Golf and Country Clubs Vanguard of Housing Development" (or something like that) -- basically talking about the growth of suburbs and the desire for city dwellers to get closer to nature and beauty, both in terms of where they lived and where they played golf.
Interesting times...