Dan
I really don't see the purpose of trying to disqualify an entire article because of a couple inconsequential errors. There were two other similar articles written in November, in the Phila Recorder and the Phila Inquirer, that also have small errors. Should we throw those articles out too? The main problem you have with the 11/24 is the announcement Barker had been secured to lay out the course. Actually in some ways the 11/24 article got more right than the other two. For example it reports MCC had secured 117 acres (as opposed to 130 acres in the other two) and the cost per acre of $726 per acre. I think it is obvious the authors of all these articles were getting information from an inside source. We have gone over the articles endlessly, I see no need to go over the same ground again.
I don't understand your focus on what was open for play June 1910. I've told you what projects were either completed or in process of completion at that time, and its an impressive list. I think even you would have to admit that. Whatever you believe was or wasn't completed it does not change the fact that he was brought in to inspect the Merion site in June, and his name (along with M&W) was proudly broadcasted in every Philadelphia paper that November, when the project was announced. You must think Lloyd & Co. were idiots.
Regarding when his courses opened for play, some opened 1909, some in 1910, some in 1911, and so on, and some I'm not exactly sure when they opened. I do know his busiest period was 1908-1909, my count is fifteen courses designed/redesigned, but his June letter states upwards of twenty, so I'm must be missing a few. The point is he was in great demand, and in great demand by elite clubs.
Relax, I don't believe Barker had anything to do with Whitemarsh Valley, and I stated the timing was not right for Seaview. Atlantic City was a redesign of an existing course; Philmont was a nine-hole addition to an existing nine; Bedford Springs was a new 18-hole course. I'm not sure if he redesigned the existing nine at Philmont.
I wouldn't go so far as saying Travis gave a running itinerary of Barker's comings and goings, I wish he had it would have saved me a lot of research, but I would say he did promote the man. And Barker's tremendous design activities can be directly traced and attributed to his connection with Travis. By the time Merion was in the developmental stage Barker had left GCGC and was working at Rumson; I'm not sure what affect that had on their relationship. Plus Philadelphia (Mid Atlantic, to be specific) activities were reported by Hazard (Tilly), and in all those columns over the years I've only found one mention, and Barker was quite active in the region. I reckon he was not anxious to report on a business rival.
PS: When are you going to clean up the unrelated crap from your previous post?