Our Merion history is not as Moriarty describes it. He is completely out of touch. The only manner in which his research was used was as an inducement to finding out the truth about the events during the move of the Merion Cricket Club course from Haverford to Ardmore. It preceded Flynn's involvement, so prior to Moriarty's essay, we didn't address it with much depth or due diligence. What was clear to anyone somewhat familiar with Merion's history could easily see that holes in his logic and the assumptions built upon assumptions approach he took. It was those assumptions (poor and agenda driven) that caused us to look into the story to a much greater extent. If only Moriarty wrote his essay in less conclusive terms and if only it wasn't presented and endorsed in the way it was, would it be understood for what it is...an incomplete and partially researched essay. But he drew definitive conclusions that were, in the end, easy to disprove.
Moriarty's essay is more mess than masterpiece. It is full of errors in describing events and more so in its interpretations and analysis of events. It is there for all to see and judge while ours is not. Yet, he leverages that fact and rants and tears down our history of which he is wholly unaware. MacWood does the same on an unfinished draft history of several years ago. Not only that, but Moriarty has the gall to think our history is comprised of his findings. His findings, like him, are full of crap and should be ignored. We used his essay as a spur to doing a comprehensive and unbiased research effort, something Moriarty has little to no knowledge of. We used the MCC minutes and the collection of Merion articles that I have amassed and those that Joe Bausch put together. There are more than 1000 newspaper articles, hundreds of magazine articles and a great deal of material unavailable to the general public, including Moriarty. Still, he thinks his efforts are true and that he championed the correct history in his Missing Faces essay. Well, he is missing his mind if he still thinks so. His taunts and baiting will not cause us to publish the piece here. That simply will not happen. When we get permission from the two clubs, we will release it somehow...through the USGA or individually. It will certainly be in our book. MacWood will probably have access to it through Michael Hurdzan. Moriarty, who cares? I doubt he would like reality to intrude on his fantasy.
I don't know about the rest of you but I'm not exactly sure why Wayne is anouncing this on GCA. Why should we be excited or interested in a report none of us will be able to read, or at least not easily read. Isn't there something to be said for having the courage of conviction to post your work where everyone can read it and comment upon it? Some of us have opened ourselves to considerable criticisim, hell I've been getting ripped a new one the last couple of days for suggesting Willie Campbell was the architect of the first nine at Myopia and not the master of the hounds. Ironically those doing the most violent ripping to my knowledge have never posted any thing on this site. What is wrong with this picture?