It seems to me one can point to a number of individuals and events that influenced Flynn.
1. First growing up near Wollaston GC, where he was introduced to the game as a caddie.
2. Living next door to the pro at Wollaston and his numerous sons; I suspect those circumstances contributed to Flynn become such a fine golfer as a youth.
3. His sister marrying Fred Pickering - who was a local greenkeeper.
4. Being able to observe first hand the complete overhaul of Wollaston in 1908-09, worked carried out by his brother-in-law most likely to the plans of Findlay or Ross and to observe the construction of the new Belmont Springs in 1909, carried out by Pickering to plan by Ross. Belmont was a very high profile design and I suspect this had the most impact. Ross was quite active in Boston and would have been good person to model oneself after. In 1909 Flynn made the decision to make golf his profession.
5. Working for Seymour Dunn as a young golf professional. Dunn was both pro and golf architect (like Ross and Findlay), and his Lake Placid design was very well respected - Pickering was involved in the construction of this course as well.
At some point Flynn changed course from golf pro to golf course construction person, I reckon it was around 1910 or 1911, right before he and Pickering went to Philadelphia.
As far as Flynn traveling abroad. It is interesting to note Findlay made a tour of Ireland and Great Britain in 1908, studying the great courses (including Ross's Dornoch). In 1910 Ross made a similar tour, and in 1912 Hugh Wilson made his tour.
Tom,
If you already knew all of that why didn't you just inform us in your first post on this thread?
The term "tabloid journalism" is probably inappropriate although tales of architectural suicide and gay lovers is probably not too germane to golf courses.
Instead, it's more "gotcha journalism".
It's a waste of everyone's time and beneath you. You started this thread with a lot of information and purported to ask simple innocent questions, yet again in an effort to make Wayne and or Tom look misinformed or ignorant. It has to stop.
I do understand your frustration but it's unhealthy for everyone to carry personal vendettas.
I know you guys thought you had the Holy Grail with the Macdonald stuff about Merion, but neither of you could be blamed for thinking the letter had some great import when it was just general agronomic advice, and thinking the Francis Land Swap included all of the triangle and therefore had to happen in 1910. That was my first inclindation after seeing your evidence, as well. Mistakes happen.
It was a really great research effort that caused everyone to dig deeper and I believe the great thing is that the history of the opening of the "new" course at Merion is now much more accurately known to a detail level. For that I believe David (and you) deserve credit.
However, once that theory blew up, then it became some effort to elevate Herbert Barker, although it is clear that whatever routing he produced for Merion went nowhere. It also seems we found that most of his work was "18 stakes on a Sunday afternoon" for a variety of disparate geographical clients, and it also seems that almost none of his work existed by June 1910, or long thereafter. His contributions to early architecture are in the Willie Dunn and Willie Tucker genre...interesting, but certainly not worthy of elevation.
Failing those two efforts, it seems that now we're just left with a frontal attack on the research done on William Flynn. This baiting is really beneath you, no matter the personal animositites.
If I were Wayne and a member of any related club, I'd completely disengage at this point. There is no way that what you are doing here is being helpful to Wayne, to the club, or to GCA, and I think you need to examine your motives.
This has got to end.