What I am contending, however, is that the purchased 205 acres BEFORE routing the golf course.
The quote YOU posted immediately above directly contradicts this conclusion.
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"The company agreed to sell us 205 acres, and we were permitted to locate it as to best serve our purpose." NGLA agreed to buy 205 out of 450 acres, but NGLA got to choose the acreage.
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"Again, we studied the contours earnestly; selecting those that would fit in naturally with the various classical holes I had in mind, after which we staked out the land we wanted." This is the second time they had studied the contours earnestly to locate the holes, pre-purchase. they
"selected those [acres] that would fit in naturally with the various classical holes [CBM] had in mind." Then they
"staked out the land [they] wanted." Then they purchased this land.
Again, Mike, from the top:
1. There was 450 acres available on Sebonac Neck that everyone thought was more or less worthless.
2. They spent two days on horseback inspecting the overgrown and swamp infested property studying the contours and determined that they wanted the land if they could get it at a reasonable price.
3. The land company agreed to sell them 205 out of the 450 acres, and let M&W choose the acres to suit their purposes (to build a golf course.)
4. The again they studied the the contours and figured out where the holes would go.
5. Then they staked out the land they wanted.
It is all on page 158 of Scotlands gift.
Now how from this you can assume that they bought the land first and then tried to figure out where to put the holes, I have no idea.
The also anticpated only needing about 110 acres for the golf course and planned to use the rest to sell lots to members/investors.
Mike, the source for 110 acre figure as well as some of the other information mentioned in the press seems to have been the original
1904 Agreement drawn up by CBM for founders to sign. The document generally stated what CBM had in mind, but had little or no bearing on the actual purchase, which occurred years later. The document does make at least one pertinent point regarding the eventual creation; the last paragraph reads (my bolds):
"Mr. Charles B. Macdonald will take charge of this matter and associate himself with two qualified golfers in America, making a committee of three capable of carrying out this general scheme. In the meantime, you are asked to subscribe and leave the matter entirely in his hands."Charles in Charge. But he originally associated himself with H.J. Whigham and Walter Travis to carry out the scheme. However, Travis was almost immediately dropped, and at the time they opened the clubhouse, they he thanked H.J. Whigham and Dwe must thank Mr. H. J. Whigham and Mr. Devereux Emmet for their helping him lay out out the course.
If someone drew a boundary line around the area maintained as golf course today, how many acres is it that they eventually used?
It really depends on what one measures, but the figure looks to be 150-170 acres. Well more than the 110 you speculated. They way you have it drawn looks to be
roughly 165 acres.
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So Mike, wouldn't you agree that your "NGLA Bombshell" turned out to be quite a dud? Don't get me wrong, I love to discuss and learn about NGLA, but it doesn't serve anyone's interests for you to fly into these emotional fits of euphoria or disgust without first bothering to figure out the facts. Take this in the spirit that it was meant.