For what it's worth, Ran did not just grant David permission to post his essay here. He explicitly agreed with it's conclusions, calling it overall "Excellent".
While that is certainly Ran's indisputable right, it does lend a somewhat different perspective to how it's been characterized so far on this thread.
This is what Ran originally wrote under the thread topic, "David Moriarty's Excellent, "The Missing Faces of Merion" Is Now Posted";
Here is a synopsis of David Moriarty's carefully researched and heavily footnoted 13,000 word plus paper on the subject of the beginnings of the East Course at Merion.
HH Barker did an initial routing in 1910.
Fresh off their stunning success at NGLA, Macdonald and Whigham were called in to consult in 1910.
Member Hugh Wilson was asked to oversee the Construction Committee for the purpose of 'constructing' the course.
The course was built in 1911 and seeded in September of that year, according to Wilson.
In May of 1912, Wilson returned from Scotland according to a ship's registry that David Moriarty found.
In the years that followed, holes were modified and bunkers were added until the course became the flawless design gem that it is today. Wilson, who learned quite a bit from his study of the great courses overseas, played a crucial role in the development of the design of the East Course from 1912 until his death in 1925.
However, David suggests that the concept that he went to the UK and then routed/designed Merion is chronologically flawed. Wilson's initial role was to construct the course, as opposed to design it. In 1911, his primary exposure to classic architecture was the time he and his construction team spent at NGLA with Macdonald and Whigham. Indeed, Wilson's own writings pay homage to the help that Macdonald provided.
David's research suggests that Barker, Macdonald and Whigham deserve design credit for the holes that were laid out and seeded in 1911. Wilson deserves the credit for the excellent construction of the holes and for translating Macdonald's ideals so well into the ground. The end of Part One concludes in 1912, so the knowledge that Wilson picked up in the UK in April/May of 1912 had not yet made its way into the design. As David says, that is for another day.
Why people get upset with the notion that Macdonald provided design thoughts and ideas at Merion based on the best holes in the UK is beyond my ability to comprehend. After all, if you wanted to build a world class course, wouldn't you consult with the one man who had just done so? The thought that an amateur who had never been to the UK would seize upon the Road Hole, Redan, etc. and properly execute their playing strategies is both romantic and a bit far fetched, at least to me.
Congratulations to David for all his well spent time and effort in coming up with this document, which is both compelling and original. Ben and I cannot express our deepest appreciation to David for selecting GolfClubAtlas.com to house it.
Have a read and see if you don't agree with David's own conclusions - I know I do.
Cheers,