Here we go again. Conveniently forgetting that he has already acknowledged Bryan's Izzat's measure and methodology, Mike is trying to
reinvent the facts with yet another primitive cut-and-paste con job. It is their way.
When the facts don't support the desired answer, just change the facts.
The road was marked APPROXIMATE LOCATION OF THE ROAD, ande even going by the APPROXIMATE LOCATION, there was plenty of room -
115 yards according to Bryan - for a green and a tee! Even if we accepted Mike's disingenuous measures (and we shouldn't) there is enough room for a tee and green.
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David,
While I feel that Mike and Tom continuously using the Map's Triangle dimensions of 310X100 against my argument on the date was a red herring, I've always been curious; if our theory on the timing of the swap is correct (pre-November 10, 1910), why wouldn't they (MCC and/or HDC) have drawn the "approximate road" in a more similar manner to the resulting road? They would have known they weren't going up all 300 yards...why not show something at least a little closer to what it became? Leave the "approximate" tag on it but remove the possibility of someone thinking they could buy the lot cornering College Ave and be on the golf course...
I agree that it is a red herring, but would add that this is about all they've got. This is very good indication of just how weak their position really is. It doesn't even make sense, does it?
The shape created by the APPROXIMATE ROAD is too wide at the top, so therefore we must ignore what Francis said. If there is logic in there I don't see it.
I haven't gone back and checked the property records, but if I recall correctly
Merion did purchased land all the way up to the top of the Johnson Farm. I believe they own at least 1/2 the road all the way up to the College Avenue, all three hundred ten (310) yards or whatever it was. But at some point the narrowing lot would have become worthless for golf, and it was wisely narrowed to a minimum for the road (although I'll bet if they had it they'd have a tee butt against College Ave now!)
I don't know for sure the exact reason the top part hadn't already been narrowed by November 1910. Short answer is, though, is probably that the location of the road was
Approximate and the map illustrative, not exact. While the map expresses the general deal, it does not provide the exact dimensions. As we've discussed, Merion may have had the he ability to tweak the western border a few yards here and there even after 1910, so as to narrowly the land bought to the golf course, and they may not have done this yet. (Remember, the 190x130 yard measure is where they finally ended up, they may not have known exactly how much land they needed up there yet.)
Also, recall that even TEPaul agrees that this map was likely drawn by HDC, and they may not have known exactly how Merion planned to use the land they had traded for.
Also, at the time the map was drawn, neither Merion or HDC may have yet considered that leaving a space between the road and the existing border would have left Haverford College with no reasonable access to their property, a real estate practice generally frowned upon. In other words, it is probably not a coincidence that Golf House Road ended up running along that property line until about where the Haverford College property begins, and then veers away. (The trade with the college in 1928 enabled Merion to push the tee back further back, but they had to give Haverford access to the road and secure the right to golf over the little swath they had to give to Haverford college for access.)
On the more speculative side, it is also possible that that this
Nov. 15, 1910 Map was a quick, last minute job by HDC's surveyors (or MCC's,) based on a rush by MCC to get information about the purchase out to the members. One fact that I have always found odd is that the first article(s) about this sale appeared in the paper on
Nov. 14, 1910, the day before Merion sent out the letter and information to their members. That first article(s) (I can't remember off hand if there were one or two) had some facts about the purchase wrong and had a definite real estate bent, so it seems that someone (probably on HDC's side) may have let the cat out of the bag before Merion had even notified its membership! Remember that the packet of Merion documents are all dated November 15, 1910. Even Evans' letter is dated November 15, 1910, the day after the articles began to appear. There may have been some surprised members who woke up on November 14, 1910 to read in the papers that they had just bought a large chunk of land for a golf course, and it is at least possible that this map was hastily created on the 14th and 15th, probably from an earlier land plan of HDC's. It always struck me as odd that the map was created the same day as these Merion documents are dated.
So that is a long answer to a question that I think we both recognize as not all that crucial. The simplest answer, that the road was approximate, is probably the best. But I hope you found some of the other information interesting at least.