Kevin,
The verb "to lay out" has been hotly debated here for years now. I have argued that the application of the verb evolved as golf course design evolved, and that while early on the term "to lay out" encompassed planning a course because most planning was done on the ground. For example, if AM&G had really staked out the course in March, then they would have already "laid it out" or placed it on the ground, they would have also planned it even though they were planning on the ground. Likewise, for those visiting designers who didn't spend much time on a project, they generally walked around the property and marked the course off on the ground, and at this point the course would have been "laid out" whether or not it was quite ready for play.
The confusion generally came in later, when golf was more established and golf courses generally became more complicated and construction dependent. Preparing the course for play became much more time consuming and construction dependent; it wasn't as simple as just marking off a course on the ground like one might mark of a course for a cross country foot race. At this point it became more common for plans to be drawn up on paper, sometimes even before the land was secured. It was with these projects where "to plan" emerged out of "to lay out" and became more of an independent action. "To lay out" still meant to place or arrange on the ground, but with these projects the arrangement and placement was first determined on paper. But even with these projects the person who drew up the plans was usually the person who arranged the course on the ground.
[We have to be careful with generalizing too much, because there were some early examples where the professional may have drawn up a plan before the course was "laid out" on the ground. I am not certain, but I suspect that Willie Dunn may have used written plans for his work, but Dunn was also involved in laying the course out on the ground at his projects, a few of which were major undertakings. On the other hand, I am unaware of Campbell having worked off a written plan.]
So while obviously the early date makes a difference, key to understanding how the verb is used is to look at how the project was created. The date helps there, but the nature of the project is also very important. For example, Myopia was a rudimentary course using the features already there (such as walls, a pond, trees, etc.) as hazards. All that was reportedly done is that the areas chosen for greens were sodded, and maybe areas were flattened for tees. Otherwise it was very much like one might mark off a course for a cross country foot race or horse race.
In the case of Myopia, we cannot just assume that the course was planned separately then laid out on the ground. That was definitely not the norm for that type of project or the norm at that time. And it was not Campbell's norm either. And it was not even the norm of the members, as many of them also belonged to clubs were Campbell laid out their courses as well. More importantly, there is nothing in the record even suggesting this. More than that, even the Weeks account contradicts this, as he describes AM&G arranging the course ON THE GROUND. In other words, "laying it out."
As for the first instance in America of one person planning a course and another laying it out pursuant to those plans, I am not sure, but think that it was most likely around a decade later. The indications I have seen are really just the opposite scenario as here. There are accounts from mid decade 1900 where a golf professional (sometimes not even named) was brought in to advise about the course, and then the committee "laid it out" on the ground. Then, as we approach 1910, it became more common.
The real irony here is that until the Myopia conversation Jeff Brauer and Mike Cirba have long mocked my understanding of the verb, and have flipped over to my definition here opportunistically, because it suits their purposes.
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Jeff Brauer,
Is there a purpose to your bitter and petty little comments other than to make yourself feel good?