Tom (P)
The drawing that appears in MacWood’s essay ‘Beyond Old Tom’ relating to Muirfield is not the same one as I sent you. While in principal the layout is correct the tell is the marker for North.
My copy is dated December 1891 and signed by Hall Blyth with a decorative border line in all four corners.
As for the who is responsible for the actual design, by that I mean the routing and selection of the ground and location of the tees, bunkers and fairways, then that is down to a guy called Old Tom Morris. It has been recorded and there are newspaper articles confirming that he laid out the course in 1890.
I know that I keep coming back to the subject of understanding how the design build process worked back in the 19th Century, yet it is the key to unlocking the whole subject. It kill stone dead this AM design-PM play belief that many credit these guys with, not because it never happened but because they have totally distorted the information and have allowed it to become folk law.
There is nothing magical, nothing special, they operated as we more or less do today. Why those that followed seemed to dismiss the efforts of their predecessors is beyond me, apart perhaps from I suppose promoting themselves over the legends of the past, yet who knows why.
The 19th Century guys approach is actually worthy of praise and a credit to how they treated their clients. The information of how they went about their work is out there in print, one just has to undertake the research, remembering the era, technology and peoples understanding/awareness of any design build process. In other words they utilised what they had available for the good and understand of their clients.
As for Hall Blyth at Muirfield, yes he was there, yes he was there too at the New Course which was laid out by Old Tom Morris. The problem is the age old one of understand terminology of the day, which I can confirm that even the R&A do not seem to have been able to do. I spoke to them last year about some other details which I was shocked to be told that they had no details.
As for the New Course, well my search again confirms Old Tom’s involvement in the routing, selection of tee & greens sites which in my book confirms he laid out the course. As for Hall Blyth again I have no problem with his involvement and the work he undertook. But then why should I, Old Tom and Hall Blyth where friends with a record of working together for the good of the game and a solid working relationship that goes way back. In fact Hall Blyth recommended Old Tom to Edinburgh Council as the lead designer for the new course in the Braid Hills Public Park project circa the late 1880’s. It is reported that he said “As to laying out of the Braids as a golf course, he laid stressing upon the desirableness of having this done by experts, and suggested as authorities, whose experience would be guarantee of the manner in which the work would be done, Old Tom Morris”. Old Tom was to be assisted by P McEwan of Musselburgh. As the records show, due to delays by the council Old Tom went to Northern Ireland to Portrush & Newcastle. While over there the council suddenly decided to move forward quickly and as Old Tom was unable to attend, McEwan took over and was ably assisted by Ferguson again from Musselburgh.
I digress for a second or so and would like to mention that Braid Hills Public Park and golf course came into being by the involvement of Lady Cathcart of Cluny Estates with the full support of The Cluny Trustees which owned much on the land associated with the new venture. Lady Cathcart through Cluny Estates took over the land and estates of the Earl of Erroll shortly after he agreed to the new Cruden Bay site development in 1894. This was due to his massive debts, so I suppose Cruden Bay could be added to her interest in golf. For those of you not interested in the history of golf, Lady Cathcart was responsible for the course at Askernish and also Collieston (which is approx. 6 miles south of Cruden Bay). Her record is 1888/9 Braid Hills, 1891 Askernish, 1899 Cruden Bay, 1901 Collieston. At the time all was to be under Old Tom apart from the fist one at Braid Hills but he was there when it opened.
We now jump a year or so forward and Old Tom is called in to design the Muirfield site and worked with his old friend Hall Blyth. Now would they both compete with each other or would they work together. Having just the year before gone on record as saying Old Tom was the “expert” would a man like Hall Blyth then try and out do his own expert. Whatever, you can all make up your own mind, but use some common sense and do not forget to read the supporting documentation.
The records show that there is a demarcation line, the problem in the interpretation of the 19th Century meaning of the wording. So let’s look to the records or reported article on or of the day. Old Tom routed the Muirfield course in November 1890, he selected the tees, and greens sites as well utilising or incorporating any natural hazards available. Later the course was drawn by an engineer/surveyor showing the full design, yet not producing that design, just superimposing it on to paper.
A few more years later the same team come together to undertake the New Course, then again according to articles, not I regret the R&A (whose information passed to me was some what wanting and did not match with local and regional newspaper articles at the time of the course opening). The New Course was routed by Old Tom with his selection of the tees/green sites and also taken account of the local natural hazards. Hall Blyth as with Muirfield undertook the work (within the Club). Something to consider to you doubters out there, ignoring the newspaper articles) why would a club and town elect to ask Hall Blyth to undertake the routing, location of Tees/ Greens and to incorporate natural hazards. He did not have much information on the new site although played TOC many times, yet there is Old Tom one of the top experts (claimed by Hall Blyth himself) a man of St Andrews and I think we could say he would have known the links better than most, certainly a Gentleman form The R&A. Do not believe me just read the local and national paper of the day. Also we must not forget the design process of the Victorian age as I briefly mention in my opening lines.
Did Hall Blyth do the routing and green locations for Muirfield and the New Course, the answer is NO, that was by Old Tom, so in my book the design cannot be awarded to Hall Blyth. Yes he was actively involved in the process but from the sanctuary of the Club.
As for any drawings that Hall Blyth produced they where produced after the fact based upon the work of another designer. I am not saying he has claimed the work of others just that he was a cog (major perhaps) but just a cog in the whole wheel of the 19th Century Design process. Many here in Scotland are proud of our golfing heritage and the way many worked together, pity that attitude could not be reflected by the Members of this site as I feel we would have been a great asset to the true history of Golf.
Melvyn
PS In our rush to discredit others for the failure of past observers (to call them golfing historians maybe a step too far) are we not in ourselves mudding the water for future generations.
PPS In remembering the design process of the 19th century designers, please do not forget that they did not have phones, faxes, cars. Only Steam trains and pony and trap to get them about. A simple trip from St Andrews to Dundee was a long journey in time required, not distance, so the design process also factored that in. Today if a site problem or discussions for a new project can be resolved on the phone or worst still jump in the car or short plane journey, well it was not like that in the 1880/90’s. We must always remember the time zones we are talking about and their not our methods.
PPPS The Muirfield drawing that I have e-mailed to some is the same signed one that the club partly displays on its web site. Actually it should not be surprising as they sent me a CD with it on in the first place with some additional info.