Tom P,
Please take this in the spirit it is being stated, not as a put down, but rather as one who understands your frustration with Tom Macwood. So, even though I raised this point and am deeply interested in what can be learned from a proper discussion of it, I will NOT participate if, as you put it in response to Tom's post, "Is there any way we could encourage you to make that your last post on this thread?"
First of all we have enough contentious threads without starting another one immediately with a comment such as that. Secondly, since you started this thread based upon something that I posted on the Myopia thread, let's look at another similar post from it. In response to Tom Macwood's posting of that same information I wrote:
Thanks for the info on White. I, too, think the 1895 date is significant since, if we are to believe the newspaper accounts, and in this case I do, White was at Myopia for a good part of 1896. Those at Myopia must have known that he was working elsewhere and so questions come to mind such as:
1- Having a Scottish professional on staff who was known to design golf courses in the U.S., why wouldn't they involve him in their own course work?
2- While it seems apparent that his doing this work at & for another club to be the reason that he left Myopia, was it a voluntary leaving or was he let go for doing it?
3- How does the Macgregor Company play into all of this as he was one of the founders?
4- Why didn't White do more architectural work between then and the mid-teens that we know about? He seems to have been almost reluctant, if that is the right way to put it, to go all out in the four areas in which he was involved in the golf business hoping one would take off. These four areas are as golf professional, architect and designer, greenkeeper and businessman (Macgregor). It seems that he spent many years having limited success during a time when Scottish Professionals in America were viewed as unquestioned experts and were given preference in the areas of design and professional positions.
I know this is off-topic, but I think that it would serve for a very good discussion topic, and I'm certain you won't believe this, but I think you should consider starting one and oversee it as it were...
Frankly speaking, I don’t know of anyone at this point who knows more about Robert White’s career than Tom Macwood. I might disagree with him on some aspects of the importance that he sees in what White did at certain times, but those are interpretational disagreements.
I think all of us can learn some things about White from Tom M. on this thread, and he just might learn a thing or two from some others as well. But neither will happen with the attitude that you displayed in that comment. It was uncalled for and you should apologize for saying it or you should not take part in this thread as I think it deserves to be one without contention.
Tom Macwood, I’m asking you to please ignore Tom Paul’s comments and participate in this.