Jim,
I thought I answered your three acres question above? Did you see it?
In any case, I'll re-copy my answer and expand on what I think is a very possible theory. I wrote;
Jim,
Let me think about that one. My first gut reaction would be something I've suspected but can't prove....that the Francis Swap happened during construction AFTER April 1911, not before.
Why do I say this? Well, we all seem to think that the Thompson Resolution in April 1911 that talks about swapping land for land already purchased and the need for three more acres is the Francis Swap, correct?
Personally, I always was a little uncertain about that one...something didn't quite make sense and when Bryan Izatt looked at the proposed metes and bounds it seemed there was never a scenario where an additional three acres would be needed no matter how we logically figured it...and if three more acres were needed, then was it really a "swap"?
Besides, at the time of the resolution, Merion (Lloyd, actually) owned ALL of the Johnson Farm and the Dallas Estate. So why would Merion need to swap for land outside of those parameters??
Instead, let me offer another theory that I think is very, very possible.
We also know that the land of the original (and today's) first green went beyond the boundary of the Johnson Farm, into adjoining HDC property on what was originally the George Taylor Estate. I'm recalling it was about 10-20 yards from that point to Golf House Road, and today even the property stone marking the divide between the Johnson Farm and the Taylor Estate is still evident along the street adjacent to the 1st green.
Don't quote me on the exact yardage, but Bryan's measurements confirmed that some portion of the Merion property around the 1st green extended beyond the boundaries of the Johnson Farm into the Taylor land.
So, if that's the case, couldn't that be what was referred to in the Thompson Resolution? Now, that would certainly require some type of swap, because they'd be needing land that 1) wasn't under Lloyd's direct ownership and control, and 2) that would require either a purchase or a swap.
Now, that in and of itself would not make up the entire 3 acres, but I'm starting to think that the 3 acres is sort of a red herring here. It could be simply that they miscalculated originally in what they thought they needed for the course (securing 117 but finding that it was too tight and needed to buy 3 more for 120 + 3 Leased RR Land for 123). Or, as you suggest, it could be the additional 3 acres of roads they hadn't figured on.
Recall also that the November 15th, 1910 Land Plan, as best as Bryan was able to measure it, was around 124 acres, not 117.
Confused yet?
Ok...let's read what Francis wrote one more time. Doesn't it sound from his descriptions that he's possibly talking more about "fitting" the course onto the land (the construction process) than about a theoretical paper layout?
In the first paragraph he talks about getting the first 13 holes in position (with the help of a "little ground" north of Ardmore Avenue). What if this land was that small portion of ground that allowed them to fit the first green? Recall that the original first hole ran from the clubhouse and then ran around the original 10th green and 11th tee, which was a very tight fit. Here's a view of the 1st, showing the original 10th green and 11th tee (as well as today's) from 1924.
Here's the hole description;
The rest of Francis's description about having land west of the clubhouse (Johnson Farm Land) that wasn't used for any golf layout and trying to fit the final five holes could well be about the construction process. Certainly blowing the top off the quarry within a day or two of getting Lloyd's approval (who still owned the property until Merion purchased in July) sounds like construction was underway, yes?
I think the only thing that you'd have to adjust is your idea that the swap was for the entire 130x190 triangle and not just a realignment of the original 117 (by this time, 120) acres within that western border, most likely to accommodate the additional width needed up top to allow members to negotiate around the quarry.
Blast away!
So...
I have to ask you to explain your contention that "it confirms it".
How does buying whole tracts of land in their entirety represent just picking out the necessary features for the golf holes they envisioned? As it is, it's a very tight fit...wouldn't this support the notion that they bought the land and then fit the golf holes as opposed to the opposite?
In other words, why buy ALL of the Dallas Estate? Why buy all of the Johnson Farm to every border but the one split between real estate and golf? Wasn't their land available from HDC's holdings somewhat predetermined by the portions seemingly pre-ordained for real estate?