Mike,
Since no one else has highlighted this, and David seems to believe that it was more likely that the earlier committee had routed the course, please note what Alan Wilson's letter says:
a “Special Committee on New Golf Grounds”—composed of the late Frederick L. Baily. S.T. Bodine, E.C. Felton, H.G. Lloyd, and Robert Lesley, Chairman, chose the site; and a “Special Committee” DESIGNED and BUILT the two courses without the help of a golf architect.
That is an indication that there was no overlap between those committees, one whose work concluded on Dec 23, 1910 with the agreement to buy the land, and the other, started in early 1911 (most likely pre 2-1, given Wilson's first letter to Oakley as its head).
Now, it may be possible that some members of both committees went to NGLA, just because they were interested, or they wanted a transition, some good booze, whatever. But, its clear there were boundaries on what the committees were assigned to do, and frankly, I would think that would be the way committees operate. Why form a new committee to do the work an existing one is already doing?
And, if Francis was working pre 11-1910 on the routing, what are chances he was doing so as an unnamed member of the new golf grounds committee? By this time, those interviewed would have known what went down. Why no mention of Francis on the earlier committee, not to mention no mention of CBM, again other than as an advsor?
The most logically tenable reason is because he wasn't.....