"It is not known precisely when George Crump and his friends decided to pursue the building of a first-rate golf course, an all-season facility, playable when Philadelphia’s other courses were not. It may have been on one of their trips to Atlantic City or perhaps at a national event competing on one of New York, Chicago or Boston’s finer courses. Whenever the critical moment occurred, it is clear the idea had been building for some time."
"What we do know, in about 1910-possibly before, but most likely after-Crump and his inner circle met at the Colonnade Hotel to seriously discuss the building of a golf course. Simon Carr recalled, ‘Some few years ago, a dozen Philadelphia golf enthusiasts met in the Colonnade Hotel to discuss the project of establishing a golf course in the Jersey sands…They desired a course where there would be practically no closed season throughout the year. In discussing the problem, they had the seaside in mind, chiefly the region about Atlantic City.’ The venue for the meeting makes it clear who was leading the charge."
"By 1910 the Crump family was actively trying to sell the Colonnade. It is reasonable to conclude the selling of the hotel and the desire to create a dream golf course were not unrelated. Crump had lost his wife only four years before and his father had died at a young age without ever enjoying the fruits of his labor. These events had to have affected Crump’s thinking and ultimately his plans. The idea of designing something of merit may have also appealed to him, after all his uncle and older cousin had been successful architects as well as hotelmen..."
"...After returning (from abroad) Crump began looking for a suitable site. According to Simon Carr and Joseph Baker, initially he looked toward the sea. A site at Absecon was identified, on the coast near Atlantic City (where Seaview is today), but it was ultimately rejected because it was cursed with mosquitoes and they felt it was just too far from Philadelphia."
"Once the seaside was ruled out, the region outside Camden was searched in every direction. At one point Crump considered a location at Browns Mills on the edge of Pinelands region of central New Jersey. It is not known why that site was not chosen, but Crump eventually settled upon a site 15 miles south of Camden. And what a site it was-a sandy wasteland, covered in pine, oak and brush, punctuated by streams and small lakes..."
"...There are a number of legends surrounding how Crump found the site. The two most common: Crump discovered the site gazing out the window of a train on his way to or from Atlantic City or Crump knew of the site from hunting trips, perhaps even as a boy. Another tale claimed he inherited the land from his father. An erroneous variation of the train story had British golf architect Colt on board with him."
"The two most popular stories come from very reliable sources: the train window story comes from AW Tillinghast and John Arthur Brown, the hunting story from Jerome Travers and Alan Wilson. I suspect they are both true. He discovered the wild site from a train with perhaps an eye for shooting rather than golf, but once he began wandering the site gun in hand, he found the most perfect land for golf, land not unlike the rugged heathland outside London..."
"...Early the next year (1913) Crump began clearing the site to open up its full possibilities-no small task. At first dynamite was used, but it was largely ineffective due to the sandy soil. Eventually they brought in huge steam powered winches. At one point 22,000 trees had been uprooted before they grew tired of counting (some estimates place the number at 50,000). An army of men, horses and machines-one can envision the furious activity..."
"...January 1918 George Crump is dead. Crump committed suicide on the mourning of the 24th at his home in Merchantville. The coroners report gave the cause of death as ‘Gun shot wound, Head, Suicide, Sudden.’ Others in the home at the time included his mother, his brother Ralph, who lived there as well, and a maid..."
"...Almost ninety years after his death a number of unresolved questions persist. Why was the cause of his death misreported as complications related dental problems? Some have theorized the story was in fact true or at least partially true, that the severe pain associated with dental problems led to Crump’s suicide. While it is true illness is sometimes a cause for suicide, normally it is a terminal or debilitating disease, not a temporary malady, which is easily treatable."
"The day before his death it was reported Crump had been out greeting acquaintances, not exactly consistent with a person in physical agony. However it is consistent with a person who has settled upon suicide, where there is tendency for the depression or anxiety to clear up right before the suicidal act, often the day prior the suicidal person may appear at peace or even optimistic-the calm after the storm and before the final act. As for the cause of his death, perhaps it was just easier for friends and family to attribute it to dental problems and not face the root cause."
"Another probable reason for the false report was the stigma associated with suicide, particularly in those days. It may be more complicated than that however. There was certainly guilt and embarrassment involved, not necessarily guilt for Crump or his actions-but guilt among his friends for allowing him to get to that point. The entire burden for the project fell upon Crump. It became an obsession, and when events began turning against him the solitary burden was too great. Alan Wilson noted the irony, Crump worked and slaved to see his dream turned into a reality for his friends, ‘we who had advised so much and helped so little.’"
"The question remains, why did Crump take his life? We will never know for certain. There is no evidence he left a note, and even if he had, the underlying reasons would not necessarily be evident. What we do know is Crump was totally consumed with the project. He had no job or career. He had no wife or children. He had many friends, but he lived in isolation. His entire life was dedicated to one task-building Pine Valley."
"And as we have documented, the project encountered numerous delays and setbacks. At the start it was hoped the course would be ready in a little over a year, but five years later only fourteen holes were finished and even those had serious maintenance issues. With world war raging and everything on hold, there were no prospects for the completion any time soon. To make matters worse, Crump had spent a fortune to get this point. If his money was not exhausted, it was nearly exhausted. (Several reports after his death indicated his money was gone) We will never know what was going through his mind that cold dark January mourning, but it had certainly been a tumultuous few years."
* The above are all excerpts from Tom MacWood's very good essay titled "George Crump - Portrait of a Legend", which can be found in its entirety at this link;
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/in-my-opinion/thomas-macwood-george-arthur-crump-portrait-of-a-legend/