In your opinion, what is the most sought-after.......

[TEPaul]

"TEP
I've read the essay a number of times, and what you're claiming is not what it says."



Tom MacWood:


What am I claiming that is not what it (the IMO piece "The Missing Faces of Merion") says?

[Bill Brightly]

I don't have a specific "asset" in mind, although some great ones have been mentioned. What I would LOVE to see would be a set of "propositions" (they did not call them proposals) submitted by competing architects for any of the great old courses.

For example, my club has old board minutes which reference "propositions" received by Banks, Tillinghast, and Stiles & Van Kleek. (Donald Ross said he couldn't possibly take on more work at the moment.) I would kill to see those submissions, especially if preliminary routings were included. While I think Banks built a really good course, I can't help but wonder what Tillinghast would have done.

Does anyone know how in depth the ODG's went in their propositions to build courses? Did they just submit cost estimates or did they also show routings?

[TEPaul]

"I don't have a specific "asset" in mind, although some great ones have been mentioned. What I would LOVE to see would be a set of "propositions" (they did not call them proposals) submitted by competing architects for any of the great old courses."


Bill:

Good for you for mentioning that. I'm just so interested in the various words and terms they used back then for things we understand but no longer use today.

Just this morning I was reading the account Hugh Wilson wrote about the origination of Merion East. It was just a draft and in it he wrote;

"Our proposition was to lay out the course, build and seed 18 greens and 15 fairways."

In that draft he crossed out "proposition" and put in "problem" above it. 

[Bill Brightly]

Bill:

Good for you for mentioning that. I'm just so interested in the various words and terms they used back then for things we understand but no longer use today.

Tom,

Well, since you mentioned words that are no longer in use today... I was just reviewing my file on the building of our current course. I have a microfiche copy of a 1927 full page newspaper ad taken out by the company that bought our old (Bendelow) course. Is states:

Hackensack Golf Club Property.
For Development.
This Property will be known as GARDEN SUBURBS
And will be developed as a highly restricted residential park with every modern improvement.