From a lurker.
David Moriarty wrote:
The following is far from a complete picture of what one can reasonably infer from the record, but at the very least we all ought to be able to agree these points:
1. Merion purchased the site based "largely" on Macdonald's and Whigham's views "as to what could be done with the property."
2. Macdonald and Whigham worked on figuring out the layout along with Merion's Golf Committee, and their "advice and suggestions as to the lay-out of the East Course were of the greatest help and value."
3. Merion's Golf Committee brought Macdonald and Whigham back to Merion so that they could reinspect the land and determine the final layout plan from a number of options laid out before them by said Committee. The plan they came up with was then submitted to the Merion's Board as the one which had been "approved" by Macdonald and Whigham.
4. Merion put Hugh Wilson in charge of laying the course out on the ground according to the plan Macdonald and Whigham had "approved."
...And Alex Findlay gives us a pretty good idea of who Hugh Wilson thought was responsible for Merion's layout. After spending an hour discussing the course with Wilson, Findlay wrote that Macdonald was responsible for the layout of many or all of the golf holes. All,
"Far from a complete picture" is quite the understatement, in my opinion. So this thread doesn't just become a litany of completely unsupportable statements masquerading as facts (i.e.
"Merion was one of the places that asked CBM to make plans for constructing golf courses for them.", or
"Findlay wrote that Macdonald was responsible for the layout of many or all of the golf holes."), I thought I'd weigh in and respond on what I agree one can
"reasonably infer" from the facts.
1) Agreed, although it's a bit suspicious when one considers the very lukewarm recommendation received from Macdonald. The Merion Site Committee report read;
"After the visit of these gentlemen Mr. Macdonald wrote to a member of the Committee, expressing expressing the views of himself and Mr. Wigham (sic), as to what could be done with the property. The report, as made to the Board, embodied Mr. Macdonald's letter, but it was not written for publication. We do not, therefore, feel justified in printing it. We can properly say, however, that it was, in general terms, favorable, and the Committee based its recommendation largely upon their opinion." This report was part of a mailing to the Merion membership made on November 15, 1910, approximately six months after the visit of Macdonald and Whigham. Unlike Merion's board, I have no worries about printing it.
Here is what Macdonald and Whigham wrote they believed
"could be done with the property." as of that date. This was the only mention of Macdonald and Whigham in the November mailing that included a scale map of the land Merion believed they had secured at that time, indicating 117 acres. The land plan has no golf course routing, or any holes included.
New York, June 29, 1910
Horatio G. Lloyd, Esq.
c/o Messrs. Drexel and Co.
Philadelphia, Pa
Dear Mr. Lloyd:
Mr. Whigham and I discussed the various merits of the land you propose buying, and we think it has some very desirable features. The quarry and the brooks can be made much of. What it lacks in abrupt mounds can be largely rectified.
We both think that your soil will produce a firm and durable turf through the fair green quickly. The putting greens of course will need special treatment, as the grasses are much finer.
The most difficult problem you have to contend with is to get in eighteen holes that will be first class in the acreage you propose buying. So far as we can judge, without a contour map before us, we are of the opinion that it can be done, provided you get a little more land near where you propose making your Club House. The opinion that a long course is always the best course has been exploded. A 6000 yd. course can be made really first class, and to my mind it is more desirable than a 6300 or a 6400 yd. course, particularly where the roll of the ball will not be long, because you cannot help with the soil you have on that property having heavy turf. Of course it would be very fast when the summer baked it well.
The following is my idea of a 6000 yard course:
One 130 yard hole
One 160 "
One 190 "
One 220 yard to 240 yard hole,
One 500 yard hole,
Six 300 to 340 yard holes,
Five 360 to 420 "
Two 440 to 480 "
As regards drainage and treatment of soil, I think it would be wise for your Committee to confer with the Baltusrol Committee. They had a very difficult drainage problem. You have a very simple one. Their drainage opinions will be valuable to you. Further, I think their soil is very similar to yours, and it might be wise to learn from them the grasses that have proved most satisfactory though the fair green.
In the meantime, it will do no harm to cut a sod or two and send it to Washington for analysis of the natural grasses, those indigenous to the soil.
We enjoyed our trip to Philadelphia very much, and were very pleased to meet your Committee.
With kindest regards to you all, believe me,
Yours very truly,
(signed) Charles B. Macdonald
In soil analysis have the expert note particularly amount of carbonate of lime. It seems to me that Merion was pretty much sold on this particular site prior to Macdonald's visit, likely due to the lucrative opportunity to couple the new course with the real estate venture, proximity to transportation, and a large farmhouse that could be used for a clubhouse. Although Merion looked at a few sites, they only brought Macdonald and Whigham to the site in Ardmore.
2. There is no solid evidence, much less proof, that Macdonald and Whigham worked on "figuring out the layout" along with any Committee at Merion. "Advice and suggestions as to the layout", which was mentioned later by Alan Wilson could mean any number of things, such as the generic balance of hole yardages and agronomic advice in the letter above.. Hugh Wilson, who was actually at NGLA (as opposed to his brother Alan), tells us that Macdonald gave his Committee
”…a good start in the correct principles of laying out the holes…Through sketches and explanations of the correct principles of the holes that form the famous courses abroad…we learned what was right and what we should try to accomplish with our natural conditions. The next day we spent going over the course and studying the different holes.” In fact, it's very unlikely that Macdonald participated in the routing process because the MCC Minutes tell us that the Committee, not Macdonald, "upon returning" from NGLA, re-arranged the course and created five different plans in the March/April 1911 timeframe.
3. I'm not sure that CBM and Whigham"determined" the final layout out of the "five different plans" the Merion Committee created upon their return from NGLA. From reading Richard Francis's account, Merion's Committee seeemed to favor that particular plan, as well, so it wasn't a solo effort by CBM and Whigham The only problem with the plan Francis's brainstorm facilitated was that it required them to purchase 120 acres, not the 117 they had originally agreed to purchase in November of 1910 and referenced again in Wilson's February 1911 letter to Piper. Thus, the matter had to go for approval of the Board of Governors in April 1911 where approval to purchase the original three acres was sought and gained. The record is clear, though, that CBM and Whigham "approved" the plan, but because CBM had absolutely no position of responsibility or authority acting for or within the club, or over Wilson’s Committee, I think the first definition below is clearly the accurate one;
ap•prove ( -pr v )
v.
ap•proved, ap•prov•ing, ap•provesv.tr.
1. To consider right or good; think or speak favorably of.
2. To consent to officially or formally; confirm or sanction:
In fact, when one considers the purpose of the April Board request was seeking additional money for three more acres than originally believed needed, it is very possible that one reason for bringing CBM back to Merion in April 1911 was simply to get the blessing of his learned opinion that could be used to convince the MCC Board of the necessity and wisdom of spending the additional funds.
And evidently, CBM and Whigham did consider the final plan "right or good" and they did "think and speak favorably of" the routing as Merion's Committee certainly hoped. Not only did they say it
"would result in a first class course, but that the last seven holes would be equal to any inland course in the world." But, then the kicker and the likely reason for the effusive language;
In order to accomplish this, it will be necessary to acquire 3 acres additional." The MCC Minutes then show how all of this tied to the Francis land exchange;
"Whereas the Golf Committee presented a plan showing a proposed layout (a paper copy of which was attached -comment mine) of the new Golf Ground which necessitated the exchange of a portion of land already purchased for other land adjoining and the purchase of three acres addiitional to cost about $7500.00, and asked the approval of this Board, it was on motion."
"Resolved, that this Board approve of the purchase and exchange, and agree to pay as part of the rental the interest on the additional purchase." It should be noted that the three acres in question here were not the 3 acres near the railroad tracks that the club rented for $1 annually. When Merion's course opened, it was 123 acres, made up of the 117 the club "acquired" in November 1910, the 3 acres additional "necessitated" by the reconfiguration of land to accommodate the Francis land exchange, and the 3 acres rented from the Railroad.
4. Actually, it's pretty funny and clever how David phrased his statement to make it appear that Wilson was assigned to "laying out the course upon the ground according to the plan that Macdonald and Whigham had "approved", as if Wilson's assignment was subsequent to Macdonald and Whigham approving one of the plans.
Of course, the reality is that Wilson's Committee was formed in January of 1911, and Macdonald and Whigham's visit was in April of that year. Why don't we just let the men who were there tell us the purpose of Wilson's Committee?
Hugh Wilson told us;
Our problem was to lay out the course, build and seed eighteen greens and fifteen fairways.. Richard Francis of Wilson's Committee told us the Committee was
"in charge of laying out and building a new course" and that he was
"added to it". Francis went on to tell us what that meant;
"Except for many hours over a drawing board, running instruments in the field and just plain talking, I made but one important contribution to the layout of the course. The land was shaped like a capital "L", and it was not very difficult to get the first 13 holes into the upright portion - with the help of a little ground on the north side of Ardmore Avenue - but the last 5 holes were another question." I was looking at a map of the property one night when I had an idea. Not realizing that it was nearly midnight, I called Mr. Lloyd on the telephone...The idea was this: We had some property west of the present course which did not fit in at all with any golf layout. Perhaps we could swap it for some that we could use?" Sorta sounds like golf course routing to me. It's also illuminating to note that at the time of Francis's brainstorm, there were multiple golf "layouts" still under consideration.
Merion's Board of Governors, in accepting Wilson's resignation as Chairman of the Green Committee in November 1914 made no distinction between what he and his Committee were tasked with in the creation of both of Merion's courses;
...in accepting Mr. Wilson’s resignation as Chairman of the Green Committee, this Board desires to record its appreciation of the invaluable service rendered by him to the Club in the laying out and supervision of the construction of the East and West Golf Courses. Finally, a bit more on which greens were reconstructed and the extent of those changes. The following article from April 1916 shows that four new greens were being constructed. It should be noted that the "3rd" at the time was today's 6th.
Regarding the 17th, I've gone back through and don't find anyone in Wilson's time referring to the front terrace as a "Valley of Sin". I believe later writers may have made that connection. In any case, here's the best early photo I can find of the 17th and I'm not sure it's possible to determine if that fronting terrace existed originally. I added a contemporary photo for comparision purposes.
Thanks all...hope to see a number of you at Paramount tomorrow. Cheers, Mike
