Though AWT wrote a tremendous amount about golf, there was the mention that AWT liked Crump's holes better than Colt's at PV. Maybe that has been mentioned before but I did not notice before such a consise personal opinion.
It is unsurprising that AWT would trumpet his friend Crump's contributions at Pine Valley over those of the foreigner (and competitor) Colt. As you can see from a number of comments in this article, when it suited him AWT could be very pro-American when it came to matters of creating golf courses (for obvious reasons, I think.)
What I found interesting about the Pine Valley commentary is that AWT seemed to be drawing a clear distinction between the holes found by Colt versus the holes found by Crump.
It was odd that AWT did not mention Merion when discussing what Philadelphia had to counter Lido and National.
A few may have, but I don't think many seriously considered Merion as a "counter to Lido and National" in 1915. Merion's reputation was built over a long period of time as the course continued to host major tournaments. I think it fair to say that for more than a decade after 1915, NGLA, the Lido, and Pine Valley were widely considered the best courses in the country by a ways.
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Is Tilly using the word "construction" to include architecture, or just the actual physical construction?
Which use of the word "construction?" Surely you aren't suggesting that Peter Lees was the architect responsible the Lido, are you?