From The Lurker...
John Sabino:
With this thread you have supplied some fascinating information, including a few bits I have either never been aware of or have forgotten about. I considered George Bahto to be a pretty good friend over a period of about 12-15 years, and up to his death. Over the years we did a considerable amount of collaboration on architectural information of various sorts, but particularly on Macdonald, Raynor and Banks, NGLA, or on what one might reliably call "National School" architecture.
The thing that particularly struck me from your initial post is the existence of that little red book you've just purchased. I was aware that the term "Evangelist of Golf" came from Whigam's article in 1939, but I do not exactly recall if I also knew that little red book existed. I also think I recall that George Bahto did refer to the title of his book as coming from that Whigam article, but I do not recall if he ever mentioned that little red 1939 book by Whigam (he may have done and I have simply forgotten it).
I suppose in the broad scheme of things to most people this doesn't seem like a big deal, but to me it sort of does, and perhaps for some curious reasons. Some of those reasons would be the fact I have long felt that some of the more fascinating "ups and downs" and complexities of C.B. Macdonald's life and times, both in and of his own life and times, but also in the context of some perceptions of it by others, either or both during his life or after he was gone, have largely been either under-researched, under-reported or generally misunderstood.
Perhaps I will get to that later but not in this post, except to offer the teaser that I have broached some of my reasons previously while spending many years on GOLFCLUBATLAS.com. It always fascinated me that the reception they received on GOLFCLUBATLAS.com was generally some combination of denial and/or anger with a smattering of revisionism and iconolatry.
None of the foregoing was to say then, or now, that I do not greatly admire and/or respect Macdonald and his life and career; it is only to say I am, and have long been, fascinated by it, and by him. I say this perhaps primarily because I firmly believe both he and his life and times were unusually complex and complicated. In other words, long ago I believe I came to the realization that if one thought he knew where Macdonald may have come from on certain issues and subjects, it was likely a pretty good bet that one would be wrong. This goes right to the heart of what I suppose I feel about an unusual number of people that the world considers to be either remarkably talented or simply "great:" that an unusual number of those types of people exhibit a remarkable amount of contradictions!
On the book itself, a copy of which you have recently acquired, I will perhaps get to that on another post. I believe I have seen an original copy of it before, and another time I will explain how, why and when. I am also curious to know If George Bahto ever saw it. He may not have, but then again he may have, as it was always my understanding from George, and to a lesser degree from the club itself, that he was afforded a good deal of access to most anything they had. Perhaps the one who may know most about the foregoing was his co-writer and/or editor on HIS book, The Evangelist of Golf, Gib Papazian.
The Lurker