.... the more fascinated I become. I just finished the Bahto chapter on the course. Then as I was organizing some of my files I've gathered over the last couple of years, I reread an article from Perry Lewis of the Philadelphia Inquirer (April 3, 1924) where the smaller headline was "Pine Valley Supreme" and here is what follows (I don't have a real good digital version of the article yet):
Commenting on the fact that the international matches for the Walker Cup must be played on the National Links, according to the deed of gift, "Runner Up", a contemporary who prods a trenchant typewriter, points to Pine Valley as the master course in America. Let him tell it.
"Feeling is growing that the Walker Cup matches, destined some day to become a world-wide team match, between a dozen nations, ought be be a movable feast. That is, it should never be held twice in succession over the same course, although it might be confined to relatively few links, because of its calibre, like the Bristish championships. Some are arguing that the competition should be awarded to the same district as the national amateur championship each year, a line of reasoning that many are not able to follow.
This year, however, sentiment generally favors the choice of Pine Valley, which, like Merion, where the individual simon pure title is to be decided, lies in Quaker territory.
Pine Valley is indisputably the greatest inland course yet evolved on this side of the sea. When it comes to a seaside test, the preference vote is about equally divided between Lido and the National both of Long Island, although it its original state Lido was unquestionably the harder.
Macdonald designed both with some assistance, but soured on the Long Island Beach course, which he did not control, when he realized it was dimming the prestige of his earlier achievement."