How Many Golf-Course Architects Can Fit on the Head of a Pin?

[Dan Kelly]

I have no idea -- but it seems to be a question just as susceptible to a proveable answer as the questions under such dispute in the various Merion threads.

And possibly just as significant.

Maybe one of the principals in those discussions could answer this -- and I can't believe I'm the only one who's wondering:

Why does anyone care to expend the energy to split such hairs about who created Merion?

Or any golf course, for that matter.

[JESII]

For my part I can quote the movie Hoosiers when Gene Hackman goes into his first practice and the "interim" coach is running drills...when Hackman not so subtlely asks him to leave, the other guy (god I wish I knew his name) says..."Now listen, there's two kinds of stupid. One is when you get naked and run outside and howl at the moon. The other is when you do the same thing in my living room. One I can just ignore...the other I sorta have to deal with."

[Geoffrey Childs]

Dan

Its a historic, landmark golf course and therefore of general interest.  In addition, the events leading to its creation and evolution will shed light on the interactions of the powers to be in the American Golf Scene that perhaps led to the "Golden Age"

That said, the scientific method surely CAN determine how many golf course architects can fit on the head of a pin.  Please tell me the size of the pin head.  

[SPDB]

Dan,
I'm reminded of Woodrow Wilson's (no relation to Hugh) observation on viciousness of campus politics. To wit: that the intensity of the debate was correlated to the triviality of the issues.

GCA'ers expend so much energy (and venom) splitting heirs in debating courses like Merion/PV, etc, precisely because the stakes are so low.

[TEPaul]

"Why does anyone care to expend the energy to split such hairs about who created Merion?"

Dan:

I think the only reason I hung in so long is I really can't stand blatant historical revisionism, at least not with courses I love and know really well and those historical revisionists just don't.

Basically, I hang in because I want to be as sure as I can that no one will believe them.

That's why I'm challenging David Moriarty to write his article on perhaps some of his "hypotheses" about Merion he's been talking about on here and get it published in the "in My Opinion" section. Those kinds of articles have to stay there unaltered for all to mull over. They aren't like this DG where hair-splitting and tortured logic and argumentation by David Moriarty has been raised to new heights.

I want to see him publish his "hypotheses" about Merion on there. Just do his research on his own unaided by us henceforth and then take his best shot in an article. And at that point i can almost guarantee Wayne and I will counterpoint that article and take it apart like a cheap suit.

I'd like to see the point and counterpoint get on here and be permanent so future readers can make up their own minds about Merion and Wilson and Macdonald.

Ran has a tendency to go for that kind of classic "point/counterpoint" architectural persentation too, I think.

[TEPaul]

"How Many Golf-Course Architects Can Fit on the Head of a Pin?"

That's an excellent way to phrase the question Dan? The question should be answered by David Moriarty first, that's for damn sure because he and Tom MacWood were the two who dragged that question and premise on for page after page. I think Tom MacWood's post is still on that other thread where he said that it is now impossible to prove who the architect of Merion East was.

And that's probably exactly why Alan Wilson and the entire Merion Construction Committee mentioned that 'in the main the person responsible for the architecture of Merion East and West' was Hugh Wilson.

In other words considering that it is pretty obvious what both of them did there and the amount of time put in by both, there simply is no room on the the Merion pinhead for C.B. Macdonald.

It's basically as simple as that.

[Mike_Cirba]

Dan,

What Sully said.

I'd simply add that I'm personally disappointed in the way the Merion threads were conceived, executed, and ultimately played out.

The irony is that if the Merion course itself was as carelessly and personally deceptive as those threads have been, there'd be a a Wal_Mart on the site by now.

[John_Conley]

For my part I can quote the movie Hoosiers when Gene Hackman goes into his first practice and the "interim" coach is running drills...when Hackman not so subtlely asks him to leave, the other guy (god I wish I knew his name) says..."Now listen, there's two kinds of stupid. One is when you get naked and run outside and howl at the moon. The other is when you do the same thing in my living room. One I can just ignore...the other I sorta have to deal with."

Terhune and their little mites could beat Merion any day.