Since some of you seemed confused about what's been going on here and hoping, on my part, that the participants on a recent email communication that begun with a very funny email from Pat Mucci to an email group here is an appropriate section that should explain this thread to all;
"Is gca.com ready for open and frank discussion about the World's great courses? After having been encouraged by a poster for whom I have great respect, I’ve been reconsidering TEPaul’s kind invitation asking a few of us to return to gca.com. I remain concerned that, despite good intentions, the site may still remain hostile toward certain ideas that run contrary to the accepted wisdom of the golfing Establishment, particularly in and around Philadelphia.
What if I come back and pick up where I left off with my series of threads on the early history of the great Merion East course? Is the website ready and willing to enter into a frank discussion about Merion, or for that matter, about Pine Valley, NGLA, Garden City, or any other of the World’s truly important courses?
By way of example, what if I post that Merion East came into being as an enticement to attract buyers to a real estate development.
. . Or that Merion chose the precise property based largely on what Macdonald and Whigham thought could be done with the site.
. . Or that the routing plan for Merion East was in place before the parcel was secured, long before Merion even appointed Hugh Wilson and his construction committee to build the course.
. . Or that, reportedly, nearly every hole on the East Course was patterned after famous holes abroad.
. . Or that the revised 10th hole was not the only hole at Merion East where the yardage was significantly overstated; the total yardage at the early Merion East was off by hundreds of yards, probably due to faulty measuring methodology.
While any such posts—or posts that go much further—would be accompanied by significant factual support, I would welcome any challenges, corrections, and discussion, so long as civilized, reasonable, and aimed at a furtherance of understanding of gca.
What say you? Is gca.com a place for open and frank discussion of the world’s great golf courses, or not?
[Patrick’s mailing list looks like a pretty good representation of long time gca.com posters, and he gave me permission to address the questions to you all. Many of you know me, and some of you don’t. Regardless I’d appreciate any and all comments and concerns.]
Thanks.
David"
"I think my research could use some vetting, and since I am not going to get to philadelphia anytime soon I could use some help with that."
Again, I hope posting these DM remarks from an email chain doesn't violate some classified state secret or get me in trouble with some little known new Internet law.
Now you should all understand the reason Pat made this thread post, not to mention the fact that most of the participants on the email chain seemed to get tired of it and asked that there names be removed, including me and Wayne, Noel Freeman, Matt Burrows, Geoff Childs and even Pat.