As this is post 1775, perhaps it's too much to wish for, but there would be sort of a nice irony to this whole thing if perhaps Bryan would simply respond to this post with a Eureka moment saying, "aha! I see exactly what you're saying Mike!!" and end this thread with the nice Philadelphia-sounding post #1776.
With that being said, I am going to cross over the border into Speculationland. Thankfully, we do have some known facts to help us on our journey.
What is it we know for certain...ok...let's see...
1) At the time the November 15, 1910 Land Plan was drawn, it was stated that it represented the 117 acres of proposed golf course acreage.
2) Modern day measuring by both David Moriarty and Bryan Izatt state that it actually measures more than that, somewhere around 122 acres in total.
3) Both agree that it's because the only variable boundary...the "approximate" road that later became Golf House Road with different dimensions...is not drawn in the correct place and/or shaping to accurately reflect 117 acres. Everyone else agrees.
4) In April, 1911 the MCC Board minutes as related by Tom Paul tell us that the Board approved a Golf Committee motion to exchange land with land already purchased, as well as the additional purchase of three acres.
5) When the boundaries were finalized, and Merion purchased the property in July 1911, the final course measured 120.1 acres.
6) In 1950, Richard Francis of Hugh Wilson's committee wrote that his one big contribution to the project was to figure out how to create enough space -to fit the final five holes (the first 13 had been routed) by swapping some already-secured land "west of the present course that did not fit in at all with any golf layout", and also describes that traded parcel as "the land now covered with fine houses along golf house road".
7) As of February 1911 we know that Merion had a topographical map of the property that they were working from, as Hugh Wilson sent it to Piper & Oakley. This map would have certainly had the boundary dimensions they were working with on that variable northwestern border.
Fortunately, we also know at least where the starting point of the proposed boundary of that map was. WHAT?!? I hear you say... 
Well, yes, we do, because at the point Francis had his brainstorm the first 13 holes had already been routed and Francis himself tell us that "it was not very difficult to get the first thirteen holes into the upright position - with the help of a little land on the north side of Ardmore Avenue."
So, we know they were unrestricted in building those holes and utlized that "little land on the north side" as the 3 acres of Railroad Land they had leased in May 1911 to fit the approach and green of the 12th and the par three 13th on that land.
That included ALL of the course and land south of the clubhouse, to the lower parts of the property across Ardmore Avenue.
But what of the areas north of the clubhouse...the final stretch where Francis tells us they had trouble fitting in the final five holes?
Since David Moriarty published his essay a few years back his contention had been that the all of the holes "fit" on the 1910 Land Plan, and then when Bryan started was doing his good work recently it became that they "almost fit" and then that they didn't fit because the road was "approximate", and then well, at least the 15th green and 16th tee fit, just like Mr. Francis wanted.
The simple fact is that the 1910 Land Plan and the "approximate road" north of Ardmore Avenue DOES NOT FIT THE GOLF HOLES in any way, shape or form ALL ALONG THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF IT, FROM TOP TO BOTTOM on the boundary that today is represented by Golf House Road.At the very northern end, it shows a "triangle of land" that is at most 100 yards wide at the base and runs 327 yards to the north on land that in reality today for the golf course is 135 yards to the middle of Golf House Road to 190 yards at the northern course border.
Moving South, large sections of the left of side of hole number 15 do not fit.
Going further south, the original 15th tee does not fit.
Going further south, the 14th green...obliterated...does not fit.
Then further south, despite the fact that the land across from the clubhouse today bellies out, our land plan has a little pot at best. Don't forget....this is supposed to represent 117 acres yet this section goes well into what we know today are houses.
But finally, the coup de grace...
We know that Richard Francis tell us that they had the first 13 holes already routed when he had his brainstorm.
He did not tell us that he and his committee had trouble putting the first hole, and the first green, and the second tee in place. In fact, we know he also told us that the 2nd tee used to be on the northern side of Ardmore Avenue, just beyond the original 1st green, which was just slightly north of today's green.
How far off is that 1910 Land Plan?
The starting point of Golf House Road where it meets Ardmore Avenue on the 1910 Land Plan is OVER FIFTY FIVE YARDS TOO FAR TO THE EAST AND WOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO FIT THE ORIGINAL FIRST FAIRWAY, FIRST GREEN AND SECOND TEE!!! (see aerial view below)We can now see clearly that the 1910 Land Plan is flawed, faulty, and futilie from Top to Bottom.
We also now know without a shadow of a doubt that the Francis Land Swap HAD TO HAVE HAPPENED AFTER THAT MAP WAS DRAWN BECAUSE THE FIRST HOLE WOULD NOT EVEN FIT as originally designed as a right to left dogleg.Because Bryan put in so much hard work and because he asked me to, I drew this attempt at what I think the land boundary looked like on Hugh Wilson's map.
As I said, we now know the starting point HAD TO BE EXACTLY where today Ardmore Ave. and Golf House Road intersect, so that's my lower boundary. We also know that Wilson and the boys had to be working with 117 acres, so I'm assuming that the Land Plan did not bow out nearly enough in the land across from the clubhouse.
I'm also assuming that generally the boundary line was drawn a bit further east along the extent of it on the REAL map than was illustrated on the Land Plan.
Unfortunately, Francis's contention that they traded land that is now covered by fine homes along Golf House Road doesn't help us at all because it is covered by fine homes along the length of it, and already was when he spoke in 1950, and besides, hadn't that been the plan all along??
Instead, I think he's speaking of giving back some of the land right across from the clubhouse...not as much as is indicated by the difference in the Land Plan vs the "as built". If it were that wide I simply cannot imagine how some 65 or more yards of width would not have been considered in "any golf plan".
No, instead, I think it was a narrower strip, and this is what I think the Hugh Wilson map looked like. I have no idea what it would measure...I wouldn't know a planemeter from a planetarium, but if nothing else, we now know two things;
1) The starting point of the Golf House Road boundary on the real map used to design Merion.
2) That the Francis Land Swap took place, and Merion was designed, sometime AFTER November 15, 1910.
Thanks for all of your help.
