In the last couple of days I picked up two club histories, The Country Club 1882-1932 written by Frederic Curtiss & John Heard and History of Essex County Club 1893-1993 by George Caner.
TCC history is pretty similar to the two later histories, which rely heavily on Laurence Curtis's account in the 1895 article. They have Campbell being hired in 1894 to serve in the spring and autumn. There is no mention of WB Thomas's role. They have Leeds winning the first club championship in 1893 over Laurence Curtis and WB Thomas. Leeds won it again in 1894. The book has Campbell expanding the course in 1894, and just prior to the Davis v Campbell match. The course was lengthened again in 1895. Thats about it for the early years.
The Essex County history quotes an article from the 1893 Manchester Cricket that nine hole course was laid out down the field from the tennis courts toward the summer side of the street, and A. R. Campbell of St. andrews was in charge. The 1893 course was revised the next year, and according to an article written by J. Warren Merrill in 1895 it went from nine holes to eleven. In 1895 an additional 34 acres was purchased, as a result three new holes were built, eliminating three others, leaving a 9-hold course according to the book. Its a little confusing because the author says the 1896 retained the third, fourth, seventh, eighth, first and second hole of the 1895 course. He also gives the impression there was a 1893 course, 1894 course, and a 1895 course. It is not clear. There is no mention who was involved in 1893, 1894, 1895 or 1896.
The author claims Tom Bendelow was an assistant pro in 1896 and was involved in building the greens that year, and may have possibly designed the golf course. He goes on to quote him extensively from an in article in Golfing. I think its possible the author confused Essex County in NJ with ECC in Massachusetts.
Later in the book discusses the first pros at the club, AR Campbell & Willie Campbell. He quotes the Cricket report once again, and has no other info on AR Campbell. He mentions Willie Campbell was induced to come to America by WB Thomas, and the arrangement he had with TCC and Essex County that first year. It quotes another article in the Cricket how Essex had become 'golf mad' since Campbell arrived. In 1895 Campbell was back full time at TCC, and was at Myopia in 1896, and then went to Franklin Park.
I have found one mention of AR Campbell of Essex was in the Boston Advertiser 7/29/1893, but it is AB Campbell, of St. Andrews, not AR. The report claims he will be arriving August 1. I have found no other mention of him, in fact I have found no pro called AB Campbell on either side of the Atlantic. I'm wondering if there was some confusion with the name.