(this also posted on the Influence of CBM thread...)
The following courtesy of The Lurker:
Quote from: Patrick_Mucci on Today at 07:49:45 AM
Quote from: Rich Goodale on Today at 12:33:39 AM
David (and Pat)
If the US Amateur was so influential, why did NGLA never host one in CBM's day?
My guess would be because CBM came to be at odds with the USGA, never ascending to President
I believe that is an excellent question, an excellent answer, and an excellent point. As far as I can recall, that point has never been discussed in detail on this forum. While Macdonald and his influence on golf architecture has been discussed endlessly on this forum, I don't believe that particular point has ever been mentioned in an attempt to discuss it, except by me in the past (in the back pages). I mentioned it a number of times but unfortunately it did not evoke any discussion.
I have often wondered why it never has been discussed on this forum. It seems to me that the best answer might be found in something TommyN said to me some years ago, which is that the parts of CBM's book (Scotland's Gift Golf, 1928) that deal with this subject in some detail are just not subjects that most people on this forum have ever been interested in. I refer to those parts and chapters of in his book that he titles 'Activities of the USGA.' They are not subjects that involve golf architecture; they are subjects that involve golf administration in America, and, interestingly, those subjects and chapters probably comprise up to 1/3 of his entire book, which should indicate to some of us how important they were to him (CBM)!.
As to why Macdonald never ascended to the presidency of the USGA, he does not really say in his book that was published approximately twenty years after the fact (of his not ascending to the presidency in the order that his original position on the board (2nd vice president) would seem to indicate that he should ascend to the presidency of the USGA). So who did ascend to the presidency of the USGA at the point that Macdonald probably should have? R.J Robertson of Shinnecock did, and it is very clear to see in his chapter titled "Beginning of USGA----Bogey," what philosophical differences and problems Macdonald had with Robertson and Robertson's ideas on how the USGA should proceed administratively. It also seems quite clear that these particular problems and differences Macdonald had with Robertson and his administrative philosophy had never been mentioned or aired publicly before the publication of Macdonald's book in 1928. Indeed, one may even logically ask if Macdonald purposely waited almost twenty years to write his book and to air those differences and problems, because, at that point (1928), Macdonald, by his own admission, was done with both golf architecture and golf.