David,
David,
Well, it is clear that he intended to leave a little extra land from his 1912 missive, even if it wasn't specifically for members lots . . .
No, it isn't clear. The 1912 mention of surplus land verifies that CBM intended the founders to control the surplus land, if any. It says nothing about him intending to set aside surplus land when he agreed to purchase the NGLA land. This is where the 120 acre offer comes in. He obviously did not intend to set aside surplus land on that offer, but if there happened to be any left over, the founders would control it. Same for the NGLA plot. If there was surplus land, the founders would control it. If there wasn't surplus land, then there was nothing for them to control.
Let me ask you again, since you haven't answered. If CBM intended to carve out surplus land for the founders, then where was this land to be? And in answering, don't guess at CBM's intentions, but rather look at
CBM's description of what he planned to do with the property and
the actual the early maps of the property.
1. Most of the property was (and is) land-locked by Peconic Bay, Bullshead Bay, and Shinnecock Golf course.
2. The only border that had any potential flexibility was the western border (the Sebonac side.)
3. CBM indicated that he planned to shape the exact lines of property purchase around the needs of the golf course, and if one looks at this western border it was obviously drawn to fit snugly CBM's golf course.
So when you say it is clear that CBM intended to set aside land and you think it was for housing, where on this property, exactly, did CBM intend to set aside the land? Surely you don't think he was planning on placing houses between the holes do you?
When answering keep in mind that by mid-December 1906 CBM, HJW, Travis, and others had all been over the land repeated, had already described many details of the routing including the shape and length of the land to be used for the course, the starting and ending point, the quarter mile frontage along Peconic Bay, the mile of golf frontage on Bullshead Bay, the specific locations of three famous holes and one soon to be famous hole. Also keep in mind that they been at this for months, and had reportedly already been communicating about the course with overseas advisors, and that CBM already had a long list of ideal holes he planned to incorporate into this course.
Given all of this, where specifically on this property was CBM planning to set aside land for the founders? And if he was so planning, where all all these real estate lots now?
As to whether the 120 proves he was not interested in real estate, it does occur that a difference in the sites might have some bearing on it.
Of course the nature of the 120 acre site was the reason that CBM only attempted to buy 120 acres! He obviously thought that that land was such that he only needed 120 acres to build his ideal course, and he was willing to let housing and such take care of itself via outside interests. He was trying to build a golf course, not start a real estate development. That is my point. Likewise, it was the nature of the NGLA site which lead him to purchase 205 acres. He needed 205 acres for his ideal golf course. Look at how closely the lines are drawn around the course. Both were need driving purchases, and the need was golf, not real estate!
Of course, you could also argue that CBM dodged a bullet, not taking a smaller site in a real estate development in favor of a more secluded one, and perhaps saw the advantages at that time of being away in nature (some of his words from the documents) when playing golf. In short, he probably realized that an ideal golf course shouldn't be shoe horned in with housing. So, you may be right that any real housing went away at the very beginning of buying this site, although CBM did mention the surplus land in 1912, albeit, to be used as the Founders wished, and even the tone )this turned out to be true" does tell us he may have been skeptical or wary of his ability to pull that off while still building the ideal golf course.
This is a very good point, and one that cuts directly against Mike's latest wild goose chase. CBM was very much attracted to and appreciated the secluded nature of the site.
"When playing golf you want to be alone with nature." Given how CBM described even the early routing of the course, it is really absurd to think that CBM was going to try and cram 60 residential lots on to this site.
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David,
Regarding CBM's intentions for providing a real estate component on the current site, why would he say in 1912 that there is extra land but the Founders haven't yet determined what to do with it? Why would he identify the Founders as the decision makers for that land if it wasn't to be their's specifically as opposed to the Board of Directors or the membership in total?
Jim, I don't know the details of NGLA's membership/partnership agreement, but it looks to me like the majority of the power rested with the founders and not the associate members. For example, if I recall correctly only the founders voted approving the sale of memberships. So it doesn't seem a stretch to leave decisions such as land use to the founders as opposed to the associate memberships. Some clubs are still structured between members who have a voice in such decisions and those who don't.
So it seems that the reason is that the founders controlled the surplus land was because that is the nature of the deal he struck with them when they signed on. If they was any surplus land, it was theirs to do with as they decided. As I have said before, had they wanted to try to build houses between the golf holes I suppose they could have tried to force that, provided that they did not impinge on CBM's golf course. For that matter, as stakeholders they may have been able to plow under the golf course and turn the whole thing into a real estate development. But whatever their rights under their agreement, CBM did not go out and intentionally carve out a real estate component on this property. He bought the land he needed for his course. Whatever scraps were left over went to the founders to do with as they pleased.
Let me ask you the same questions I have asked the others? If CBM intended to include a real estate component on this particular property, then where, exactly, was it to be located? If in 1912, the "surplus land" was intended to be used for real estate, then where are these lots now?