Tenax, space for the golf clubs is KEY
You didn't come across as impatient, as I said - I probably wouldn't have found your post til December if you hadn't 'bumped' it - you did the right thing to bring it back 'on the radar' without *****ing.
As for the 'check valve', you've got the right idea, the valves you have can turn on or off the flow from any suction source (or allow one to suction more or less than the other(s)) but the check valve prevents water from flowing the opposite way through the pipe (either from having a spring loaded stopper or a weighted flap that stuts off the 'backwards flow' when there isn't any draw on it. On a system that is controlled by a timer which is above the pool level, it will allow you to retain your pump's prime without having to go out and manually turn the valves. The union allows you to evacuate the lines of water when winterizing (the check valve keeps the water in the lines, even when you want to empty them )
You are going with the autopilot system, so I'll refer you to Poolsean (he is IMHO the greatest resource here for SWG owners), take a look at the SWG section and post your ?. Sean keeps his eye on it and will certainly help you - especially since you've got one of his company's units - he can tell you much, much better than I FWIW: I'd keep the autopilot separate from both pump and timer ( the units are SMART and keeping the power to them 24/7 will allow them to function better. ) If you need more, just ask - all the best with your pool, Waste