Great report with Jeremy's ussual touch of clever humor. As Jeremy knows, I had been curious enought to take some classes in AutoCad2000, and he sent me a digitized file drawing that I was able to take to class and play with it a bit, manipulating the layers, and changing elevation-grading lines and perimeters, etc. It was fun to do. And, Bill Coggins sent me verisons of Terra Model and Terra Vista with training CD. Unfortunately, I could not effectively get that particular software installed and make heads or tails of it.
But, I totally agree with Jeremy's report about how effective and efficient of a tool the CAD process is. The math and sizing and measurement is phenominal to play around with, and I would love to be able to afford installation of the robust full version of AutoCad2000 and have real digitised files of various properties to design multiple course routings and do layers of cut&fill plans, drainage and irrigation schemes to my hearts content.
But, I also had a discussion about all the wiz-bang things that the computer does with a person I consider to be a land-field artist when constructing-shaping a golf course, Dan Proctor. He didn't dismiss the whole idea of CAD, but also makes it clear that the actual construction of the course done in their field-design as you are there on-site working daily to shape things (often on the fly) is a sort of disconnect with the idea of working the land VS planning the land. And, the finest and most detailed of CAD drawings for shaping the course aren't worth a darn without someone to translate the drawings to reality in the dirt. When given the luxuary of a great site with varied easily workable golf terrain and soils, and no strict permitting issues requiring detailed plans, the drawings aren't all that useful or necessary to the land-artist craftsman constructor builder who is not as bound by the strict specifications and parameters of a button down job.
But I wouldn't be without the aid of CAD and smart technicians to run the various software if I were in charge of running a commercial multi-project GCA firm. I don't see how you could be competitive without it. And, if I were the owner of a golf course that was built in the dirt, as you go, and not with aid of CAD like Wild Horse, I would not be without an after the construction "as built" CAD file detailing every sort of measurement, and locating every functioning infrasturcture feature of drainage and irrigation, etc.