Carlyle,
I feel inclined to ask you to show me in MacKenzie's verses in Golf Architecture, Spirit of St. Andrews and any of the various smaller articles written by him that would lead you to this opinion. I also ask the same of Bobby Jones and any of contributions on the subject.
I need to know the facts!:)
What I know of MacKenzie usually pertains to Nature, wide fairways, wild and natural bunkering, unique greens that have undulations that make the game fun and exciting that work with the ground game, as well as the strategy of the fairways that lead you to them, plus, and a big plus--V-A-R-I-E-T-Y! How many deceptive features and interesting heroic recoveries have been eliminated from the planting of trees at AGNC? What are the new and provocative changes that make ANGC so much better in your theories of "Evolution?" Maybe in the study of how to grow perfect turfgrass with an unlimited budget, but what is the "meat" of the real design facts?
Ask any superintendent in this discussion group what they think of the evolution of Augusta National and how it has affected their daily lives. I don't think you'll get the type of answer your looking for, but they would undoubtedly be impressed of the operation to get it that way, as they too can dream of having a blank check to maintain their beloved course as well as the sufficient crew and equipment to do so.
But I'm in total agreement with you, I do agree with your statement about room in the "grand" portfolio. Surely anyting with the name Robert Tyre Jones (the good RTJ) and Dr. Alister MacKenzie deserves its due. Its just unfortunate that its also the perfect example of how extreme the changes are that have been made to this course by those two dynamic personalities who had a vision; an idea what their course in a most desolate corner of Notheast Georgia should play like. To me, its about how all of the parties who have involved themselves have drastically changed that vision. You call it evolution, I call it destruction with intent of doing earthly harm, and it has occured annually for the last five+ years, but has existed since George Cobb and maybe even Robert Trent Jones (the bad RTJ) were given the go ahead to make insidious changes. You can also add Jack Nicklaus'* name to that too!
(*Better make that Bob Cupp!)
Personally, everytime I see that crushed white marble sand, the shapes of the bunkers, loss of key and important strategies, the growing of rough and planting trees to tighten drive areas in defense of Mother Par, it makes me want to stick a hot needle in my eye.
Matter of fact make it two hot needles. I need another for the other eye!
I really do think that beyond all of the "Homer" stuff, and there is nothing wrong with loving this tournament; the floura and fauna and the jubilee that goes with it, that you do know where the true greatness of AGNC lies--It just its covered-up in a blanket of popular belief that Green is good, especially when your wearing a jacket of the same color.