Neil, as you can imagine, I have a boatload of pictures of Wild Horse. However, yours really are the best I've seen.
I hope Josh Mahar, the super there, comes on and comments about the seasonal aspects of the rough. I haven't been there since spring, but I believe they finally have broken the 2 year drought this year and the rough looks a little bit heartier than last fall. But, after a few freezing nights, it should lay down nice, and present ideal rough conditions, IMHO. The rough gets pretty thick in some key areas like the back -through the fairway side of the tee shot off 3 tee, and low areas off to the left of 12 and between 16 and 17 and 18, where I think irrigation and fert may drift a bit and being low, it stays dew laden. But generally, wherever I hit errant shots into rough off of tee balls, like left or right on 6, left or right on 12, 15, 16,17,18, I can generally find the ball and advance it.
About 5 years ago, I picked up the last remaining lot which is just beyond the picture of the 4th that Neil shows and would partially block out the view of the maintenence facility roof that you see. The house in that background is the newest out there and would be two lots down from mine. The other house you see in that line is owned by a fellow that is a builder-contractor who has built other homes out there.
It is ineveitable that the long views of the prairie will slowly close in with more roof lines appearing. But, the course will still be as good as you see that Josh has it presented. That is a great thing.
John K., why don't you take about a 14 hour drive out there and check it out. You will come to appreciate the narrowness of the wide fairways when the wind blows, like Neil and Scott speak of in their example of the 7th slightly off center in LZ bunker.
I still vote for fall as the best season in the Sand Hills for golf and anything else.