There you go again, R.J. What do you care if some people want their courses maintained like Augusta National. Don't go there. When in Bend, go visit our friend Don Mahaffey and his reasonably priced, most likely well maintained course in line with your tastes.
Pronghorn is a very high-end club and few "affordable" courses can or will try to emulate it. The Nicklaus course is slated to become the resort course when the Fazio is completed. It has been the showplace for prospective lot/home buyers, and I wouldn't doubt that the heavy emphasis on perfect conditions will diminish as the course serves a somewhat different purpose.
Tom Doak is right about the condition of the fairways. I was there in May after they've got a bit of rain so they weren't as firm as they might normally be. For me, it wasn't so much that they were tight, but that I was afraid to take a long divot. It just didn't seem right to damage such pristine turf.
As to the Augusta Syndrome, I think that for most of us it is not a significant issue. If we want more affordable golf, let's find ways to fast-track the regulatory approval process. For those who can link SuperNews, the most current issue I received has an article on Carlsbad, CA and its $50+MM course that it's been planning since the 1980s.