Chris B,
I think you have to differentiate between "local' knowledge,
"common" knowledge and "universal' knowledge.
"Local" knowledge implies that there are some aspects of the course, and of the play of the course that are not apparent to the average first time player, that become apparent with subsequent rounds. Then, it becomes "common" knowledge.
When a site gets the type of media coverage that ANHC gets, it becomes "universal" knowledge.
With the availability of practice rounds and access to the club, there isn't much you wouldn't be aware of come thursday morning.
With respect to acclimating to tournament play, remember, attendance at our funerals and tournament conditions are depedent upon the same factor...... the weather.
We're also talking about the greatest players in the world. Those guys are better than good under any conditions.
I have been unfortunate enough to play in a USGA event where the greens were 12+ and pitched. I watched balls putted up to the cup, go past the cup, and then come back to the player, then further back off the green, and down into the fairway. I've also played on greens that were like concrete. But, you have to remember, these guys are the greatest players the world has ever seen. This is what they do for a living, to the exclusion of everything else. This is what they have been doing for most, if not all of their adolescent and adult life. They can handle difficult conditions.
QRM,
With the exception of cooling and heating pipes beneath the 12th green, I don't believe any green at ANGC is constructed differently from any of the others.
Are you unequivically stating that the 1st green was bathtubbed out, and a completely different green substructure put in its place ? A USGA green unlike all of the others ? That sounds strange.
Or, are you refering to the softening of the contouring without altering/impacting the basic substructure ?
It would be helpful to understand what subsurface construction was done.
I am opposed to softening contours in the name of speed because it leads toward an end result of boring, flat greens. But, it's not just putting that is affected, it is the strategy of the incoming shot and the consequence of the failure to hit the desired sector of the green, that become lost in the flattening process. The distinctive life of the green, hole and strategy are diminished, and eventually lost.
It would be helpful if you could elaborate on the work.
I tend to agree with Mike Cirba with respect to the club being in good hands, but, was there an internal club mandate with respect to that green, that was given to Gil ?
Remember, no matter who recommends a change, the committee, board and members have to approve it, under normal circumstances.