Mike,
If you are going to spend the money on a good topo survey (it could be as much as $15K or more) here are a few things I have learned that you want to verify:
1) Observable ground features need to include; cart paths, structures, tree canopies, bunker edges, green edges, mowed tee edges, water surface of all lakes and ponds, etc.
2) Forrest Richardson once told me (I have not had this done yet) that your club may want to place paper plates out on the irrigation heads and valves on the day of the aerial photography. This will provide visual markers which can be digitized by the survey company and placed on a separate layer for the superintendent to mark up with what is what. This eliminates the need for GPSing of all heads assuming you don’t already have a good GPS of your irrigation system.
3) It makes sense to ask that any city/county GIS data be incorporated into the survey file. For example, if property maps and parcel maps are available, they should be reconciled to the survey and included as a layer in the digital file. Likewise easements (sewer, electric, telephone, etc.) should be reconciled to the survey.
4) When every thing is finished, a digital file will be provided in DVD format on which all data is layered and can be turned on/off...tree canopies, greens, tees, contours, easements, property lines, water bodies, cart paths, etc.
Another helpful tip is to GPS primary trees by field marking the trunks of the trees. This is of course an extra cost. The survey will show canopies...not trunks. Three or four trees, for example, might show up on the survey as one large grouping...not four trees. Keep that in mind if you want more pin-pointed detail.
We are getting ready to do another aerial survey for a course in NJ. Usually clubs are shocked when they hear the price but the data is quite valuable. Also, prices seem to vary all across the country.
Good luck!
Mark