Cosgrove,
Tell me why it is foolish to design for a US Open...Is it possible to call someone a fool without being offensive?
Read the post. It is phrased in the form of a question, not a statement. I don't think anyone was called a fool.
I am a firm believer that when creating a business plan it is important to 'under promise and over deliver.' In the case of the three examples, I thought the developer may have violated this process.
Tell me if you would, what are the qualities of VN that lend it to being a venue for the open. The floating grandstands are certainly a creative way to handle crowd, but are they practical? Would it be possible to move the crowds effectively on that property? How about corporate tents? Is there available space? and is that space close enough to be appropriate?
By the way, when I think of VN, I am more apt to think it would be a very good Ryder Cup venue. With the punitive nature of some of the holes, I think it works better for match play and the crowd management problems would be reduced.