That's kind of what I was thinking.Unless one travelled,the only frame of reference was the course(s) down the street.Widespread TV coverage begets the maintenance arms race.
As an aside,a member asked me about the old course.I told him it was,among other things,maintained as every other course in town-frequently brown in the summer(unless it rained),very firm,and scruffy in places;probably identical to ANGC in 1967.He thought I was kidding.