I guess no one is interested in this topic Tom, so I'll chime in.
Had a wonderful day on the course yesterday...superb weather, light crowds, and great playing conditions...the course appeared to be in wonderful shape. Your analysis of the course "make-up" is spot on, the work done their really suits the course well.
We spent the bulk of our viewing day behind the green of the Tournament #1 (which plays as the 10th hole for the members). Many of you know they re-routed the course for the tournament...the course plays holes #10-15 as the tournament holes #1-6, then holes #1-3 as the tournament holes #7-9. Then holes #4-9 are played as tournament holes #10-15, and finally the original #16-18 are kept intact. Supposedly they did so for proper crowd control for the holes around the backside of the clubhouse and range area.
Anyways, our vantage point was awesome! From where we stood, you could see the tee shots from the 1st land in the LZ, then of course watch the groups play up and through the green of #1. Then, you simply turned your head (over slid over some 50 feet) to watch the tee shot on the 180 yard par-3 2nd hole...so lots of action from a very narrow area of movement. We got to see every group play through that way (including Greg Norman with Chrissy E. in tow).
The 1st hole plays as a short downhill par-4 to a fairly narrow LZ fronted by a stream. From there it is a knock-down wedge to a green flanked by a bunker left and a small retention pond right. The front third of this smallish green has a false front and MANY players backed their wedge down the shaved green entrance...only to wind up with a bogey due to a difficult bump-n-run or putt from down there. The green was deceptively fast and the guys seemed to struggle with reading the correct break.
An interesting comment from some guy I was stand near. As we watched one particular wedge shot back up off the green and down the front, he seemed concerned that the ball would reach the retention pond. I assured him it would not due to the high rough there. He then said "Yeah, good thing the architect put that rough there, or it would be an unfair shot!". I told him that i doubted if that pond we around back in the early 1920's, and that the rough was "put there" by the GCS and his staff, probably not by the actual architect. It is always interesting to me how people perceive things.
Tom...you also asked who has played the course, and I'll raise my hand there as well. I had the good fortune to play the course this past Fall in October. Unfortunately it was a bad weather day, but we still had a wonderful time. I cannot speak for the pre-Hepner days since I'd never seen the course before then, but my impression (and from my host's description of things that day) the course cooridors had been opened up significantly, and some mowing patterns adjusted as well. Many greens had drop-offs in back and a few had back bunkers lurking to catch a run-up shot hit too firmly. Many greens on the course allowed for ground game approach options as witnessed on the 1st hole yesterday with pitches, chips, putters, and hybrids being used to attack the green from close range. For the style course it is, I feel that the greens are on the smallish size overall and contain many more subtle breaks that outrageous countours and the like.
I'm not sure what TV will do to "flatten" out the course, but there is a reasonable amount of movement to the property...especially at holes like the 5th and 6th (original 14th and 15th holes). I love the 6th hole...you play a blind tee shot down a large slope to an LV fronted by a small stream, then back UP the hill to a virtually blind green perched atop the hillside about 50 feet above you. It is a daunting hole but a real charge to play.
I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has played is pre- then post-Hepner to know exactly what went on out there.