If Newport and Maidstone were

[Patrick_Mucci]

Doesn't the success of the Bandon Dunes resort answer this question in large part? 

Tim, I'm not so sure that answers or even addresses the question.
You'd be surprised at how many golfers haven't heard of Bandon Dunes and how many have never been to Bandon Dunes.

Many retail golfers will embrace natural conditions, at least if the course is near the ocean and marketed properly. 
Ocean front property is certainly a meaningful lure to golfers, but, too many are assuming that the East End Club and Rocky Shores would attract golfers if the cost of a round was $ 250 and conditions were "natural"

Would golfers pay $ 250 to play Maidstone and Newport today ?  Probably.  But, I'd attribute that to the history and exclusivity of those clubs.  But, if they were public courses, absent those histories and exclusivity, how many golfers would pay $ 250, week in and week out, to play there ?

There are other factors at work here besides private vs. public.  Regional issues, for example.  I know many private club members in the Midwest who scoff at any golf course that dosn't fit the traditional, tree-lined country club model.  Links courses and conditions and the prairie links style courses are entirely lost on them.  If you took away the pedigrees at Newport and Maidstone, I'm sure these courses would be lost on them as well. 

Could be.

I happen to love both courses.

Architecturally, I think Newport tends to be underrated, hence I tend to think that without its history and exclusivity, with "natural" conditions, the kind you'd never see on TV, I'm not so sure that golfers would be flocking to it.  Especially at $ 110 to $ 250 per play.

[PThomas]

If TV announcers would promote quality playing conditions over green looks it might be a start, but, with the visual medium and the desire for beautiful contrast, why would TV promote conditions that aren't as photogenic ?

i'll never understand why some/many? people feel that wall-to-wall green is attractive

you'd think maybe they'd at least let the rough get brownish, but often that's not the case

this economy might have some benefits like less water usage....