Mike,
The site drains very well, with the sandy composition, it soaks up water pretty well. We did have several heavy rains over the winter, with the first one in November (3+ inches) causing some damage because the course was still pretty immature. Subsequent rains have yielded less damage, and the course seems to have stabilized.
Unfortunately the owner decided to use concrete for the paths, although we did use native soil with a polymer applied to it through the dry wash, and it held up great. It would have been nice to stick with these native paths throughout the course, but we lost that battle.
As for the green and the backboard, bunkers, etc., as Geoff described it, it was design by committee. The front bunker does indeed conceal a drainage swale that takes a lot of water from the clubhouse, road, etc. and runs it across the 1st fairway, in a creekbed, and then across the front of 8 running behind the bunker. The natural flow of the site runs through this valley, and rather than pipe it we thought we would leave it as it has always been. The use of the bunker to conceal it, and also play visual tricks off the tee, was an interesting way to achieve the functional and playable characteristics we hoped for on the hole. The backboard was not a concession to public golf, but rather a concession to the natural landform, as well as a nod to the "Short Hole" greens of Macdonald and Raynor. The right 2/3rds of the green forms the horseshoe bowl of the Short green, with only the left side of the green having the narrow shelf above the bowl (which is where the pin is in the photo). We think that there is enough slope in the green to make putting adventuresome if the green is hit off the tee, and that there is enough variety and character in the surrounds to make for some interesting short game play.