Nit-picking details on this one is subjective.
Call the "sandscapes" whatever you'd like. In the big picture, the distinct nature of the one of the world's greatest courses has been restored; principally through removal of 30 acres of turf, which has apparently allowed for reducing the number of irrigation heads from 1,150 to 450.
There are too many positives about this project to try to find comparatively small negatives, perhaps, simply because a large number of people who participate at this site greatly admire and trumpet Coore and Crenshaw, and their work.
Congratulations, again, to all involved.
When you claim to "restore" something, then it is a lot about "nitpicking". It's a tremndous amount of "nitpicking". It's all about "nitpicking". Or perhaps the work at Colt's venues Ian has harped about is OK? Why nitpick? Or is it OK for Ian to go take some of Thompson's work and add frillies, and generally mess about with the bunker style. Why not... now that nitpicking on "restoration" of not just classic courses, but historic works is seen as trivial? (Just went through a ton of Fazio threads... I didn't see any nitpicking there... LOL.)
I did say I liked the work, believe they put thought into it, but did not know if this could be classified as a "restoration". I see the spirit, but not the precision. I see a new road. Future maintenance directives could bring it into that "restoration" realm, because I do not see that amount of open sand in any photos, nor have I seen Ross bunkers look like some that are presented on the website. But who's nitpicking?
Yes Jeff, there are many who like their work, me included, but it doesn't preclude them from discussing their work, just as it hasn't for Gil Hanse at MPCC or Fazio. In fact, I think people should look past the labels and actually look at it from the narrow focus of "restoration" and ask... is it? Put on your Fazio caps if need be and deep down tell yourself the truth. If this was Fazio who had done this...
And they could have turned off all the excess sprinklers, let the Bermuda croak, put in a fraction of the sand, and it would have been more reflective of the course as seen in the photos of yesteryear. Unless of course, there's a batch I haven't seen, where there are frillies and that much open sand. Again... perhaps the maintenance directives are to allow the Bermuda to creep. I don't know. Do you?
As for sandscapes... that could be nitpicking... I'll agree, but that's trivial in the big picture of this discussion. The term did remind me of the stomach turning viewscapes Tiger was spitting out ad nauseum. It turns my stomach writing it. Tiger... they're views man. And they're not sandscapes, but waste areas or waste bunkers or areas of open sand.