David,
On a return trip, after the clubhouse renovation, the first words that came to mind, were:
What the F--K are they thinking about ?
Why did they build this Taj Mahal ?
For what reason ? For what purpose ?
It was so extravagant, so out of scale for the community, I just didn't understand the thinking.
When you spend that kind of money to "refurbish" a clubhouse, you'll NEVER get it back, especially when you add carrying charges to the cost of the project.
If you fund it on a pay as you go, you'll get complaints and some resignations, but you won't get financial ruin unless the operational costs eat you alive.
This was a bad idea, encouraged and promoted by a misguided leadership and membership, and that's unfortunate because it's a good golf course.