Just to clear up a few things.
Walton Heath is on a red clay, with some flints mixed through, obviously the flints assist drainage, a small bit, but it's got a minimum of 6 meters to get down before it hits the chalk, more often than not it's more like 12meters.
If the site did drain, we wouldn't have had to re-build 18Old last August, this was the only birdbath type green so, not only did it not drain but also, it was very un interesting and a disappointing finishishing hole so it was win-win situation.
Also, we wouldn't have to stand on squeegee duty at every major competition we hold when there is a drop of rain, as the greens and greens only flood up very quickly.
Our plan is to start installing drains into all greens starting this August, these drains will be led into a borehole which then connects into the chalk.
I believe that it's most likely that the drainage issues are only an issue where man has disturbed the soil and, as the f/ways do drain although via surface run off and very aggressive surface aeration.
The probable reason for the Heath characteristics are due to the ph, which are pretty low, 4.8-5.5 is common, and the fescue/bents naturally survive which help to give a firmness thanks to the strong rooting, and it's a very infertile soli type with very little humous layer and again, the first thing to pop up in bare areas would be the heather, followed by gorse, same can be said for the heather liking a low ph.
I think what we try to do at Walton is to disguise the poor greens drainage via as much sand top dressing (weekly from March to mid Sept if poss), we also extend that out onto the approaches, to try and get them as firm and smooth as possible, which in turn, gives the golfer all options, aerial, pitch and run and especially putter.
Presentation wise, I think a seamless transition between green-surround/approach-fairway-semi rough should be as step-free as possible, and we are largely getting there, aren't heaths meant to be an inland links? I believe they are, I don't think enough people GET IT......during a very recent tournament, we hosted, they very experienced tournament director was nearly going to start dotting the edge of the green to help differentiate green and surround, can you imagine seeing the dots at The Open of for that matter at Pinehurst, some people just don't GET IT...