I have read many comments about P2 along the lines of, if I'm paying that fee the grass better be green.
Reminds me of a guy who goes to a pricy world class restaurant and cares more about the portion size than the quality of the food.
I can't for the life of me seem to communicate the simplest of ideas with you Don. Frankly, I suspect it's you and not me but who knows...
1) I'm fine with brown Bermuda, if the course is otherwise in good playing condition. That said, in my neck of the woods there's no such as thing as a course that is brown but otherwise in good playing condition. So it's a purely hypothetical question.
2) I much prefer playing on cool climate, sand-based turf to any other playing surface. As such, I carefully marshal my limited travel golf funds for use on trips to play links and heathland courses in England and Scotland. So I almost never play high-$$$ courses with Bermuda grass.
So if the question is whether I myself, personally, would complain about the color of the #2 course were I playing there the answer is no. If it's as playable as it seems to be on TV I'd be happy as could be playing there.
I also know full well that of all the people in the world willing to pay $400+ to play golf on a resort course, the proportion of them sharing my own preferences is near zero. So we're back to the earlier threads. If I, myself, personally want to blow $400 per round on golf I'll do it where the weather is cool and the grass isn't Bermuda. And if anyone I know of outside this forum wants to pay $400 per round to play golf at Pinehurst they are going to bitch incessantly about the appearance of the course no matter how fine its playability might be.
The reason I have trouble following you is you continue to go about how bad P2 looks, but then say you'd have no problem playing it. So, I guess you are not really talking about your personal preferences, but taking on the role of the majority as you see it?
And to be completely frank, I hate that crap. And it is all too common in golf, especially among the golf "experts." They say, "oh, I like it and I get it, but you know the vast majority will never get it". As if they see it as their job to keep everyone straight. We heard the same thing about Bandon for years. Try getting a mid day tee time during the summer at Bandon. Whenever I've been there during the warmer months the place has been packed full of all those people paying $200+ who don't get it. Last time I was at P2, it was packed. Couldn't get a tee time with three other industry folks until late in the day on a Tuesday. Lots of people paying good money to play there who aren't complaining about brown grass along the edges.
So that is why you confuse me as you have gone on and on about the negatives of P2 but always manage to mix in a little "I have no problem with it and would have fun playing there". That seems awful darn contradictory. You either like it or you don't. If you don't, no problem as it is a big world. But if you do, why try and be the voice for those you think don't like it?
The other part of your message is also one I hear often and it really confuses me. And that is, I'll travel to play brown, but don't want brown at home. That is not directed as a negative to you as it seems oh so common. I need someone to explain that to me. Brown in Scotland or Bandon, or Long Island = good. Brown at my home course = bad.
Firm fast golf comes in all colors and all different grass types. Some are better then others and some grasses hold their color better than others, but good golf is good golf and I can't for the life of me understand why people don't want it at home.