Thanks guys for all the nice comments, particularly the adopt a highway recognition (14 years and counting, picking up trash four times a year). Who says I'm under the publicity radar with that golden stretch of clean road!
Dan,
I love the question. If I never spoke to a soul at Keller, I may have still been inclined to keep the tree on four. Not because I think a 100 foot tall tree between the tee and green on a 150 yard hole is a good idea (I don't), but by its very presence,it is obviously an icon. That said, the tree on 17 would have come crashing down on day 1.
The other thing I may have done is add grass hollows and swales and have less mounds. I tend toward those features in my design (I like to think of myself as more of a cut guy than a fill guy) but they were not part of the Keller look when I got there.
Other than that, I don't think I would have done much differently, mostly because in all the discussions I have with players, few come up with very specific, "We need a mound here or a bunker there" comments. Instead, it is more broad based about the character of the course, playability, etc. What golfers think works or doesn't work. When you meet with a cross-section of golfers, the big things come to the surface and you ignore most of the little things or off the wall ideas (such as s par three should be a dogleg, for example).
We did do some major things out there such as the bunkers in the fairways on two and twelve (features that I know are close to your heart, Dan) and changing nine and ten from a par 5 & 4 to a par 4 & 5.
I don't come to a project with pre-conceived notions so I can't even hypothetically think of other things I would change other than the swales and mounds. In fact, golfers get frustrated on these walk-throughs because they want to pick my brain as to what I am thinking, and I constantly am telling them I have no ideas, yet.
Thanks again for the thoughts to everyone and keep the questions coming. I may not be able to respond until later today because I have two kids basketball games to coach sandwiched around a book signing at the Country Bookshop in Southern Pines (for any locals who want to come out). I was worried how I could mention the new book when I saw Scott's comment, but luckily this seque worked out. Scott, the new version is called The Legendary Evolution of Pinehurst. There is a thread somewhere a few pages back on a December sale, by the way.