"Then why does the green rise sharply and substantially from the surrounding land form, radically departing from the surrounding terrain, especially in the front and rear of the green?
Pat:
The obvious answer to me is because that's the way the land originally was. The obvious answer also includes because the things you just asked simply aren't true. The green does not rise in the rear of the green, it just flows right on down that natural right to left ridge.
There's no question in my mind if a preconstruction topo map ever existed and could be found it would prove the things you're trying to say here wrong in a heart beat. One only needs to look at the topography of that realitively narrow swath of land on the north coast of Long Island that extends probably down to and past Frair's Head to understand it's unique and interesting topogrpaphy.
I'd say much of the radical topogrpaphy of holes #1,2,3,4,5,14,15,16,first part of 17 and the second half of #18 including the high dune to the right of the second half as well as the entire enormous promontory the clubhouse sits on is original and natural topography.
If you'd seen the original topography of the dunes holes of Friar's Head you'd know exactly what I mean. It was, and to a large degree still is, radically unusual topography, to say the least. Much of NGLA wasn't that much different, in my opinion--and that includes the ridge the Redan sits on.