Tom,
I can hear the construction foreman now; “Mr. Ross will be here next week and we need to get the fill pads for the greens on the front nine for his review”. Whereas he might raise a few, lower a few, etc until he could see the different green elevations he wanted. He would not build detail into them until this was completed. He would start simply and add detail and complexity during the construction.
As you know the earth was taken from the nearby rough or fairway. I do not think they built all the green details per the drawings but roughed them in for on site review. Then Ross would stake out some bunkers or go back to the office and sketch them out, or a combination of both until the next site visit. Please understand the majority of workers did not have any idea about a golf course, so much of the instruction was pick up earth at “A” and place at “B”. Then we will build the bunkers, add detail, etc.
Yes, he had Scotts building many of his golf courses, but I am sure they were busy with the detail work of bunkers, green surfaces; etc after the dirt had been bulked in place.
I think you are giving Mr. Ross too much credit if you think he worked it all out on paper before construction began (“I want a square green here”). Yes, the planning for the greens, tees bunkers, but not the details-hence all his notes about “add 2’ here” etc. He also flowed many of his horizon lines with the existing terrain, etc.
The man is still a genius, but it a process and building a square fill pad would be the first step in the process for efficiency and review in the field. He did not design 100% of it on paper beforehand. If he was not present, one of his staff or experienced crew members would fill this roll-some in a more artistic way than another.