Pat,
Well, I suppose the NGF has to own those numbers and the root cause for the exagerated exhuberence.
And,
I will gladly acknowledge many people find a soft canvas desirable. Why? Because it's predictable, Less taxing on their ability to score well on, and, it most resembles what has become known as the Augusta syndrome.
However, why should an entire industry appease those that are admittedly less sophisticated? They did, and now we have the flat market.
Using Joe Rigo's analysis of Fisher Island as an example, similar to this weeks Open, people wrongly jumped to the conclusion that because the grass was brown, it was dead.
I've never been to FI, or Royal Liverpool but I'd bet their turf is healthier, and their roots are deeper, than any over watered USA GC.
Golf teaches us many lessons through it's micro-cosim. When ignored the reults are less than satifactory. It's my contention that giving the consumer standard day in day out conditions, removed the intrisic variable of unpredictabilty. Which is key to hooking anyones soul.