Tom - CCF did not have the $$ of the Lido project and perhaps they just moved slower.
some of my Raynor-book text on CCF:
Jennings bought up the necessary land and in early March of 1914 he leased the "hummocks, salt meadow, march and beach" for a period of time "not to exceed 200 years from April 1, 1914."; the cost of the lease? One dollar per year!
He certainly had vision but the work a t hand would take years to complete. Undoubtedly Oliver Gould Jennings must have heard of the landfill operation Macdonald and Raynor were involved in at Lido for here along this marshland a similar operation would be needed. “ There began the huge task of pumping, filling and diking the tidal marsh. Most of the fill came from the bottom of Seaport Harbor.” Once the fill of the land reach proper proportions, top soil was needed to grow fine turf. This was imported from various point on Long Island and a rail system was built on site and a steam locomotive was employed to pull oil-laden flatcars to distribute soil over the property. Workmen from the Barnum and Bailey circus crews, who were headquartered at nearby Bridgeport were employed as part of the construction crews and campsite were set up on the beach to house them.
1917 saw the United States enter World War I and the work on the course slowed down to a crawl but did not stop. By 1920 twelve holes had been completed and the first formal meeting of the Club was held June 29. A year later, on July 2, 1921, with all eighteen holes complete, the course was officially opened for play; nearly eight years later.
There was nothing I have ever seen about CCF explaning the length esides the enormity of their project. I think there might be more taht was done at CCF than you might think - again not the finanical jackers.
Lido had all the big guys
"Spearheading the sizeable group of investors headed by Winthrop, were Paul Kravath, Thomas Cuyler, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Robert Goelet, Charles Sabin, Henry Bull, W. Forbes Morgan, James Stillman, Harry Paine Whitney and the ever-present Otto Kahn. Many of these men, and others who would later join them, were already members at the National, of Piping Rock, Nassau, Garden City and of Sleepy Hollow as well. This was the wealth of the northeast United States."