Jason,
They have "invented" a new way of laying sod that involves throwing it out on top of the existing grass. At SCC they've done it to about a half-dozen holes and the fairways are so bumpy that my electric motorcaddy is in danger of breaking an axle they've done it on their other courses and three years later they are still in the same condition.
They also have a penchant for putting virtually no water on the fairways. Now, when they first started drying it out, I wasn't at all concerned because I prefer the course a lot firmer than most of the folks around here. But as the season progressed, and more and more turf disappeared, I started to lose faith.
They apparently (according to a member) did the same thing at the Golf Club of Kansas, but got bailed out by the rain from the hurricane remnants--which greened up the course.
They almost never moved tee marker, to the point where the grass under them died.... so I started moving them. Now, I've been told that the reason they didn't move them is that one of the herbicides they used on the course wasn't intended for use on zoysia and it was badly stunted.
They do some things that make you think they're going to be great, like light-frequent topdressing of greens, then they leave bunkers unmaintained for more than a week, and the course currently has about twice as many bunkers as it does rakes.
I've visited or talked to member at some of their other courses, and that kind of thing is the norm, as far as I can tell. And, know the super at one of their other courses, who told me that he was the only person working on the course at the middle of the season. And it looks like it.
It will be interesting to see how they work out at Staley Farms.
K