Joel,
I don't play in that league, but it would seem to me that to be a partner or investor one would have to be financially secure and lead a lifestyle which abhors any suggestion of pinching pennies. Could it be that most of these well-heeled folks actually value Fazio's work and the instant market credibility it earns?
Ed,
Why shouldn't it be built? When tourists, many non-golfers, go through the 20some mile drive, do they stop and look at the forest and raw land, or do they seem to congregate at the golf courses? Are there not deer and other critters in sufficient numbers in and around the homes and courses?
Finding an architect who can route through trees and minimize the impact on the environment should be the easiest part. Overcoming the anti-golf, zero-development mentality will be by far the greatest impediment.
Come to think of it, based on a conversation I had with the superintendent at Spanish Bay last year regarding the regulatory gymnastics he has to go through just to maintain his course, perhaps I should agree with Ed. I guess the construction jobs, 30 - 50+ new permanent positions, and the taxes generated from the sales revenue are not siginifcant enough for the public decision makers.