Congratulations to Dunlop on a well written article making a valid architectural point.
But Mr. White fails to address the issue of cost. The problem I see is in the cost of maintaining today´s fairways to the high standard that has become the norm, especially in the U.S.A. Double the width of the fairways, and you can figure at least another 25% or so to the overall maintenance budget. There is the extra hours mowing, aerating, and today even topdressing. The extra fertilizers, herbicides, and fungicides will drive up the green fees/members' dues in a big hurry. The issue of water use, when that is an ever dwindling resource, could stop you in your tracks.
It is important to remember in those grand old days between the wars, they were playing off either crabgrass or bare dirt, for the most part. Fairways were not mowed below 1/2 inch as they are today, but more like twice that high. Fairway irrigation was unknown. Disease, insects and weeds ran amuk, or were controlled with lead-based pesticides that today would land the superintendent in the hoosegow if he were caught with them.
For the wide fairways to work, the golfer will have to accept either a shocking deterioratrion in the quality of the playing surface or an equally drastic increase in the cost to play.