Pete...
Amazing question. And doesn't that cut right to the heart of the matter?
It seems to me the majority of the great clubs are built by a group of people who get together to simply build a great course. Examples of this are NGLA, Pine Valley, and The Golf Club. They aren't looking to make a business deal that will net them a bunch of money...they want to play good golf. That is it. In fact, The Golf Club's flags are probably the best I've ever seen especially when taken in the context of how they came about. 1/2 of the flag is red, the other black. Fred Jones, the owner, said I'll either make money or lose my shirt...that is be in the red or the black. But he didn't care...he wanted an ideal golf course.
So, who will build these courses? I don't know. Maybe it will only be me, playing with my friends, on my little 6 holer...but regardless, it will be fun. Will I make money on it? No. I'm not selling memberships and I'm not charging greens fees. But right now it is just a vision rather than a plan in motion.
I wrote the piece to stimulate discussion. And maybe someone could take one or two ideas from the piece and the ensuing discussion and generate a good plan for the game. Ron mentioned taking one or two of the local clubs in his neck of the woods and tweaking a green or a hole to "extreme" levels and see what happens. Why not? If the club is struggling already, maybe this will generate some interest.
And you know what, I think there are already a few courses that exist today that might fit the category...as some have already mentioned and alluded to. Ballyneal would fit. Hole 8 is pretty extreme! As is 12. Not every hole needs to be off the charts extreme. Just enough to create some buzz. I think NGLA fits as well. Check this thought out...would people still want to play NGLA if it was only hole 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6...and then stopped? Are those holes good enough to get repeat business? I say without hesitation...YES!!!
So, anyway...just brainstorming. I can see it working. Actually, what is the Sheep Ranch like? Does anyone play it? Isn't it a mix and match routing? Sounds like a winner to me.