Interesting quote from The Lakes (Sydney) recent club history book.

[Mike_Clayton]

'From what I've seen of your Australian courses they have been built to fit in with the countryside. Well this doesn't produce a fair test of golf like the courses back in the United States. We build our courses to complement existing conditions and to give the proper challenge to the golfer - and that's what we are doing at The Lakes.'
 
Slim Bates. Robert Von Hagge's 'right-hand man'

[RJ_Daley]

Well isn't the obvious next question to Mstr Bates:  which in AU has he seen that fit the countryside and don't give proper/fair challenge, and which in U.S. compliment existing terrain AND give the golfer a proper/fair challenge?

Bonus question:  What are examples of proper and fair?

[Tom_Doak]

It appears that Slim was not that slick at impressing potential clients, judging from the portfolio of projects he did on his own.

[Mike_Clayton]

The book goes on to say ''In this reconstruction, the excavation knocked down hills, filled in gullies,built up new hills and created new hollows. In all 610,000 tons of sand  was removed. As a result, The Lakes' natural undulating fairways with their uphill,downhill,sidehill lies were lost, making way for a more sterile style favoured by Von Hagge. By the time the excavation had finished, it is fair to say the course looked like the Gobi Desert - a sandy wasteland almost denuded of all vegetation.'