Sean,
Much of the problem started many moons ago, I'm told when a certain well-liked and well-respected AGA Director, Ed Gowan and cohorts insisted on the use of rye in akaline infested soil. Once again, I have been told this by a person VERY close to the subject who shall and will remain nameless.
I'm also sure Tom Doak will post something here, not concuring with this assessment, but this is what I have been told was the root of the problem.
Couple that with the Apache Nation of San Carlos--who should rely on a managment company like Troon to properly run the course--The entire thing is one of Golf's great tragedies. When the next Great Depression occurs (soon) and when we pull ourselves out of the ashes, this course will make a great chapter in Daniel Wexler IV's Missing Links Volume 6.
From what I have heard, they had the right guy in there (Don Mahaffey's brother) to recover the golf course and this magnificent world class design. I'm sure dealing with those ambitious Apache's finally got to him and he left soon after. (The fact is that I do think the San Carlos Apache Nation has contacted a highly contagious form of ADD.
In terms of golf course design, I still think I like Apache Stronghold--AS A GOLF COURSE DESIGN--better then Pacific Dunes.
The only thing that hasn't been done is going in there and just taking the thing from the Apaches, lock, stock and smoking barrell. As Americans in this day and age, we shouldn't have a problem with this. We did in the desert of Iraq, we should be able to do it on our own home turf in the high desert of Arizona.
When I first experienced Apache Stronghold around late 1998 or 99, it was not in that bad of shape. The greens and tees were excellent, the fairways, tolerable. However the 5th fairway--a problem fairway in terms of maintenance because of the akaline content in the soil was in sorry shape. It's ashame to, because it has one of the most creative greens you'll come across, a sort of reversed-tier, fall-away number that ties in wonderfully to the slope of the hillside its built into.
The architecture--what's in the ground--at Apache Stronghold is for the most part an excellent study to see one of Golf's Greatest Architecture Students--at a time when he was literally dying for any kind of a job--build what I consider to be of a golf course of a World Class variety.
So if you love golf courses--GREAT GOLF COURSES, forgo the affects of the conditioning and go enjoy Apache Stronghold before it's too late and gets either reclaimed by the desert or taken by some other architect who offers the Apache a chance to work on the course, gratis--just to improve his resume.
Is it Top 100 right now? Heavens no! (As if that would mean something) Just like Yale where the proprieters didn't know what they had until their ego's were challenged and forced to do something about it. So hopefully Apache Gold will recognize the need to bring its creator back and get the place in order--if he's even available.