Yes, I'm really curious to see the pictures of this most exclusive course.  

I'll certainly be willing to offer my opinion on the natural/unnatural look in question because I'll be looking for the seams.

DFrey;

I hope you're not discouraging posts from people who aren't members of exclusive clubs.  I suggest you stick to discussing Jakab's points that you disagree with and not demean anyone's economic or social pedigree.

For what it's worth, you might also be surprised to learn that he's a member of two midwest clubs, including a well-heeled, highly regarded (Top 100) one.  Financial security doesn't necessarily translate into knowledge and appreciation of great architecture, and visa versa.  

Holy crap...that island really IS all golf course!!!  Amazing!!!

The days are long past when one could get a sniff of a $2 Million dollar house on IC Island.

>>I'm still waiting to here something beyong price and exclusitivity.<<

There may be an unintended message there.
 

John,
Not to answer for Wayne, but early aerials show that area to have been part bunker and part rough, bumpy ground. If my memory is correct, the area is played as a waste area which seems to correspond to Flynn's intent. The rest of the bunkers on the hole are similar in size and position to the way they were in the 30s.

Roger,

The man who posted the pictures has a good sense of propriety and a duty to safeguard his ability to view courses and photograph them in the future.  This surely had an impact on his sensitivities.  

John,

That very bunker is the one that was drawn as a 180 yard bunker on the original plans and is around 100 yards long today.  It is very large with a nice cape in it.  The size works very well given the grand width and length of the hole.  I don't know if I would say it is typical of Flynn but he built large sandy waste areas (as Craig stated) like this was intended at Shinnecock and Atlantic City CC but as at Indian Creek, the look has become more formalized over time.  Likewise the bunkering on 12 (190 yard par 3) and 13 (308 yard par 4) these bunkers were much more rough edged with sea grasses in the hazard.  The picture in Geoff Shackelford's book shows the look on number 12 very well.  As I said in a previous post, the finish of the bunkers was changed sometime in the late 1930s. Maintenance practices and tastes change and this certainly reflects that.  

The bunker renovations were done by an outside contractor, I forget who, under the direction of Ron Forse and Joe Pantaleo.

Scott,

Thanks very much for posting the aerial.  This is one case where the course looks nearly as good from the air as it does on the ground.

The clubhouse is on the bottom left with the red roof and swimming pool.  The view from the patio over pool looks out on downtown Miami Beach and is a very nice view.  The clubhouse sits on the highest ground in Dade County at about 35 feet above sea level.  The ground gradually slopes up to the hill in a most natural way.  

6 is the hole to the left of the white-roofed building below the resevoir in the upper right of the course.  The field of 4 bunkers when seen from the tee hides the landing area which you can see is pretty large.  A ball hit straight over the heart of the bunkers can get a turboboost, if it fades a bit right or does not take correct line of play then the result is a ball that kicks to the right and not forward.  It is a brilliant hole that makes the player think as well as execute.

Okay...serious question...which direction in the above picture is NORTH.  Interested to know because I'm trying to see which angle these holes play into the prevailing winds from the East.

My guess in the top of the photo is North, but I am curious to see if I'm correct.

JohnK...sorry about straying from the intended topic at hand.  It was just very suprising to me that basically the ENTIRE island was the coursem, except for a single row of houses around it.  nice to know one of my former neighbors (Don Shula) lives there now.  He moved from Miami Lakes a number of years ago when his wife Dorothy passed away from cancer (my Dad was hepling with her treatment in some fashion)...I had no idea this is where he and his new wife ended up.

Evan,

North is at top.  All aerials I did were north at top.