Here is what little I know, but is at the heart of the matter. I always have to come back to Wild Horse. There, there are fescue surrounds of bent greens. They are as firm and fast of putting surfaces as you will find on a day in and day out basis. The fescue is subject to high heat and some humidity in the summer, causing the super to constantly battle disease and other species encroachment. While he is keeping the surrounds noticeably fescue predominant, he can't hold the line forever, it seems. By the same token, Sand Hills had all fescue or some rye blended into fairways. It had the heck kicked out of it each year. I know the color isn't the goal here. But, the turf conditions were dicey, and they have been letting it convert over other species, I think.
No one is able to keep ideal fescue that I know of. They say Dan Lucas at Kingsley is one of the foremost fescue men in the country. I don't know how his stand is evolving. It would be nice if he saw this and commented. Whistling Straits has a fescue rye blend. And, they also have issues to maintain a balance.
Rustic Canyon has the perfect maintenance meld surrounds for fescue, like Wild Horse. But, climate is not conducive to it.
If a place like Wild Horse can have excellent success with bent greens and fescue surrounds to achieve all the qualities of firm and fast greens with puttable surrounds, and bent is arguably a better species in shoot density and mowability, why is everyone so focused on fescue? Fescue has far more maintenance difficulties in disease susceptability, yet uses less fertility and water. Is it a question of legend and lore rather than good turf management science?
PS: I was typing while TEP was writing, and now seeing it, I agree with him.