Tom,
If I recall correctly, Maxwell built Southern Hills in 1936 for $100,000, and CBM built NGLA for $100K in about 1906.
I punched a 3% inflation factor into the calculator 70 and 90 times to figure inflation. SH would have cost $770,000 today. NGLA would be about $1.4 Mil today.
However, neither had extensive irrigation which would add a million, and if we figure $250K for USGA greens and $500K each for drainage, cart paths and environmental controls, its reasonable to assume an apples to apples comparison would be $4.25 Million for course construction today at NGLA and perhaps $3.5M for Southern Hills. While my math may be off a bit, those construction costs don't seem to be that out of line.
What did construction at Sebonic Cost? Or more importantly, when you consider that CBM worked for free, how much more was the total design fee?
I think the real cost additions have been in signature fees for high end designers!;) To paraphrase someone, "Its true, and you know it."
Maxwell included his fee in the Southern Hills cost (taking what was left as incentive for cost control) Even if Maxwell netted 7% of that 100K, it would tranlate to only $56K in design and construction management fees.
Of course, outside development costs, like land acquistion on Long Island, etc. etc. etc. have also contributed.
I understand what you are saying, but I am not sure we necessarily, with the exception of a few, go nuts on spending money. Certainly, the whole business of getting competitive bids, and estimating quantities, etc. has matured from the old days, even if that wasn't really what I had in mind posting this.
And, for those who want to spend like a drunken sailor, I wonder if the old guys wouldn't have done that just as well. Frankly, I always thought Ross frugal Scot personality held him back as a designer. Given Mac was also Scottish, but had more flare, maybe we can't blame it on ancestry completely. Its just true then and now that sometimes, a great design requires more work and money and designing soley to minimize costs can hold you back.
As Sean says, the question is probably too broad. However, since 99% of the debates here use one example to make a broad point, why shouldn't I be able to?
