Anyone who wholesales the notion that GPS cannot assist in golf construction is hiding their head in the sand.
Certainly many fine aspects of courses occur with field work. In fact, nearly all of the classic and great courses were a product of field work, usually based off of a well planned routing (plan.)
But...the fact is that visualization of highly accurate mapping of sites, and visualization of highly acurate digital models, will (is) changing the way golf design will unfold. I am not preperaed to say this is here, nor may it be ready for the next decade. What I can attest is that the ability to see (accurately) every bump and nuance of a site is nearly here and the ability to mold the ground in just as much accuracy and detail is quick to follow. In essence, a designer could create a course and see it in amazing virtual detail without ever touching equipment to ground. (Not yet, but "soon".)
As for blade-guided GPS...
We used one D-8 to clear fairways and rough shape greens at the Links at Las Palomas. Our shaper had a blade mounted GPS and a cab-equipped screen with our routing plan and target grades for greens. I say "target" because we only had rough green plans that were concepts nothing final until we cleared and saw what we had in more clarity.
The shaper used the GPS (mainly) to know where is was in relation to the routing plan. This saved on staking. Most of the shaping in dunes areas ignored the GPS but in areas we did shift a bunch of sand (flat areas) we used the D-8 to know how high or low we had gone. It was very quick and saved personnel.
At greens the shaper often referred to the blade data to check subtle elevations on rough work. That also saved personnel and was deadly accurate.
Our primary problem was that for whatever reason from 2:00pm to 4:00pm we had to satellite signal. Trimball could never figure out why. They sent representatives who said it was "impossible".
My point is that technology is moving. Not always forward, but moving. I agree that technology (such as this) does not guarantee better design, but in the right hands it will eventually produce interesting results. At present it is a matter of using the elements of the technology that make sense. Just as a computer in the hands of a writer or artist
can[/b] produce great and creative results.
One can compare GCA iteself...does this technology necessarily ruin discussion about golf design? I think not.