Tim, In Wh's case the added expense was a known fact, but, justified because of how integral they were to the design intent. Once the average Joe started whining about not being able to hold greens, they were forced to soften and just allow the bent to creep. I can't speak for Tom's example, but I suspect with careful maintenance practices, the creeping can be held off. I've heard of placing some kind of metal barrier at the greens edges, under the surface, but I'm not sure if that's a reasonable cure.