Adam:
How do you know the reason they have those ultra wide rough swaths on some of those holes was done and is being continued to prevent balls from going into the gunk? Did someone out there who has something to do with the golf course tell you that?
I asked Bill Coore about that one time and he said he wishes they would take those fairways out to the gunk and I think he said he thought those swaths may've just been left over from the last USGA championship there or something. I think he even said: "Don't you have some friends at the USGA, so why don't you call them up and tell them to call PD and ask them to consider taking them back out to the widths they were probably designed to have?"
Tom, I can't point a finger to the definitive person. I've met both Stan George and Doug Pedersen, so it is possible it came from one of them. However, it is much more likely something I read on here from one or more of their members. I'd agree with Mr Coore about the uber fairway width. If one's ball found the junk because of a bounce that would be just too damn bad for them.
I was there less than a month after the Senior event where Loren Roberts shot that amazing 62, and Stan had already returned the fairway width. He described it as about 5 yards. (maybe a little more) Needless to say it was hardly noticeable.
I did have one original thought while I was out there. It was in reference to the two little bunkers on the right side of the 13th fairway. They looked to me to be out of place and not in character with the remainder. Well, Those were Doug's addition to the design because so many members where hitting their balls there and losing them in the gunk.
A couple of holes have those delicious bunkers on the inside corner of the dogleg. A look JN's team repeated at Dismal River.
The second hole at PD appears to have inspired Bill and Ben, because I have felt the similarities on a couple of their one shotters built since their work there.