astavrides:
My understanding is that the work that is completed -- is the work that has been budgeted for. George, from my memory, indicated that other elements could be included for the layout but that $$ would likely be needed for that to happen.
Gents:
One of the issues that still doesn't add up -- how much of the final equation is based upon price and how much emphasis is on the quality of the design? Is it 50/50 or is skewed towards one category or the other. Can't imagine it's price since Torrey really hits the non-resident hard -- ditto what Bethpage does for the Black.
I thought Digest had hit a low with the omission of Kingsley from its top 100 overall -- but the muni article, while certainly needed, appears to be badly researched for what are the truly fine layouts in the States. I can't fathom how certain places are mentioned -- clearly others who have opined feel likewise.
Phil McDade:
You raise a few interesting points. Clearly the tag "muni" is not really accurate. When we speak of such courses they are really taxpayer owned facilities. No doubt many of these, as you correctly noted, are then contracted out to vendors / management companies to run them for a set period of years.
In my years of observation -- when taxpayer-owned courses go the route of contracting out the net price for fees usually rises to cover the costs of the contract. This happened with noticeable impact when American Golf took over several of the NYC muni courses a number of years ago. In the first few years they cleaned up the most obvious issues (no grass cutting, massive litter on the courses, etc, etc) and then made it a point to spike the fees after 2-3 years.
Phil, when you mention "no restrictions" on public play -- that doesn't happen much at all. Most jurisdictions usually give preference to their own residents -- whether town / city, county or state. No doubt you can still play the course(s) in question but need to wait for the residents to get first cracks at tee times. Bethpage used to have such an "open" policy but that all changed once the major upgrades were kicked into gear prior to the '02 US Open.
I certainly believe the topic of highlighting such golf is long overdue simply because the sheer mass of people who play golf or enter into it will likely have such courses as their primary play places. Digest had its heart in the right place -- but the info and courses presented has been fumbled.