I am not involved with this project and I do not know the motivations or agreements of interested parties involved, but I do see it as an intriguing project. If I lived down there I'd probably be calling for employment on this project. Golf construction and native habitat restoration! Too cool.
" . . .The area of the proposal is a scant 23 acres, 7 or so of which is turf....islands of landing areas and greens/tee complexes, with the remaining acreage of open sand surrounding those turf islands, in which the restoration work will be conducted. . . . "
Tom Jefferson
Golf has had an uphill battle with its environmental image since the first tree was cut down and the first horse-drawn scraper took out a potato field. This is quite an opportunity to make a statement that golf and the environment can help each other. Golf gets many people outdoors that wouldn't generally give nature a second glance so a project that restores a native environment could be an important classroom that could inpire a few folks, as well.
I cannot speculate on the economics of this 12 holer and the restoration program but I'm sure Mr. Keiser has and if he's willing to invest money into it, then, with his track record, I assume his decision is fiducially sound. I feel that the course won't make much money directly but the payoff is in the heightened recreational and, perhaps, educational enjoyment. The PR can't hurt either.