Patrick, even though it costs less to maintain courses the links way, they play functionally shorter and so forth, I don't think people in America would accept a course that looks browned out. I don't even think the Brits would accept it, with some exceptions of course, if they had any other choice. Certainly the members at RSG, Cinque Ports, and the other top tier places would accept it, but I think the average golfer in England would prefer the American look if given the choice.
Allow me to share a story. Just after I finished university in North Carolina, I played with a good friend and his brother-in-law's father on a slightly above average public course in Raleigh. Middle of the road architecturally, but maintained somewhat firm and fast, given the clay soil, and certainly green. In three years at school, I'd probably played this course 20 times, and I'll say this was the best I'd ever seen it, both firm with reasonably fast greens, and bright green. The father gentleman was a member of one of the Royal's, I can't recall which one at this moment. He went through two of the old disposable cameras out there because, I quote as closely as I remember, "I wanna show the boys back home about this course I played over here that's the equal of The Old Course for only 30 pound." Can't make this stuff up Patrick.
I strongly suspect that even amongst the Brits, if given the option of having a course maintained like TOC or ANGC, you'd get just a slightly higher percentage of golfers who prefer TOC than you would here in America. Its just that the Brits don't really have that option, especially on the coast. Take a look at some of the parkland Royal's, like Royal Winchester, where I've played. Winchester played nicely firm when I was there, but it was far from brown, quite vibrantly green it was.
Just some thoughts, Patrick.