Ron-
One of my great golfing disappointments is never getting the chance to play the Diddel course - one I quite literally grew up watching through a fence in the neighborhood immediately to the south. I always said I'd come back and play it some day. The course there now is, IMO, fantastic... but it's not the one I grew up staring at.
From past postings, I know you know much more about that whole saga - and I don't want to derail the thread by polling you about it - but there seems to be some fertile ground that might be useful in the conversation.
Can you tell us more about Diddel's motivation for and execution of the development? As you know, the "neighborhood" is a single one-way street, right past the clubhouse and into the course - that's always struck me as extremely unusual. To your knowledge, was he interested in residential development - or was the sale of the lots strictly a means to fund the project?
My guess, based on conversations with older neighbors, is that Woodland was first and foremost a laboratory/playground/monument to and for Mr. Diddlel's vocation and that the homes were a happy side-effect.
Jeff-
Sorry if this verges on derailing the thread. If you say it's too OT, I'll shaddup with the questions.
-Scott