Stop abusing me, boys! I'm not the target. As it happens, the Hawtree changes at Sunningdale turned out very well and my 'worries' were unnecessary. If the changes at TOC turn out similarly will any of you be man enough to apologize? If it's a disaster, I'll genuinely be as disappointed as many of you. I'm just not joining your gang, that's all. Aim your ire at the R & A.
Ivan,
I see Sunningdale as very different: It was constructed in 1901, was altered dramatically in the 20's and has evolved through nature, maintenance practices and tweaking since that time... Quite a bit of it was actually "built"... Much of the Hawtree work since was bringing some shape back in to the bunkers.
If someone decided to completely overhaul the style of TOC bunkers, I'd be less concerned even though it would have a much more dramatic visual effect than the changes proposed and would probably find a much larger number of people up in arms.... Altering the contours of the ground at TOC is sacrilege in my book because it is those contours that we've all taken inspiration from so much...
Only yesterday I was looking at a photo of the 11th and noting the beautiful horizon line on the back of the green, above the Eden estuary. That will no doubt change with the work on the back-left.
I do agree with you however that we are quite often willing to berate possible work on older courses before seeing the final outcome and - like you at Sunningdale - that final outcome is often either quite pleasing or fairly unnoticeable making you wonder what all the uproar was about at the start. But the work has to be fully justified and for the right reasons. In this case I don't believe it is and additionally, the Old Course stands alone as something to be preserved.