Jeff,
I think it would be naive of us to think that they didn't contemplate disapproval from the outside world when they made the decision to proceed.
They knew they were going to get flack............. And didn't care.
I believe that they think that they know what's best and that the outside world doesn't.
Call it institutional arrogance if you like.
But, this isn't the last of it.
The disfiguring of great old courses in the name of restoring the challenge to the best players, which was made obsolete by the advent of modern hi tech, which itself is the fault of the same governing bodies that now seek to compensate for their errors by modifying great golf courses instead of addressing the real culprit, the ball and equipment. How ironic.