I didn’t want to comment on this thread because I haven’t played any of the courses. I do have a random story about Wolf Creek that might be amusing. Just when I was learning the game, I played in an annual “grudge match” 4-on-4 event in St. George. Four guys from Idaho against 4 tennis pros from Phoenix. The tennis pros were viciously competitive, so fun to beat every year largely due to some good natured gamesmanship. We played all over SG, so when a buddy with an airplane asked where four of us could play there, I set up the schedule. Flying in (in a Cessna prop job) someone was practicing touch and goes at the airport, which sits above and adjacent to WC, so we were forced to circle around for awhile, providing us with an aerial tour. This was before I knew much about GCA. We were all wowed by the visuals, finally hit the ground, and called the course to see if we could play while staring at it through the chain-link airport fencing. It had just opened and we calculated that if we paid the asking price, we could just get back in the plane and fly to Cabo. We passed.
I did to drive out to the course and was told about its creation. I don’t know if any of this was true, but what I remember stuck as an interesting story. The course was designed by the owner. Don’t remember his name, but it struck me as sort of George Crump story of guy building his spectacular dream course. In that part of the world—and reason the desert is considered environmentally sensitive (played as a lateral)—there exists this ancient micro soil that looks something like dark lichen on dirt. Apparently it takes centuries to develop. I knew about it from film shoots in places like Monument Valley, Moab, Bryce, etc. The park rangers are quite insistent that you don’t tromp on and destroy it. In order to build his dream course, the owner had to transport equipment and material like bunker sand by helicopter and a bunch of other restrictions. Naturally, the course ended up costing stratospheric amounts to construct. I think, but am not sure, that it went through the usual series of foreclosures, bankruptcies and owners as a result. He did achieve spectacular on a beautiful, dramatic site. Also added it to my collection of cautionary tales about sustainable golf. Just because you can build it, doesn’t mean they will come and pay the freight.