David Thomas,
Thanks for your great effort in putting these pictorials together. They go a long ways in demonstrating that golf and its courses have been widely varied from the beginning.
Many people have the impression that American golf is all about spending money and emphasizing opulence. One of the things that I've discovered in my travels is that golf is indeed a big world (with reference to Tom Paul).
Many years ago while playing the Jockey Club I was struck by the infrastructure of the club, an impressive large clubhouse and amenities uncommon even in the U.S. Sadly, the economy was in a shambles and the course itself was very rough around the edges.
More recently, I've been playing in an annual event at a private club in Mexico which has the most complete amenities that I've ever seen (and I've played close to 1k courses). As I recall, the club employs over 500 people.
Then you have a course like Mulranny which had an honor box for green fees and snacks in a very serviceable tiny manufactured home type of clubhouse. It worked extremely well and probably added to the experience.
Bottom line, clubhouses, extent of amenities and levels of service mostly reflect the desires and means of the membership, its clientele. I've been around the block a few times and with one rare exception, I can't recall anyone ever mentioning the Augusta National Syndrome or any attempts to mimic Masters conditions. Oh, that rare exception was a course founded by an ANGC member whose father was chairman for a number of years. No doubt that they have the means to accomplish it.