As they say in real estate, now is the best time to buy.....always!
Seriously, I am often surprised at the lengths courses may go to avoid paying even $2500 to a gca for a site visit and review. They don't even know what they don't know. If one mistake is avoided, it is certainly worth that. I (and not flattering myself) have never failed to correct at least one crazy idea that a course has, they just know so little about gca, even down to mowing patterns.
And, I'm not even talking about just pedigree courses.
[/size]Typically, superintendents design for maintenance, contractors design for construction ease, and members design for their own games! Golf Course Architects design from all perspectives, and have the skills to bring it together using appropriate compromises.
[/size][size=0pt]I get it, some projects seem too small to care about design. In reality, the smallest projects require the most detailed planning to pull off well. Prior planning pays, and experienced golf course architects do just that. [/size]But everything is designed, and the alternative to good design is bad design, no? [/font][/size]