Give them a month. Early in the growing season. The hot weather just started. They play fine now. Will look better in three weeks.
I walked the course yesterday, saw every hole and most of the grounds, and the conditions are fine- actually fantastic for a massive 11-month "refreshing". The fairways did have some thin, discolored spots, but I didn't witness any shots that were compromised as a result. Where I could step on the course, the grass was healthy with a nice mat, and cut to provide good lies, certainly not shaggy.
A volunteer marshal I spoke to said that the course was to be "shut-down" shortly after the tournament with member play only "sparingly" for the remainder of the year. He seemed to be well-informed about the club and the work over the past year.
I've been playing Colonial occasionally since 1979 and the "refreshing" seemed successful. The lower profile of the greens and substantial repositioning of three of the four par 3 green complexes (all but #4) are the major changes. The creation of a waste area running along the left side of #5 bordering the driving range has more of an aesthetic effect IMO, as the thick, coarse Buffalo grass or fescue it replaced was already a considerable penalty.
Overall, I think that the course will be more enjoyable for the members and easier for the pros. Whether value is achieved, the ability to maintain healthy bent greens and high quality fairway turf throughout the year will be the key. Historically, Colonial had poor fairways in the winter months and into mid-spring, and bad greens following the tournament into Oct.-Nov.
Re: the architecture returning to its roots, I had a short conversation with an individual who has been intimately involved with the club since shortly after its founding. That the "refreshing" was seen in a positive light, its resemblance to the original course fell somewhat short. We did not get into details, but perhaps the effects of the flood prior to the US Open there was a factor.
BTW, there is nothing about Colonial that resembles a "muni", and we have any number in north Texas at both ends of the range.