In the 1990's a new generation of golf course architects came on the scene, led by Tom Doak, Coore & Crenshaw, and others. They ushered in an era that represented a "less is more" philosophy (the term "minimalism" became a new buzzword). Their projects involved significantly less earth moving than the previous generation of golf architects and in my eyes, changed the industry (for the better). The courses they were building with this approach looked like they had been there for years. They didn't force themselves upon the land, they took what the land had to offer. The golf (in my eyes) was better, and low and behold, these construction projects didn't cost as much.
Three decades later, one would think that this shift in design philosophy would have manifested itself with a new generation of golf architects focused on moving less dirt and holding costs down. This is sadly not the case.
I continue to be amazed at these renovation projects that cost $20 million or more. How can it possibly cost that much? How are these clubs being convinced to spend that much? Who decided that "more is better", when the 90's taught us that the "less is more" approach resulted in better golf, but also cost less?
I won't list the clubs who are members of the "yeah, we spent $20 million on our renovation project" fraternity, nor will I list the architects who won these bids. I'm just amazed that this is happening. I'm a member at 2 clubs who have completed, or are in the process of completing major renovation projects that were done at a very reasonable cost (Yeamans Hall and Crooked Stick). So, I know a club doesn't have to spend $20 million to receive a thoughtful renovation/restoration.
But the fact is, the list of $20 million plus renovation projects is growing each year. What happened?