I used to go out to the construction site of the original course, when I was first getting interested in GCA. At that time era the only other significant course being built around here was University Ridge and a rather contrived place called Fox Hills National. Following those construction sites periodically sure didn't give me any special insight other than how complicated construction sites were on the mega costly side of the equation, and the scope of what drainage really was about in high end GCA. Those projects gave me no insight into minimalism and the art of clever and conservative GCA.
None of the folks above have mentioned the impact of having the Women's US Open at BWR composite course at the very same month Kohler opened and debutted to the world, Whistling Straits. I was lucky enough to get to play in the first organized event (a Merrill Lynch golf tournament) the 2-3 weeks before the Women's open. There were several key golf dignitaries there being introduced to the course, and there is where I met Pete and Alice Dye on the 17th hole for an animated Pete discussion of how he built it and round of pics. The thing about that time was the marketting effort that was widespread and full court pressed at that time. Press releases of the enormous scope of the WS project were everywhere, and clever quotes by Kohler like: "I gave Pete Dye and unlimitted budget - and he exceeded it" were all well placed hype for the marketting of something very lavish and special for this area. Then the week of the US Women's, a very special outting was organized to put WS on the highest awareness when they had George HB Bush and many dignataries play a 30K a foursome event to raise $$$ for the fledgling first tee program. So the reason for Kohler's success has alot to do with marketting.
Then, I'll say this... I'd love to see a real accounting for where the unlimitted funds for building the WS course came from, at the bottom line. The land was filled with many various mini toxic waste designated clean-up sites as identified by the Bush era EPA. As I understand it, there were significant funds available to clean up those multi-mini polluted sights created by practice dive bombing and the chemicals associated therein the ordinance, as it was used to train WWII navy pilots (maybe even Bush). I don't think it hurt that fellows like Kohler with there enormous fortunes have the social and maybe political connections to out market an out capitalize (maybe even without using too much of their own money as opposed to federal funds) to take on mega projects like WS, BWR and such.
But, no one can deny the absolute passion and vigor in which Herb Kohler pursues golf. I heard a story of how fanatical he is in a crony game they supposedly call the "bounce game" where they go at the spur of the moment on their jets to far off places when the weather conditions may be at what most would consider the worst, to play the brutal conditions of golf course and nature against man... All while carrying something like a 16 handicap. You can't say the man don't love golf.
And, he didn't use Dye (but Liddy- a Dye associate) to do the Duke's course while following something of his original hotel resort then golf course developement model, after buying TOC hotel. I don't care for much of the Kohler family history and management philosophy backround, being a labor man, but one can't deny Kohler is a real sharp and enterprising cookie who knows how to market and connect to get his visions accomplished.