We played Grand National a couple of months before the first Barbasol when some of the prep was underway. LOT of trees trimmed back, tee boxes moved and built -- No. 1 and 9, if I remember, were extended like 40-60 yards? -- and other changes you mention. And then those guys who were second-tier and didn't qualify for The Open went out and pounded the schitt out of it for four days.
Like most RTJ courses it has a couple of holes that IMO are stinkers. Every RTJ course has at least one.
I haven't played it but was told the Links course also got a lot of changes but was used for promotion, sponsors and such.
Pretty sure they flipped 9 and 18 too. We were one of the last groups to play it before they shut it down for the tourney, was in great shape.
