It seems very odd that he would place the club right behind the ball and then take a practice swing away from the ball. If that is his regular routine, then it's understandable.  But if his regular practice swing does not involve placing the club right behind the ball, then one can only assume he did it to brush away the sand.  Regardless, since the rule does not require any intent....

Looks like this weekend will be snowed out again. It's getting to be like a year or two ago, when it snowed almost every weekend to ruin golf.   Fresh powder snow for snowboarding.  So it's not all that bad.

I only made it three minutes so far and I'm dying 🤣

Which brings me back to the point I made earlier.  Keep the course as simple as possible.  Anything you cannot afford to maintain you remove.  For example, I have played courses where water is an issue.  What they have done on par 4 and 5's is not worry about maintaining a fairway for say the first 100 yards from the tee box.  After that they maintain a fairway.  So, if you cannot afford to maintain a bunker, remove it.  Other simpler options make life easier for the course and the challenge of a course can still be maintained.

And no doubt they appreciated you chiming in, I am sure they were just walking around aimlessly until you showed up.  Not sure why anyone would pay $500 and then want to run around the course in 2.5 hours. Its the one place I would want to have the chance to stop and take some pictures and take in the sights. My father has played there and said it was great. It's all relative whether or not you think its worth $500. Among american courses its royalty and one of the only one of those types of courses us regular folk can play. I think it's worth it, I will get there one day I hope, it's on my to do list once I retire.  But then again, I know a lot of people that want to or have gone to Scotland and play the Old Course. I have no desire what so ever to do that. Dreary, rainy, cold, not to mention the cost to get there and stay there is far more expensive than Pebble. Again relative, concerning taste you cannot argue.