I made this same sacrilege on the 17th fairway of NGLA when I played it recently.
I'm a huge fan of Yale, and I think one advantage that Yale has is that its charms are more readily apparent to the first time visitor than NGLA. The expansiveness that everyone praises at NGLA doesn't give one the same thrill when they hit their drive as the less expansive, but still strategic, driving options at Yale. At Yale, the strategies are finite (e.g. bite off as much of the pond or rough as you dare, etc.). If you fail, your penalty is not subtle. If you achieve your objective, you are rewarded with what Alister MacKenzie described as pleasurable excitement.
Now at the NGLA, whether you take the preferred line or not, your chances of winding up on the fairway are pretty good. It occurs to me that until you've played the NGLA a few times, you won't get that "pang" when you hit a fairway at NGLA, but are horribly out of position, like you do when you miss a fairway at Yale (you do get the pang, like I did when I took in my approach shot at the bottle hole and realized I had no chance of holding the green, but if I knew the course better, I would have known it before I reached my ball).
The difference I am expressing is the reason I think CB called Yale a "classic" course and NGLA an "ideal" course. NGLA almost always provides a chance of recovery or alternative route to the hole. In short, it provides more options.
I hope I have the opportunity to explore a few more of them soon.