Interesting thread.
My only comment rests with the fact that when architects get so big you ultimately see pre-patterened formulas at work. This in some ways, in my opinion, is what has happened with the recent production work within the Tom Fazio portoflio of courses.
When firms begin to "churn" out golf courses you have the McDonald's business plan. Give them more ... not give them better!
Tom Fazio has had probably more success than many in terms of courses with "the look." Obviously, many of his clients want that "look" for their course and for the benefit of selling memberships, home lots, the whole banana. But is the "look" really about quality golf which I define as building sites that advocate ground and air strategies? Do his designs vary bunker design, placement?
With the recent exception of Victoria National I can't think of a course that the firm of Tom Fazio has produced that clearly says it's independent of the pre-packaged stuff previously pumped out. That doesn't mean to say the courses produced are poor it's just that they follow a formula that's been repeated over and over again.
Ron Whitten makes a valid point about the difficulty in trying to convince owners of a key architectural point while they view matters from the $$ side. No doubt the owners get the final say because it's their bread and land.
I just wonder if architects in general really know the value of integrating the ground and air game whenever conditions permit. Clearly, making a living is the primary ingredient for many since new course work can be very limited in certain parts of the country and I guess it should be since they have to put food on the plate for their families.
But, the architects with the "big names" can certainly do what Ron W mentioned. Less water and more naturalness for the site. Are the "big names" really advocates of what golf is about or are they simply interested in producing high-end drop-dead gorgeous courses which are really empty in terms of overall strategy but provide them with a big pay days? Maybe it's time course rankings, from whatever sources, begin to elevate courses where green is not the golden rule. Obviously, the annual spring extravaganza with the Masters has brainwashed many people that the Augusta model is the only way to go.