Matt and Lynn, I also wondered about some of the scores given by Mr. Klein, but I am not familiar enough with the Golfweek rating system to intelligently comment.
I especially like Matt's point about Rustic's potential "creative influence on WHAT MODERN COURSES SHOULD BE ABOUT." Influencing the way things are done across an entire medium is often what separates great art from good art, and Rustic certainly provides a novel and workable blueprint for where public golf course design should be heading.
Lynn, funny you would bring up a movie analogy, I was thinking of one also, albeit a slightly different one.
When 'Oh Brother Where Art Thou?' came out, I read a review that said something like: "Like many Cohen Bros. films, 'Oh Brother' may not be considered one of the best movies of this year, but it will certainly be considered one of the best movies of next year." The reviewer's point was that Cohen Bros' movies grow on you as time goes by and on repeated viewings. I think the same can be said of Rustic, and of other quality courses that have subtle attributes, instead of obvious ones.
To take the metaphor further, most Hollywood filmmakers make their movies to immediately grab the audience and say all that they have to say in a single viewing. I wonder if modern golf course architects are also adopting this approach to golf course architecture/ golf entertainment-- especially at resort courses and other expensive 'once-in-a-lifetime' vacation courses. If they are, this is unfortunate and counter to the history of golf. When golfers played the vast majority of their lifetime of rounds on one local course, cheap one-time thrills would not suffice as quality architecture.
Matt,
I realize that you meant your comments regarding Number 4 as an aside to the main thrust of your comments regarding Rustic's perceived vulnerability to the long, wild tee ball. However, I suggest that upon repeated play you might find more subtle challenges off the tee shots that you first perceived, as you would upon repeated plays of the 4th hole.
In fact, as a fun wager, I suggest that next time you are in town we play a strange game devised to uncover the importance of accuracy and angle of attack at Rustic. On all the par 4's and 5's you let me place both of our tee shots as follows: I will place your tee shots 280-340 yards from the black tee anywhere in the fairway I want (the large variance in distance will take into account changes in elevation and wind conditions-- but I will always place your ball at a distance where only the really big hitters can hit it.) I will place my tee shots 30-50 yards shorter than yours, but on the line to the green that I prefer. Let me do this and, even though you are probably 8-12 strokes better than me, I would be willing to play all the par 4s and 5s against you even. I may not win this wager, but it might be closer than you might think.