I'm here to defend the meadow-valleys course, which I think is far better than the Irish course, and well worth playing a lot. This may be because I prefer courses that use land well (or at least appear to do so) rather than completely manufactured stuff. 14, 15, 17 and 18 are magnificent holes, and Mr. Dye seems to have used existing land features to put holes where they belong. On 14, you have to decide how close to the right side you want to get to have a better shot at the green - depending on the pin placement. The view of the green over the river is terrific too. 15 seems to me one of the great "heroic" par 3s, although it does have a bailout right, with an amazing green. 17 is shorter but still excellent, and 18 is the best finishing hole of the 4 in Kohler.
12 and 13 are also very good, difficult holes. 12 often plays long against the wind, and requires a decision how close to get to the junk to have the best result or a big draw over the tree; 13 is a very good "table-top green" short hole, with a wild undulating fairway.
Even some of the holes in the meadow part are good, though manufactured. I'm thinking of 2, which is long and plays against the wind, 4, which to me is a very strategic reachable par-5, and 9 (which I admit we've all seen many times before from Mr. Dye. The only really bad hole is no. 10, which uses the green from the hole no longer in use (which looks great) and is a narrow tree hole.
I don't think the Irish course has anywhere near this many good/great holes, is completely manufactured and looks it, and doesn't have the great scenery of the last 8 holes of Meadow-Valleys. Also, the supposedly blind par 3 has never been blind when I've been there. I've only played it 3 or 4 times, but I think that's enough.
A couple of other points:
Ben, I thought the Irish course was all bent grass, not fescue. Also, with a completely paved cartpath, they could just require cart paths only.
A Clay Man:
I understand the original course had a great routing, but would you really want to give up 5-13 on the River Course? The transitions between the old and new nines make for a bit of cartball, but isn't a lot of the routing of this nine by itself terrific? One hole seems to flow into another. Try going with someone who hasn't played it before and watch their expressions on going green to tee from 7-12. They are also some great holes.
Jeff Goldman