rgkeller,
Why do you say that? More than likely none of the classic architects could pass a test developed sixty or more years after they died. What's the point of that? But an architect like Flynn would surprise many of you in his broad knowledge base and expertise. Among all the dead guys, it might help to recognize Flynn's overall efforts and knowledge of golf architecture and agronomy. I think rather than using Flynn for an example, he might be the exception.
The amateur architects including Fownes, Wilson, Crump, etc had help from experts. Their concepts were implemented but there were experts in the requisite fields to assist them during their trials and errors. Today, there are so many more regulations and codes that nobody can simply say they are an architect and practice the craft. I don't see how this is possible.
Now, getting back to Flynn. Along with Hugh Wilson, Walter Harban, Piper and Oakley, Flynn was instrumental in many of the experiments and efforts in agronomics. Flynn developed and tested numerous strains of turf grasses for golf courses, football fields and other athletic fields. Flynn was involved in WWII camouflage of airports, planting wheat and other grains to hide the runways. Flynn personally took over the agronomic failure of Pine Valley in the late teens and rescued the lost fairways in short order. The methods used to grow grass on sand was used on many courses after this (I think NGLA included).
Flynn was one of a handful of experts on agronomy such as it was in his days. He had an excellent understanding of trees and plantings. JD Rockefeller, Jr. and Clarence Geist had Flynn as their consultants on all matters relating to landscaping of their estates. Flynn was personally close to both of these men the richest men of their day. They could have hired anyone and chose Flynn for the landscaping of their renowned estates.
Flynn's experiments with bent grasses and Howard Toomey's patented process of planting stolons was way ahead of its day.
As for his design expertise, Flynn was revoutionary in the way he structured his business and the method of designs he employed. Flynn did all the design work out of his architecture company and joint ventured with Howard Toomey to provide a one stop shop for design, engineering and construction.
Flynn was an early practitioner of making numerous drawing iterations before coming up with a presentation plan based upon long hours on site in the field. His drawings, despite some doubters were drawn to scale and meant to be built as drawn. If you look at some of his drawings and early aerial photographs the similarities are obvious. Now, I'm not saying that there weren't any changes made as he went along, undoubtedly unsuspected subsurface issues may have forced changes or he revised a bit here and there. However, overwhelmingly his courses were built as designed.
Flynn understood angles of repose and his mimicry of nature was done for both aesthetic and maintenance reasons. If you carefully study the engineering and construction of the Cascades and Indian Creek and consdider the naturalism that was man-made, I think it is evident Flynn was ahead of his time. His forward thinking allowed him to design in elasticity so that his courses today required less change because of systematic design features.
Flynn was much more than a designer, he was a creative and artistic force in his day with a business model that was revolutionary in his field.
What areas of expertise would such a test cover? Look for some guy to post on GCA, read some books and visit and play hundreds of courses and declare himself a designer or architect is ludicrous. If you read medical books and visit hundreds of hospitals, are you a surgeon? If you study painting and visit hundreds of museums are you an artist? Of course not.
There may be shortcuts but there are no shortcuts to success. I think, like most of the arts, the apprentice system works best after a foundation of learning is established. I don't think just anyone should call themselves golf course architects--but the truth will be known.