Jerry,
I must admit, I feel like the man who lives in paradise and complains that the clouds are too fluffy. As a Philly/Delaware Valley guy, I'm blessed with local proximity to just a wealth of wonderful golf courses, including two in everyone's top ten.
To criticize PV in any way seems almost blasphemous, especially around here, but I also think that myths are meant to be questioned and valid opinions offered, even if it rattles the china at the dinner party. Stealing Tom Doak's line about great art needing debate and criticism to remain vital, I've probably said more than I should in the past about practices at some of the local shrines.
However, I truly believe that any worth I may have on this board is simply that people know I'll call it as I see it, right or wrong, controversial or not.
My quibbles with PV are minor, but let's remember that we're trying to split hairs in contrasting and comparing some of the greatest of the great. In and of themselves, these things don't make PV less than a great course, but in my opinion, do make it less than it could be.
I also believe that this is what virtually every other GCA guy from the region would tell you privately after a couple of beers.
First, the trees; even with many removed over recent years there are still way too many impeding former trails and avenues for golf. Case in point is #12, where the hole could be markedly improved by clear-cutting the whole lot of them out to the ridge. As it stands now, there is only one way to play the hole, and any temptation for risk/reward is off the table because a forest has overgrown that side. Similarly, trees cut off the hole left side approach of #13, and walking around the course I defy anyone to find less than 500 trees that stand where bunkers, waste area, or even fairway once stood.
Next, the former sandy wilderness waste areas. The once feared pits of doom, where literally anything could happen due to their raw and uncertain nature, are GROOMED with a Sandpro daily. Rakes are the logical next step. Areas of vegetation that used to be sprinkled randomly throughout now exist only in patterns wide enough to drive machinery through. More formalized bunkers that were plainly "unfair", such as the left side of number 10 where a play backwards or sideways was often the option have been widened, and groomed in a way where the ball will always roll down to the bottom, instead of in an awkward sidehill, downhill, or uphill stance. One can literally find as much ruggedness in bunkering at faux imitations such as World Woods than exists presently at the Valley.
Finally, a handful of the new tees, such as the abominable elevated altar at 14 are incongruous, or require play that differs from historical lines.
All in all, not much when one considers the overall greatness of the holes there, as well as the wonderful flavor of the club itself. However, as I said, it's not what it could be and it's probably not what it should be, in my opinion.