Jeff / Andy:
If you see the listing of Engh courses that Jeff has played to date all of them are second tier at best Engh designs with the possible exception of Hawktree which we see differently. You don't see listed Redlands Mesa, Sanctuary, Pradera, Lakota Canyon Ranch, Blackstone, etc, etc, etc.
The Engh fun factor is very much alive at the top tier layouts he has designed. Not all of the top tier are equals mind you IMHO, but when people play Pradera and Lakota Canyon, to name just two, they never forget the experience and are clearly intent on returning to the first tee pronto if time allows.
Jeff:
You mentioned the aspect of when Links of ND was built and how's its opening at that time would justify it being among the top 100 modern courses in America.
I don't buy it.
I can name plenty of more worthy public layouts that opened at the same time as Links of ND and never were even considered. I don't doubt Links of ND provided you and your father an enjoyable time. But in reviewing your own words it seems that enjoyment came more from the course not being crowded and you and your Dad enjoying your time and the overall scenery together. You even highlighted the walk you took when playing. All of that is gran dstuff but it doesn;t touch upon the core elements of the specific shots / holes played. I can name a number of other northern plains courses where such walks are also present -- AND the golf side of the equation is fun and challenging.
Jay, Garland, et al:
The idea that a course is great for the particular state it falls in says one thing to me. I don't doubt that Links of ND is superb for ND. The reasoning is quite simple. The bar for quality golf in that state is quite low.
With that said -- raising the bar to the national level and presuming the course is a legitimate top 100 candidate when other more solid and credible alternatives exist is what really makes me shake my head. I don't know what the scope and breath of public courses people have played for comparison purposes but from the broad range of public courses I have played in the States the Links of ND would not sniff the top 100 modern listing.
People often wax poetic about long trips to get to isolated locations. I mean after such a long slog it would be difficult to admit that such a ride / trek was not worth it to the max. Links of ND is a fine Stephen Kay layout but in every post I have read to date the emphasis is on the beauty of the off-course dimensions and very little tied to the specifics of key holes and shots played. Links does have its moments but they are fleeting at best and don't constitute for me the same kind of return play feelings one finds with places like Wild Horse and even Rochelle Ranch, two comparable public courses, located in the same general area of the USA.