Pat,
Perhaps there is no one answer?
Doglegs are fine, if gentle enough to suggest, promote, or even demand shot shaping, and if not too short off the tee to simply require a layup and a longer iron. No sense making the game more boring just to raise scores of a few golfers.
A mixture of greens, flatter front to back on most holes require more skill to control, sort of making up for the wetter surfaces present today. However, some should be more sloping greens to promote reduced spin shots for a change of pace to bring back an element of strategy similar, but updated to the Golden Age. For that matter, side slope and reverse slope greens would also be good.
If they will hit shorter irons, then make the skills required for those more in line and with more dimensions than previously.
Then allow that longer par 3's should be in the design to force at least some long irons. Par 3's at long last have a more useful function in strategic golf! Maybe, we could even go to five or six par 3 holes as standard.....just for the purpose of reintroducing the long iron shot so favored by Tillie as a true test of golf.......
Wayne,
I agree on offset fairways to promote angles of play. Not at all sure carry or even diagonal fw bunkers and offset green are the best answer in other than limited doses. Remember, Pat is still just worried about the 0.000001 % of golfers who actually play under par. These are too difficult for average players, and frankly, don't bother the good players enough to warrant their wholesale use.
Kyle,
Visual deception in the age of yardage books and GPS? Probably a diminishing return, but if done well, it could be a great idea on a few holes. Faz did a nice job at Shadow Creek, forcing perspective on one hole, and then making things look closer on the next. I do think certain things like that work better in pairs.