Ally,
If I had to describe it in one word it would be Scale.
The 14th hole at Gearhart is a wonderful example of a Leven hole. But the width across the fairway is very narrow. The features are there but everything is much smaller, the green, the hump in front of the green and the total width of the hole. Now it is even more compelling based on the Pine trees that they have added along the right side of the fairway. Fine by me, but just for reference the width of the 16th at Bandon Dunes, the 9th at Pacific Dunes or the 3rd at Trails as an example are much wider in their playability and appearance.
At Astoria a few of the holes are pretty narrow but the way they used the rippled dunes they had to be that way. A few holes at Ocean Dunes including the double green, fit into a smaller bowl connected by a small dune ridge. The water features at Astoria and Gearhart are tiny ponds. The lake at Sand Pines is very BIG as are the features.
Now compare those golden age courses to the 4 courses at Bandon Dunes.
What will history say about the size of the golf courses being built today. In a hundred years will the new golf courses be even grander in scale?