Patrick;
Your description of the 8th is missing the fact the the pitch to the green is exceptionally demanding. A huge, deep bunker sits front and center, almost the width of the green.
Over...is dead. Don't ask me why, it just is because of the way the green sits almost shelf-like above anything you might want to attempt. Kind of the old, land the ball on the hood of the car and stop it shot. Missing in the front bunker is ironically the place to miss.
As far as tee shot placement, you almost certainly want to leave a full shot, simply because the closer you get to the green, the more downhill the pitch of the terrain, leaving a frightening shot.
For some reason known only to the golf god's, the right side near OB is the preferred tee shot position, as Patrick mentions. I haven't been able to figure out the logical reason for this, as a shot to either side of the fairway leaves a second the needs to negotiate the front bunker.
I've driven perfectly on that hole twice now (the only two times I played the course), far up the right side, and managed one scary par and one double.
The only person who the hole is "perfect" for might be Phil Mickelson!