The advent of high grass at tour sites and its proliferation into the amatuer game is distressing indeed. Apparently, as a measure taken to offset the "long golf ball" of today's technology, long grass, to me, is a scourge. It not only results in the problems already discussed concerning "bunkers as havens", but leads to other undesirable outcomes as well.
Lost balls, 5 plus hour rounds, slavish conformity to hit fairways, elimination of strategy, loss of chance taking and
the inevitable death of "temptation". These, just to name a few negative effects. The ball, and the "we must protect par" mind set are the main culprits. What's next? 8000 yard courses lined by 4" rough? That should make for some real imaginative shotmaking. Not! I pity the architects who must battle the "golf technology terrorists". Tiger Woods didn't hit a single bunker at St Andrews? Admittedly, there was mild weather, but that is a joke.