IMHO David Ober said the right thing when he used the words "in the spirit of the game".
Tom Kite should have said Oakmont is difficult, but well within the spirit of the game.
I understand that Sawgrass was widely ridiculed as unfair when the players first played it. What they were simply saying is that they did not feel that Sawgrass was properly within the spirit of the game compared to the other featureless tracts they had been used to playing. It pushed them outside of their comfort level, which is exactly what Pete Dye tries to do.
I believe many or even most here would disagree and say that Sawgrass was very difficult, but within the spirit of the game.
I had the experience of playing a shot to below the hole at BM #11, and having two putts return to my feet after running a few inches past the hole. That hole position that day was not in the spirit of the game.