When I was a superintendent I wanted to play golf 5 times a week but I was really tired of looking at my course after a long day, so I joined a nearby private club and that worked out quite well. I remained a low key member, staying totally out of club politics, and it was a great escape. I really enjoyed hearing the omnipresent gripes about how the course was set up from my playing companions-it really moderated my course setup perspective.
Once a week I forced myself to play my own course, either alone or with a few members, to get a feel for the needs of the membership.
The original architect wanted large expanses of "meadow grasses blowing in the wind" which would have made half the course unplayable. Working as team( members, management, and me), we kept the theme but reduced the rough acreage significantly. On a daily basis, we tried to set up 1/3 of the course rather difficult, 1/3 medium difficult, and 1/3 moderate. We would change this based on the type of tournament that was scheduled, working closely with the GM and golf pro.
The day to day setup was based on fairness. I didn't want to hear from the club management that the course was set up unfairly so we were sure the flags were placed in suitable areas. Mowing limits and heights were based on a consensus approach.