Anthony,
When planning a golf course, it is not unusual for me to use one or two other courses as a model of what we are trying to acheive. I find this usually helps the clients understand what kind of look we are after, what kind of feeling, what kind of atmosphere.
This being said, it's not about copying the said courses, but more about portraying ideas that they offer that apply to the course we are working on.
I suspect that I am not alone doing this. I guess this thread will show that.
YP