I like reasonably flat or uphill areas from which to hit a fairway metal. If an architect gives me a downhill slope for the majority of the tee shot landing area, I cry "foul." I'm not prejudiced against sloped or non-sloped fairways. In western New York, we have much farmland that is quite level or slightly rolling, so the ability to create slopes is minimized. However, we have foothills to the south (near the PA border) where natural ups and downs do occur. There's also a glacial drumlin near Rochester where Mill Creek was built recently by Paul Albanese, and it takes advantage of this vertical movement.
I've played the four Kohler courses, the three Bandon courses, at least 30 different courses in New England, a handful of northern Michigan courses (including Arcadia), a number of Piedmont and low country courses in the Carolinas, and the Old and New courses in St. Andrews, not to mention over 100 courses between Ontario, Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania.
On my dream sequence of long holes, I like at least one shortie with a creek meandering (not running, not raging, just meandering) through lazily, ready to grab me if I should falter or lose focus. Even a three metal off the tee, if played properly, should afford me a chance of hitting 5 metal to get home in two. This would place distance around 470 yards. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I like a monster over 600 yards. It can play slightly uphill as long as the landing areas are favorable. The long one at the Concord Monster in the Catskills was NOT this type of hole...it was over 600 but you couldn't find anywhere to hit your second shot.
The essence of par fives for me, embodied in my other two long holes (between 520 and 580) is the sensation of a sweeping meadow. You get this on number 10 at Taconic, on the new number 15 at Gowanda CC in western New York (built by GCA's Scott Witter), the Unter Der Linden hole at Blackwolf Run River, and the 4th at Buck Hill Falls Blue course. It can bend leftward or rightward but it needs the sensation of a banked racetrack to really flow my juices.
I'm not a fan of claustrophobic alleys but I do like a cliffside green with treacherous bunkering beneath the edge. Sweeping greens with upwards of five pin placements are welcome. That's what I have to begin.