Tim,
I think you make a good point regarding skill level and subsequent appreciation for certain elements of a course.
Thus, the testament of greatness for any course must be appreciation from both the good and mediocre golfer (who actually thinks about the layout while playing) because they are essentially playing different courses during the round.
It really is a tremendous challenge for any architect to pull off, which must be why so many courses over the last 20 years have gone down the dark path of challenging the good golfer by creating a "championship" course, talking it up in the magazines, adding a $250 green fee and getting mediocre golfers out there who will lose a dozen balls and possibly several clubs into the drink on 18.
The less skilled golfer probably has a more difficult time appreciating the architecture of a course if he or she is just trying to survive out there without having to run back to the Pro Shop to reload.