Andy, That's the thoughtful part. You wonder if the penalty is proportional? If it were a pond or a tree, many wouldn't give it a second thought. (and slope raters would add points for the difficulty) But, with Mike's style and adherence to principles, it's all right there in front of you, no vertical or unrecoverable hazard, other than a moderate slope. The architecture does not dictate the shot, that's left up to the player. It also does not mean that a five on a par three was a bad score. The situations on these Mike DeVries courses, and other great courses, challenge the flawed mindset rut many have fallen into as it relates to ol' man Par. I'd even argued that the wrong road taken, gca wise, is responsible for these shortcomings in the modern player.