I assume this is a US-centric question, as the handicap system in the UK (competition rounds only are posted) would seem to have little effect on their architecture.
But here in the US, I think the answers to Pat's questions are relatively simple.
1. If people used the handicap system correctly, none of this would be any problem. In regular, non-competitive rounds (which have to be 95%+ of all postings), just pick up when ESC limit has been reached. That is don't write down anything but an X; pick up and move on. If you have to finish due to some game you are playing, fine. But outside of that, pick up and move on.
2. The questions to me appear to be moot anyway. Are that many courses being altered in terms of softening? Pat says:
As such, unique and/or quirky holes and features have an excessively bright spotlight of scrutiny shone upon them, typically resulting in modifications to soften or eliminate the feature/hole that produces scoring aberations.
In how many instances has this occurred? Is it really that large of a problem?
Perhaps a few are, I don't know... But on the other side, regarding new courses being built, they sure aren't being built to be soft or easy.. high slopes seem to be all the rage.
TH