Just a few comments ...
I've had the opportunity to play Olympic / Lake at times when no major event is upcoming and on those three occasions it always seemed to play expecially slow and heavy. No doubt the ever constant marine layer does play a role but at other times when I played the course it followed major events there and when the course plays especially firm and fast it can be really something to behold.
No doubt the demands are there. Tom Doak alluded to them quite accurately in CG. Driving the ball is first and foremost a necessity when playing there.
In so many ways I see Olympic / Lake as the Bay Area equivalent to Winged Foot / West and to a lesser extent -- to Bethpage Black. Demands and constant high level execution are a must. There is little in terms of exquisite beauty when playing the course -- WF/W is quite similar in that regards as well.
I think one of the most underrated holes on the course comes right after the first hole. The 2nd climbs uphill and for a hole that is barely 400 yards the execution level is at a high level. When the turf is firm getting an approach to stop ANYWHERE on the green is no bargain unless you hit it properly from the fairway.
I like the turning points in the drive zones -- reminds me again of WF/W. You just can't simply bomb the ball straight with reckless abandon when playing there. However, sufficient distance does get rewards when you shape the shots to meet the fairway movements that are always constant.
The only real downer for me is the 17th -- it cannot be cut to such a tight cut that balls will roll to the right and reach the rough as has happened in the past. It's too short for a basic par-5 and when played at 480+ yards it's just too tough to handle as a par-4 - especially when the marine layer blows in from the Pacific.
Anyone going to Olympic Lake looking for a warm embrace -- similar to that of SFGC or Cypress down the coast -- had better open their eyes to reality. Olympic / Lake is like a bulldog that won't ever let go. You need to really excel at ballstriking -- especially on the driver front.
I like the course for what it is but the nature of the trees and the basic pattern of holes is, for the most part, repeated time after time after time. Like I said at the outset -- when you play Lake when it's soft and wet -- it's a far different animal. I like the fast and firm variety because then you need to be at high level of success to really handle the many bounces you will encounter.
Final item -- I've heard about the changes - particularly to the 7th and 8th holes. I hope the 7th is teed up at a point where the boys can still give it a go for the green. I also think the three-tier green there is one of the best at the course.