I was most interested in what Ben had to say about the importance of essentially open fronts to greens. Clearly that kind of thing is an open and ongoing dynamic in design concept. I would remind all that some of the most famous and enduring old courses and architecture such as Pine Valley and Merion East in this region of mine have close to half their holes that do not have open front architecture or options at all. I'm certain this was no oversight on the part of their original designers, Crump and Wilson, but rather a preconceived application of what was occasionally referred to back then as "shot testing."
However, it has to be true to say this very much depends on who (what kind of golfer) the course is basically intended for. In Crump's case he stated a number of times that his course was never intended to be for other than good players, and in the case of Merion it was clearly stated that the East course was the club's championship course, and, as Alan Wilson, Hugh Wilson's brother wrote, the West course was intended for the "Ninety and Nine."