As a Charlotte resident I've visited Quail Hollow a number of times, including yesterday, for Wachovia/Quail Hollow Championship (and many years ago for the Kemper Open). I've never played the course, but here are several observations from the spectator's point of view.
The hole I like to watch the best is No. 7, a par five. I have a friend who's a member at Quail Hollow who thinks No. 7 is too short and too easy for the pros. However, from the spectator's standpoint I think it's an exciting, risk/reward hole. The entrance to the green is narrow, there's water down the right, and there are bunkers in play off the tee. From behind the green you can see all the action except off the tee. Most of the guys can get there in two with a good drive, but yesterday the pin was on a fairly small platform front left, not an easy target. Tiger was on the platform but maybe 20/25 feet behind the hole and made a two-putt birdie. Furyk's second found the right front bunker but he got up and down for his birdie with a great putt. My recollection is that Toms was in a bunker off the tee, laid up and got a par. On the other hand, in a group I did not see, Villegas and Vijay Singh both bogied. I understand their second shots found the water to the right of the green. So, it's not that easy. Later, Mickelson chipped in from a collection area left of the front of the green for an eagle. Unfortunately, I'd moved on from No. 7 by that time.
No. 14, a driveable par four for many of the pros, is also a nice spectator hole.
The course has what I'd call an ANGC look, though with many more trees. It's overseeded for the Championship, with incongruous pine needle beds around the trees, which are mostly deciduous. I'd be curious to see how the course plays, and how the players would like it, later in the year when the Bermuda grass is up. It's what I call a big course, a tournament course. I'm not sure how, as an average player, I'd like it as a day-in and day-out club course. Also, I'm not so sure about the "stream" along the left side of No. 18. I put "stream" in quotes because it's artificial. I have mixed feelings about it
As far as rankings go, it just has to be one of the top couple of courses in North Carolina. I don't know the politics of the rankings game, but that must have an impact. This is the kind of situation that helps you keep the rankings in perspective.