Although not really from a architectural perspective, if you have at least two hours to kill, I'd urge you to check out 'The Match' between Jim and Jeff Tang last year at Arcadia Bluffs.
http://wegoblogger31.blogspot.com/2008/08/wisconmichigan-golf-trip-day-five-one.htmlI also outlined a match I had with Jeff Tang recently at Ballyneal. We could probably get into more architectural hole-by-hole details if you want -- Jeff is more encyclopedic about holes and shots than I am. The thing about one match is some of the architectural details get lost in the shuffle since a lot of is based on one specific tee-ball position and one specific pin placement. Although I can wax poetic about the playing characteristics of the yucca plant.
http://wegoblogger31.blogspot.com/2009/07/ballynizzle-cup-part-two-monday-singles.html"In the featured match-up, it looked more like it would be 95's instead of 75's early on, but we both settled down a little bit. I hacked around the 2nd hole and gave Jefe a 1-up advantage, then Jefe returned the favor on the 3rd to bring it back to all-square. I looked all but out of it the 4th hole, but somehow managed to get up and down from the deep front bunker for bogey to salvage a halve. The 5th and 6th holes were halved with pars (okay, bogeys) and the match remained all-square.
I mentioned that Ballyneal was a great match-play course. There are a lot of half-par holes that can make or break the match. The underrated aspect of Ballyneal is the lack of tee markers, which was nothing short of a brilliant decision on the O'Neal's part. In match play, having the honors and choosing the tee to play from can be a huge strategic advantage. With the tee, I tried to use my superior (albeit diminishing) length over Jefe to give me an edge, not by moving the tees back but by moving them up starting on the short par 4 7th hole. Jefe made a mess of the 7th to give me a 1-up advantage. Then on 8, I moved up two sets of tees to really bring into play the bunkers that pinch the fairway. I blasted a drive through the gap and reached the green in two with a pitching wedge. Jefe had to lay-up off the tee with a fairway wood but was still in the greenside bunker in two after a solid hybrid. My lag putt made it to conceded birdie range, and Jefe's birdie attempt to halve went way past the hole. I had a 2-up advantage.
On the 9th hole, I moved up a couple sets, originally so I could successfully hit a 4-iron to the fairway instead of blasting a driver 60-yards left again. But once my caddie told me it was only 313 to the pin from the tee, I pulled out driver and hit the fairway for the first time, ending up just short and right of the green. Jefe layed up with fairway wood again and hit a beautiful shot right down the middle. We both burned the edges with our birdie tries and the match remained 2-up at the turn..."