You would think a good, competitive player might think his chances of winning were enhanced by making green complexes more challenging.
Like Dave Schmidt says, a certain pin placement on a contoured green can dictate strategy all the way back to the tee. A example of approach strategy can be found at Ballyneal #13, a long par 4 with a large, severely undulating green where it is virtually impossible to get up and down, if the pin is in the right half of the green, and the player is short and left. If I hit a good drive, and have say a 7-iron or shorter approach, I'll usually try to fly the bunker and go for the right side of the green. But if I have a longer approach shot, I know I must get it past the pin, and to the back of the green, so I have a chance of getting down in two shots to make par.
This is what makes Ballyneal so fun to play. I make strategic adjustments on a daily basis, based on wind and different pin positions. I see a pin and know what I must do. This certainty comes from experience playing the course.
Somebody I know relayed a story to me last winter. He invited a well known senior player to Rock Creek, who spent a day playing the course. This person then immediately shared the two things he would like to see changed, neither of which was the contouring of the greens. (mound in front of #14 green, peculiar dropoff on left side of #18 fairway in driving zone) A couple weeks later I sent my acquaintance an e-mail, more or less asking why a person/player would move immediately to what is wrong with a course after the first time around. I tried to be as polite as possible, but I suppose I was essentially saying why can't a great player, which this man in question is, just play the existing hazards and enjoy the golf course? I did not receive a response.
I have a chip on my shoulder for good players that cry about conditioning or difficult circumstances on the course. Michael, I see your story and have trouble thinking anything but how stupid and shortsighted the complaint is.