Watching the PGA Senior tournament, I had the strong impression that I had seen many of the holes before:
Boomerang green around a front center bunker? (8 CGC, 8 Sand Hills)
Split fairway par five ( 14 We Ko Pa Saguaro, 16 CGC)
Driveable par four (every course of theirs I have played)
Long par three (12 Bandon Trails, 15 We Ko Pa Saguaro, 6 CGC)
Redan type par three (3 Sand Hills, 17 CGC)
"Short" par three to a small green (17 Sand Hills, 9 We Ko Pa Saguaro, 2 CGC)
Tough finishing par four- (18 Sand Hills, 18 Bandon Trails, 18 We Ko Pa Saguaro, 18 CGC)
Angled Fairway spine on par four (4 Bandon Trails, 13 CGC)
I have no problem with architects using templates and all of these seem like fine holes. Nonetheless, the similarities between the courses seem striking.
Is my perception wrong? Is the repeated use of particular hole types a good or bad thing?