I start this awhile ago, and was interrupted.
The question is not so much who has seen Waters’ PF, but who remembers it? For all of the reasons cited above. Also, first time I’ve been forced to consider my ample gut as a macabre underbelly. Guilty as charged, I supposed.
Not much argument with Gib’s points in #10. I wince a little about the implied arrogance and elitism, but not the substance. A few years ago I made an informal survey of about 100 public golfers by asking them what makes a course really good. I don’t recall a single original thought; it was mostly a collection of clichés from TV or other media. Now I avoid the subject altogether. Most golfers don’t care about much except having fun with their pals. Conditioning is synonymous with architecture or design. Service and product presentation also rank high. Put a pin in a really bad spot and you’ll have a lot of conversation, but that’s about it.
However, on the two occasions that I have taken every day, high-cap golfers to a really great course they did seem to appreciate the quality. I have played with plenty of pros who don’t know squat, as well.