I understand your comments, although do not necessary agree with some or to be honest with all as I feel it’s clearly shows that something is amiss in the game or design process relating to our game of golf.
I would first ask how many actually played these holes with the clubs available at the time of the original design or modification and you have compared it with your current clubs hence your comments. Please this is no criticism but trying to understand, no, make sense of the question ‘Examples of holes made better by the ball going further?’
If the point is to fly over the course with minimal contact with said course then the question make sense, however the game of golf is based upon navigating the natural ground, to offer the challenge that generated both fun and skill. What I see in the question is what I have been fighting for many years, controlling technology so this sort of thing does not happen.
We have within a decade or two rendered past designs and rich and quality courses null and void or at least next to bloody useless, because we can now drive the Greens. It takes away at a stroke the need to have or pay for designers or shapers, its kill the need to form, shape or drain the land, effectively only have the Greens maintained. Great Holes are now redundant, but at what a cost, because only a small percentage of golfers are able to drive a long shot.
We need to raise these questions with the courses and clubs concerned, advising that the holes have been improved due to the ability to hit the ball further, perhaps they would like to speak to the designer and ask why he did not consider the problem why are they maintaining so much of the course when it’s not in play and why spend all that money building the courses with drainage and hazards when they will not come into play.
The point being IMHO its ruining the game and the courses, it seems to represent the very opposite of what the designer is trying to achieve, Nevertheless by careful placement of pot bunkers these holes can be returned back a playable Hole, that is if anyone gives a damn.
Look at the next three aerial photos of the 18th Hole on TOC and note the contours and the Valley of Sin, now some can drive the Green missing what I consider is the whole point of the game of golf - of course you guys may disagree.
High Aerial view of the 18th TOC
Closer shot of the 18th TOC
Another shot of the 18th TOC
Melvyn