This issue of 'balance' is an interesting question and one I'm glad Michael made it into a post of its own.
We face this question frequently with clients, critics and everyone in between. My position is that balance is important, but in seeking it, one should not sacrifice the fun, interest or challenge of the golf course. The term 'balance' of course, needs to be defined. When referring to the critical measurements of the course, (ie. length and par) most golfers and golf course owners have perimeters as to what is acceptable (or marketable). For a championship course, these tend to be par=72, and length of 7200+. (That is the pre-requisite for new designs in the emerging Chinese market) As designers, we need to respect these perimeters – especially if they come as edicts from a client.
Most on this site will know there are a list of others design principles that many believe should feature in a 'good' golf course. e.g.
2 par 3's per nine holes,
2 par 5's per nine holes,
all the par 3's going in different directions,
all the par 5's playing in different directions.
A variety of length in the par 4's (i.e some short, some of medium length, and some longer)
Holes that dog-leg left and right
No par 3's in the first 2 holes,
No finishing hole as a par 3
etc
etc
Personally, I like to start with the formula as defined above, but move away from it as required to build the best golf course on the particular piece of land provided. So if a particular piece of property means the best possible course will end up measuring out to be a par 7050 yard, par 71 course, then I believe that's better than trying to force in an extra par 5. And I hope I could convince a client of that. As another example, if the routing features the par 3's as being back-to-back because that's the best use of the property, then this should be override the formula. (I think we can all agree Tom Doak did that well at Pac Dunes)
The formula of designing a golf course is to me like the recipe for a great meal. You need to know it, but once you have developed some proficiency you can adapt it, and possible even improve on it. Ultimately, balance in golf course design is about more than the scorecard, it's about the rhythm of the course. This is proven in the course rankings. If you look the best courses around the world that we all know, they are balanced, and most are not formulaic.
Scott