Michael
So your argument is based upon the golfer playing the course for the first time. OK let’s look at that.
From the approach to the Tee the ‘Golfer’ should have noticed it’s a blind Hole, if he has failed to do so then one asks the question why is he playing golf in the first place, as he cannot believe his eyes which is so fundamental to the game. Being a thinking game would the golfer not approach the Hole with care and caution or would he react in the modern way of ‘Wham, bam thank you Mam’ and just let fly. A golfer takes into consideration the GCA with the seen and unseen obstacles. Remember some hazards like bunkers only become visible subject to the time of day and light direction upon the course. Caution should be applied and one plan’s one shot accordingly, but clearly your scenario and those of the club mentions seem to reflect golfers acting like bulls in a china shop. A golfer has control, he/she takes to the unknown not with a mighty shot but with caution, they navigate the Hole be it visible or not, shots are pulled when venturing the blind unless your game is to shoot first and answer questions later.
I feel the game is seeping through the hands of many players chasing the dragon of the low score at any cost, alas the games purpose is to navigate the course avoiding all the Natural and Manmade hazards on the way to the pin and to try to use the minimal amounts of strokes while doing so. The modern aerial game has affected the mind set of modern golfers to look solely to their score instead of the game. This is where the Golfer ‘achieves joy of living’ as Mac quoted.
It’s the rising to the challenge but that does not mean throwing caution to the wind, - clearly thinking when playing golf seems to take second place with some.
Blind Holes are a great teacher, but you have to understand rather than hitting hell out of your ball because it’s a blind shot. Golf is and always has been a thinking game, perhaps some need to kick start this process within their game.
Melvyn