J,
#16 green at North Berwick is not the original Biarritz. The two holes have no connection whatsoever - the C.B. Mac version is a representation of a cliff-to-cliff par-3 that was in Biarritz France. I have a painting of the original somewhere . . . . . in my memory banks. it might have been called the "Chasm Hole," but I'm a bit fuzzy on the specifics.
I think the first one in America was #9 at Piping Rock because C.B. could not find an appropriate spot at NGLA for it. The Alps and Redan were just sitting there in Southampton waiting to be found, but I know Biarritz was also one of his original design conceptions. Damn if I can remember if C.B. found it - or whether Dev Emmet brought it to his attention.
Let us not forget that #16 at Cypress was "found" by Marion Hollins and Raynor - which, along with #9 at Yale, #5 at Fishers and #11 at Creek Club - are probably the most accurate articulations of the French original.
Rookies often point to #16 at NB as a Biarritz because the putting surface has that deep swale, but the orientation of the green to the line of play is completely different. Further, the swale (such as you find at Piping Rock) was simply meant to represent the shot value of a chasm. The original C.B. designs DID NOT have the front portion of the green formalized into putting surface - this was added on later. The first ones were simply closely mowed grass. That stated, Uncle George and I always agreed that C.B. would approve.
I absolutely love the Doak/Urbina rendition at Old Mac because the swale is not uniformly straight across the putting surface, but irregular, which introduces some tremendous interest, options and uncertainty as the ball tumbles into the swale and ricochets out. Again, I am sure C.B. and Raynor would agree this evolution is a real improvement - although I would throw myself in front of the dozer if some idiot decided to reroute the swale at Yale for instance.