Mike:
I agree with you in general. But you have to remember that this isn't the set up you'd get to play, its the setup they've put together for the Talisker, which has an entirely different purpose than accommodating normal member/guest play. As for "pacing of presentation," there's an immense gap between television presentation and actually walking and playing the course.
I think it says something about the course that they're willing to put several of the most standout holes on the property at the beginning of this composite routing. RMW 3, 5, 6 and 7 are amazing golf holes, yet there is enough great golf to be played that the round would feel balanced whether you stuck them at the beginning or the end of the 18. Having the round finish on RME 18 works for this event. Its the most grand stage on the property.
RM gets its rhythm from the many stretches of great holes, not necessarily by how they all fit within an 18 hole framework. Playing RMW 3-7 is a world class stretch, yet it gets a good challenge from the East courses run of 1-3, as well as the devilish combo of RMW's 17 and 18 (holes I believe complement each other wonderfully), as well as the test of various skills found at RMW 10-12. However you throw these combinations up on the board, you're going to get good golf. The rest is just logistics, and figuring out what makes the most sense for the event they're hosting.
Sven