Tom,
Yes, Talking Stick North. I said the same thing as you, the hole would be a little different especially with sand.
I hear you about ALL the courses that have flanking water and sand,… and I realize as an architect, especially one who is only interested in building unique golf courses, it is hard to block that out. But you are forgetting that you are spoiled. How many courses have you played and seen? I told you the other day I am approaching 2000 and you are probably at that number or more as well. The average golfer (even the avid golfer) plays a tiny fraction of that amount in their golfing lifetime (most play less than 20)!! If they get to play a PGA National or a Doral or a Bay Hill for example (all public access) will all those long flanking bunkers and water hazards, you have to remember that these courses/features are super cool to them and something most of them have never experienced before. Same goes for golfers going to play Streamsong. 99% of them never experienced anything like that before. I took a good friend of mine there who is an avid golfer and never once did he say anything negative about all the flanking sand. When I told him the Blue and the Red courses reminded me in some ways of a public access Sebonack he just looked at me strange. How is he or 99% of other golfers ever going to get to compare the two? They won't!
You are of course designing great courses and you sure don’t want to repeat what you have seen over and over again. But for the far majority of golfers out there, when they see #16, #17 and #18 during the Players, they would give their first born to have a chance to play holes like that (while you roll your eyes thinking that is a finish I would never replicate on any of my golf courses). That is fine and I don't disagree with you, but don't forget the other 99% and those who are catering to them
