Tom,
No I don't think having you on this forum prevents any of us from criticizing your work. I'm a Tom Doak fan and love golfing your courses but I'm not afraid to criticize your work. Keep up the good work and can you please tell us why in the Hell you buried a dead elephant under the #18 green at Black Forest?
I might get to rebuild that green one of these years, now that the original owner has it back. We were trying to tie it in to a small knob in the back and the ridge on the right, and there was just too much elevation change to make that work.
Note that I could have blamed it on one or the other of my associates on that job, who are even more Teflon than me on this site ... Gil Hanse and Mike DeVries. But the decision rested with me.
This is a less than subtle "throw them under the bus while pretending to not throw them under the bus" move. Nonetheless....
The only time you chill discussion around here is when you discredit other people's opinions when they disagree with you or before they even have an opportunity to express them. Usually it comes along the lines of (paraphrasing) "I've played more courses than you so I know better" or "you dont know as much as me so to the extent we disagree, I'm right." The most recent case is in the Dismal thread that Chris just started where you said something along the lines of "you can have your opinion....but I'll know if you're right or wrong." As if to say that someone's OPINION can be adjudicated right or wrong, and if so, you're the judge. Because of your stature around here (see the Mt Rushmore thread), most people are thus reluctant to disagree with your opinions and then discussion is "chilled or killed." Quite frankly, it comes across as pedantic and pompous.
As frustrating as that is sometimes, you ARE one of the greatest golf course architects of all time and you AREN'T the first to say controversial things. That isnt the issue. Your posts about architecture, thought processes on design and architectural merits of golf holes is absolutely invaluable whether it is controversial or not. We are all very lucky that you are willing to share with us the inner workings of your mind. But, just because you are THE expert doesn't mean that a) you have to pull rank on anyone who disagrees with you or b) have to dismiss other people's opinions, sometimes preemptively.
This is what makes your print writing so phenomenal and among the best ever, because you're not reacting to anyone but just sharing your depth of knowledge. In any event, please keep posting and sharing with us your knowledge, that part of what you do is greatly appreciated and I wish more architects and members of the industry would do the same. Some day when you're retired I hope you and Ran sit down and go through all of your posts to compile another book on your thoughts of architecture and philosophy.
P.S. - It is ok to compliment another modern architect's work whose last name does not begin with C (just kidding....kind of)