Kalen,
I think, as memberships get further and further from opening day, that they become less invested in the original work.
And, in today's world of disposables (razors, pens, pencils, marriages, etc., etc.), the original design, that which made the course distinctive, becomes disposable.
Ross and Macdonald tinkered with individual holes for decades after the original unveiling, but, they retained their design principles, their style, they didn't plow their courses under and start all over again, so, I can accept "tinkering" from a sympathetic perspective.
In watching "Pawn Stars" it's interesting how the value of these artifacts increases when they're in their original form and how the value decreases when they've been altered.
Too bad that golf courses aren't valued in the same way.