There is no question that Trent Jones designed Hazeltine as a direct challenge to the long-hitting pro golfers of the early 1960s. He believed equipment -- even ca. 1960 equipment -- was making older, conventional courses obsolete, and even doing so to some of his own courses. Specifically, he was ticked off about the low scores Sam Snead shot at his Dorado Beach course in Puerto Rico. His plan at Hazeltine was to create severe doglegs that forced the long hitters to keep the driver in the bag on many holes,.
"If Snead's still on his game in about five years, I'd like to see him try that at our course [Hazeltine]," Jones said in 1961. He said the course would have trees, traps and narrow fairways -- but no out of bounds -- to "penalize the expert, not the high handicapper."
After Hazeltine opened in 1962, Jones further described his concept: "Doglegs can be great holes because it is invariably at the crook, or angle, of the dogleg that the problem is created. By surmounting the problem, whether it be bunkers, trees, deep rough or water, the player is handsomely rewarded by dramatically cutting the distance of the hole. The more pronounced the dogleg, the greater the temptation, and usually the more disaster that is courted."
Jones was the dominant architect of his day, and his ideas about challenging the pros prevailed for a time. I think the controversial 1970 U.S. Open at Hazeltine began the turning of the tide away from Jones's style. We've been trying to find a balance between challenging and fun ever since.