Paul,
Semantically, your enthusiastic (could not agree more...and Also agree with you...") and overt support for Tom Doak's calling "these ultra-private one-man courses open their doors to raters, and pretty much nobody else, is a little sleazy." is more than enough validation for my statement. Endorsement = Agreement in most people's book.
FWIW, management is entitled to do whatever it wants, and the facts are that Greg Coffey (its owner and never an investment banker) didn't want ANY raters for the first year. Only the advocacy of others allowed any of us to step foot on that property back then. Ellerston, for example, which we've both seen, couldn't give a rat's arse about any raters. Others feel the same. It's a wee bit hypocritical that several courses in the Midwest made themselves available only to GD back in their early days....just about the same time I'd wager you were rating them for the first time for that magazine.
Your architectural critique is a bit weak as well. The softness and wetness won't survive the owner's recent and current efforts to mitigate it....and let's be realistic, new courses are not best judged for conditioning at debut. I recall seeing one of the GCA's absolute most bouncy favorites it's first season and it played like velcro. I went back a few years later and it was a trampoline!
Sure, there are several (but not more than 2-3) forced carries at Ardfin. So what? There are some at Fishers Island or Maidstone as well. Given they set tees for mostly sturdier players on the Isle of Jura, perhaps it was best for you to hit from the other side? BTW...Do you knock down Pine Valley for it's 16 forced carries??
I do concur I may not have wanted to "immediately go back to the first tee and replay all 18." However, I know I don't want to do that at Kiawah Ocean, French Lick, Chambers Bay, Lytham & St. Annes either!
Finally, I'd vote for the likes of a Hooper, a Rockaway Hunt, or an Old Moray ahead of the aforementioned, but it ain't my list. Cheers.