Sean,
I agree and at the same time I'm just happy to have one long continuous bunker in front of 17, rather than the proposed spilt one the club tried to push through earlier this year.
A few years ago there was a huge sand blow from the beach across the first fairway. The depression in front of the first green was full of sand like a blowout bunker, as well as the area you describe over the path being completely covered in sand. It looked awesome.
When I first started playing the course as a kid in 1995, until about 2010, you went over the path at your peril. It was a sketchy lie at best, with an awkward half shot, blind onto a downslope and was really to be avoided. Now people fire away with driver knowing mostly that there is no chance of them reaching the green but also they'll get a half decent lie before the hill so not as difficult a pitch as days gone by.
I still think it's a good first hole. Given the course is from an era of no warm-up, it was a gentle opener that allowed you to ease into the round before facing the stout run of 2, 3 and 4. If you look at the stats on Howdidido after a Medal, it's always in the top half of difficult holes; maybe because people are cold but I think more to do with the pin usually being on the upper half of the green which means plenty of 3 jabs. For a 320ish par 4 to play in the top 9 hardest holes without being contrived, it says something about it's quality as a standalone hole.
All the best for 2020.
Simon