Tom,
I give you credit for the breadth of the article by chasing down the range of quotes and comments: Nicklaus, Palmer, Dye, RTJ, George Fazio, Venturi...and Coach Paterson!
I like that you used the words controversial, arduous and ruthless to describe Yale's 18th hole. It still remains a flash point among college coaches and players, and I consider it a very telling litmus test for whether someone believes it is a game of vigorous adventure (as Macdonald certainly describes the game) or whether they are a sniveling ninny who believes in some universal golfing commandment of perpetual architectural fairness.
The mention of the 20-yard wide landing area suggests the course was reaching its peak over-grown era. Today, it is a rather generous landing area and it continues to get even wider as the once over-grown fescue and rough is increasingly groomed into regular rough height.
And since you were only in college, I will give you a pass for propelling the dubious legend that Macdonald "ran out of inspiration". Where did that come from? The hole has been dogged for years by similar slights--(perhaps because of this very article?)--: that they ran out of money, or they couldn't afford to knock down the hill, etc When in fact, as you know, it is one of the most endlessly fascinating and inspirational holes anywhere. I can't think of many other examples that can be played in more various ways. And as I got to see other CBM creations, it felt more and more in place among his work, especially when compared to the 18th hole at NGLA. I imagine it also has an element of being like a hilly version of Lido's Channel hole, with the contours substituting for the water carries.
I do sympathize with the modern college players who complain that the tee shot requires them to dial back their driver and use one of their driving irons from the 621 tee, even if they do so with little sense of golf technology being to blame.