Jeff - no, I didn't mean to suggest that 'originality' precludes plans drawn in the office (after site visits and studying topo-maps etc.) My point is that originality -- or even 'innovation' -- doesn't lie where the critics and the theorists tend to thinks it does, and it never has.
I like to philosophize about originality and innovation as much as the next guy. Maybe it's as simple as the old saying, "Necessity is the mother of invention?" Or the seemingly overly optimistic mantra that there are no (design) problems, just (design) opportunities. At least I have always felt that, no real data to back it up.
I once complained about being assigned the lower budget of the two courses being designed in my mentors office, implying or assuming the lower budget meant it would probably be the lesser project. Ken Killian looks at me and says, "How do you know it's a bad design before you even design it? Kind of self defeating, no?" That stuck with me. Obviously, you can't go into a project with the attitude that it won't end up great. (Although I have met a surprising number of architects who say "Well, every course has a few bad holes.")
And, Ron's take about eliminating the "middle man" often takes hold, as people don't really understand how important design is to their enjoyment of the game, course management, etc. I am on a superintendents group on FB and someone was lamenting dumb ass golfers and how they use their carts. My comment was that design can eliminate some of that, most just assume its not important to locate cart paths carefully, taking into account human nature. Golf design is about golfers, not "the land" although wise use of the land is obviously one way to please and accommodate them.
Lastly, one of the "problems" I have with the idea of waiting until you are in the field (but, I don't really believe anyone who gets excited about golf course design doesn't start imagining golf holes from the minute they start the design project) is that those lightning bolts of inspiration do not appear on schedule! What happens when its time to build a green or whatever, and you just happen to be uninspired? I have been inspired at many different points of the process but if I didn't really start to think about it until the dozers were running, I think I would be limiting my chances to be inspired. Always best to have at least some "hip pocket" ideas before construction starts.
Also, while those lightning bolts are one of the great moments in design when they happen, in reality, most design is a process of narrowing down options to the best one that compromises the least design criteria you (or Owner) have. A great first hole heading right into the sun? Maybe you don't build it as the first hole, or at all, etc. Design is always a series of compromises, which should, IMHO, be carefully made in most cases.
They teach you in design school that the "Master Builder" image that FLW and RTJ among others, touts is more marketing myth that true design process, which mostly follows the logical scientific process, with some twists. And, what is the old saying ? "Inspiration is 90% perspiration" or something like that.
So, yeah, plans can be (or just are) pretty important tool to the creative process, no matter what they tell you. As always, just MHO, but in this case, backed by thousands of years of design experience that failure to plan is planning to fail, to drag out one more old bromide.