Frankly, I probably should never post here as someone in the industry. It is a low percentage play, at best.  
I am always surprised at how many folks in the biz will come up to me at trade shows, or whatever and say they appreciate my honesty.....and ability to take a punch, lol.
I have so many questions on this post:
1. Do other architects only like to interact with the actual golfers in social settings where no one will offer anything but vague polite praise? I rarely get good feedback one on one from a stranger.
2. How many people in “the industry” [architecture, or golf in general] think they should just keep their head down and go along to get along?
And I have so many on yours........
This (like most in life) discussion isn't black and white, as in "you have to be a jerk" or "you go along to get along." There are always many shades of grey.
BTW, average golfers do tend to give me information, albeit perhaps not directly. If they complement one of my designs, I make a point of asking them their favorite holes. 99% of the time, their answer concerns what hole(s) they don't like. I think I learned from that.
I don't know that this is about go along to get along. It's just that, as Mom used to say, you can think something and not say it, you know." If I read a negative review here or anywhere, does it do me any good to respond, or is the better course to rationally evaluate any comments made for my own self improvement?
I participate here because I like a good debate as much as anyone and have been involved in a few (i.e., Merion.....) I also enjoy forums and writing my opinion out. It sort of forces me to think first, then write (or post.) Lastly, I never want to bother anyone at home life with boring work talk. And, I can type reasonably fast, up to 70 mistakes a minute.
Off topic, but probably not worth another thread:
To the architects who participate here, what philosophical design changes have you made based on your activity here?For me, the one that comes to mind is that I did start placing tees closer to greens where practical. I used to draw a 200 foot circle around the green (the back 3/4) and keep tees that distance away from the center points. I modified that to 200 foot right, 175 ft left, and 150 (and twice less) directly behind the green. Knowing how few people overshoot a green helped foster that decision.
That said, I see so many routings by current architects that, IMHO, overdo the closeness. That is especially true on tees on either side of a previous green, sometimes even short and right, which (again, IMHO) is too dangerous to even consider. My guess is that those architects have not heard of or been sued over unsafe conditions, or testified in court on any safety case. Further spacing is one of those Post WWII that should still be observed, lol.