Adam,
Not sure about you're opening paragraph, "so subtle, so in your face". If you mean it is both subtle and in your face I would agree - the green complexes are ever so subtle while the ocean on seven holes is certainly in your face. And, I agree that the course for the most part is out in front of you, you can see the holes, no blind shots, and the hazards are in plain view on most holes.
There is certainly a penal design aspect to the course - especially the par 3 fifth, seventh and sixteenth. If you don't hit the intended shot you're looking at a penalty of some sort. I wouldn't consider the rest of the holes penal though, there is generally adequate room off the tee and wayward shots are not severely punished unless you get significantly off line (the drive on #2 being an exception).
But, then again I think there is a strategic design aspect to the course as well. Although there are no centreline hazards there are preferred lines of attack on most holes and there are hazards near those lines if you cut it too fine.
I think there is a heroic design element to the course as well, the aforementioned par 3's are heroic, make the shot or dye a watery death. The second shot on 14 can be a heroic shot too. All in all I think it has many design elements that are nicely blended to give a memorable golf experience.
One of my measures of a course is how many of the holes can I remember a few weeks or months after playing the course. At TOTD I could remember them all.
Re: your comment on #6 "We were trying to find the advantages that hugging the sea wall offered on # 6, but, because of where the green was placed, there was no angle or distance advantage given." I've played the hole maybe 15 times;it is the long par 4 for the front nine, so length is one of its greatest defences. The best way to defeat the distance is to cut off the corner. The first time I played it, the line seemed to me to be over the small section of rock retaining wall. It seemed to provide the shortest route to the green and the line suggested risk/reward. Sadly, there is no way for mere mortals to carry it that far. Subsequent times, I bailed to the right up the hill, only to find a sidehill lie and a long iron or fairway wood to the green. Most recently, having developed a draw/hook I aim over the trap and try to hit a sweeping hook to cut a bit of the corner and take advantage of the tilt of the fairway. That shot lead to a 5 iron second - much preferable to a fairway wood. The lie is also flatter, and the green-side bunker is not really too tight to the green on that side. So, I still think a line down the left side provides some advantage over anywhere on the right - but beware biting off to much or over-cooking the hook.
On #8, I agree it is strategic and the left side is better. As an alternate line, the right side is not bad either if you keep inside the fairway traps. It provides an angle of attack on the second shot that allows you to avoid the bunker in front of the green. To amplify on the strategy of the hole further, you could try to play the second from the left side, not directly at the pin, but toward the palms that appear well to the right of the green. The slope will run the ball down to the green and take the front left bunker out of play (unless, of course you come up short).
In the end it is pleasant to contemplate the many joys of the TOTD, especially as I head out for a game here where it's at least 45* now. At least the rain has stopped.