DM:
It is considered bad form to bash an architect's creative work, there are positive ways to say that you don't like something, e.g., I was underwhelmed.
I don't liek to critize architects, they take things personally, and I consider it bad form.
I was in the creative business once, and when someone came in and bashed our line, most of the time these were the guys who had no taste and if they bought our stuff, we couldn't even direct them to the best stuff. Most, if not all of these guys, went chapter 7 or 11.
We had 10 full time artists and 2 design directors, and while we wanted them to hear constructive criticisms, most of our customers had the good sense to say what needed to be said without pissing off everybody.
I never said you were a bad guy, I don't know you from Wiston Churchill or OJ, I just have trouble with your form, stir the pot with negativism and then claim we are thin skinned. Putting that aside once and for all and lets not revisit it.
Now, to answer your question as to why Lakota and Engh work is so good in my opinion:
1. Tees: he gives you a number of very elevated tees into landing areas that are most often pretty unique. Yes, sometimes there is the containment element, but you still have to hit within the confines of it or else, you ball is either history, or you are left with a recovery shot at best. Even if you hit in the confinement, there is a 50/50 chance that the ball will hang up on a sidehill lie in the rough, a very challenging shot at best.
Many of his landing areas have ravines or junk on one or both sides, so if it isn't a hazard, you have an automatic double. You're left his the choice of being conservative and hitting a 3 wood and then a longer shotinto the green, or confidently hitting your driver to what seems like tiny landing areas (which in fact are pretty generous).
The 4th hole at Lakota is a very elevated tee, over a ravine, into a fairways that kicks left, the 2nd shot goes uphill, I use a 4 wood, and leaves me around 100 yards up to a very eleveated green with a blind pin. You must try to hit the ball behind the pin and suck it back, but if you are the least bit long, it hangs up in the long grass and you are left with a very fast putt which depending on the pin placement, you either can or cannot get close.
I like the elevated tees and for example on #5,if I can hit the drive right center, I can get a 50 yard kick and reach the green in 2, 583 yards. If I hit the ball center or left center, I have have to hit wedge or 8 iron over a tree to get to the end of the lay up area. Then I'm left with a slightly downhill wedge into a green that runs away and kicks left.
I like the uphill, downhill and sidehill lies. I challenges my game. I like the kick that you get off the greens, so I try to hit the shot with the correct club, correct traj, and plan for the kick. I like that stragety.
Engh's green's are another whole story. I like the 3 level greens that kick right or left, and try to challenge myself to hit the shot into the correct spot to get the correct kick to leave myself on the proper level to have a birdie opportunity.
The greens challenge me everytime, and if you are not on the correct level, 2 putting is 50/50.
If you miss the green and it is a bowl or a partial bowl (1/2), the kicks can be positive or weird. The ball may shoot accross and leave you with a 100 foot putt or you may get lucky.
Engh's 3 rd hole is a par 3, 170 yards from an elevated tee that you must walk thru the pinon pines and go up maybe 100 feet. The green is bomerrang shaped. You get a shot of adrelian when you hit your tee shot correctly, and by that I mean right height, right hand time, etc so as to go the proper distance. Again on this hole, is you are above the pin, you must hit a protective putt to make par and many times I have had a birdie putt to be left with a 12 footer comming back.
His greens are a real challenge to read and putt. I like the challenge.
Engh's bunkers. I like all his bunkering except the thin stripped that fall in on both sides. I have no problem with them. There is only a 50/50 change that you will wind up in the sand, the rest of the time, you get very award sidehill, downhill, uphill lies that are tricky at best. My wife who has a knee problem, can't always get down or up from the bunkers and I have to help her.
I like his pots and his variety.
Downhill chipping from the bowl I have learned to pretty much master. Sometimes the putter is better, you cannot land it on the green, you must pick a spot in the long grass and hit to that spot at the right height and with the correct finesse, otherwise you are history.
The 17th hole par 3 is another elevated tee from 190 yards. to the front pin placement I hit a 9 iron, to the back pin placement I hit a 5 iron into the top green which looks like the unfilled top of a ballon, the best pin placement and very challenging. If you leave yourself shot of this elevated green portion, you must slug you putt to get it uphill and then hope you have less than a 10 footer left. This portion is probably 15 feet above the center portion.
I could go on and on, but the point is, the entire day is filled with chanllenge after challenge on your tee shots, approach shots, putting and chipping.
My low score at Lakota is 72 and my high score is 86. You have to be on your game to shot a low number.
The course is not long, 7100 from the tips, but with the elevated tees and altitude, it plays much shorter, so a good round can be had.
I am not long enough to go for the par 5's as a general rule, but the 11th offers me a challenge that I hit once in 2 when I went for it, and the next time I hit it in the water in 2. Those were the only 2 times I went for the green in 2. Risk/Reward is also available on the par 5 first and the par 5 18th, which I reached in 2 twice, both times with perfect 3 woods.
My wife and I have played with other couples where all 4 sets of tees were used, and everyone so enjoyed themselves it was amazing.
When you are off your game, and I have been, it can be very frustating. 18 can be a bitch or a beauty. It took my wife 10 rounds to figure out how to play it, ditto for myself. We no longer hit our second shots into the fairway on the right. We lay up to the end of the fairway so we can get aflat lie, and go for the green. It is not the best angle, but you have a choice of angle or lie, and we take the lie.
At the end of the day,, you know you were challenged and thrilled. Unlike Pinehurst #2, you have so much variety that your entire I game is challenged.I love the variety, the challenge of lies, carries, bounces, etc.
Fred Ruttenberg played it once and declared it too easy because his buddy got 3 bounces that left him with birdie putts. Fred is a 14 handicap and shot 81. He also thought it would be too easy. I'll bet anyone that if Fred is off his game which is about 60% of the time, he won't break 100. That's why repeated plays are needed to correctly assess a golf course like this.
My wife is challenged in her game just as I am, and she leaves the course happy or frustrated, but always thrilled by the course itself.
Redlands Mesa is a little tamer layout that has some outstanding holes. The par 5 4th or 5th, drive, 4 iron layup, to a 70 foor elevated green over a creek and hill with 2 major tiers about 10 foot elevation change on the green itself.The 17th is 239 from the back elevated tee, at Snowmass the 6th is a par 3, 279 yards from the back tee with a green that falls away on 3 sides.
I could go on and on. There is not a hole that is 429 yards long, flat, sourrounded by trees, that if you miss the fairway, you chip out with your 5 iron and make bogey. Boring. I've played a 1000 of them holes.
Lakota is not a test of golf that will bring you to your knees as so many difficult courses can. The Bear Club in Jupiter, while a fine course, and whip you to pieces if your driving is off line. Lots of guys have walked off that course saying, "don't ever invite me back." I once ran out of balls on the 17th tee.
DM: I hope I finally answered your question. Still, Lakota is not for everybody. If you spray the ball alot, you probably should take a pass. If you have the chipping yipps, not your place. But, most love the course, not most CGA guys becasue they are more minimialists, and I can respect that, but I guarantee they will be more challenged at Lakota than a raft of courses they think highly of.