Paul,
If only you could have played on the munis I grew up on in Tonawanda, NY (north of Buffalo)... You knew you were going to be penalized in the rough, so you worked your hardest not to hit it there. Mud, dirt, clods of who knows what - all were travails to be overcome in the rough.
Of course, the fairways weren't that great either, but it was fun, especially when you'd never set foot on a place like Augusta (which seemed like Oz to a kid).
Come on - the rough is supposed to be a bad, bad place. Sure - I hate getting a bare lie, but I'm the one that put it there.