#6 was already an extremely difficult and is the #1 handicap hole with water and tall grass in play 5,6,7s were quite easy while par was difficult. Moving the green back and taking the water out of play and having more room to miss will make a 4 more difficult but will make bogey easier. Also our average member handicap is in the single digits so it wont be bad for the majority. Nickalus said it will be nice to have a par 4 where the tour guys wont be able to hit a wedge into.
That's sorta the problem. Having water IN play is what gives a hole it's character (and teeth). Why would you want to take it "out" of play in lieu of putting a longer club in a players hand? This "no wedge approach" philosophy is fine, but Pebble's #8 doesn't play at 500 yards to get the same effect, and this is just going back to the distance issue that plagues the pro game. A par 4 shouldn't be 500 yards, unless it is downhill or downwind, and even then... It's pretty sad when 421 yards is considered "short" by standards nowadays.
Why not grow out the fairway at the far end and force a shorter, more precise drive off the tee (like Pebble) with a slightly longer approach with a tougher angle, or just hit the usual 300 yard bomb where you'll have to deal with having to hold the green from a tougher lie? This seems like a far less drastic (not to mention less expensive) strategy to take, though I'm sure this was considered as well and passed on.
It just seems a shame to bulldoze such a lovely greensite, but that said, I'll have to reserve judgement for the finished product, it just seems like a goofy idea when the hole is superb as it is already (if it ain't broke...), and the only reason it's happening is because the land is available to do it, and pro's are hitting it too damn far.