Lou,
When you reference the 18 handicapper you have to understand how he became an 18 handicap.
Stroke control prevents players from taking excessive scores on a number of holes and acts as a scoring cap.
The handicap system takes the lowest 10 out of the last 20 scores.
Essentially, if par was 72 and the course from the tees he plays was rated 72, his 10 scores would create a differential between 720 strokes, thus creating his handicap.
But, the system doesn't account for the other half of his higher 10 scores, or the impact of stroke control.
My point is that we shouldn't assume that an 18 handicap will bogey each hole and produce a round of 90 every time he plays.
Once you understand that, you can begin to look at the impact of architecture and/or maintainance in a more liberal context. (I know that's difficult for you
)
To address your issue of disproportionality, you again, have to look at the total spectrum of scores shot by the 18 handicap, and not just the 10 lowest of the last 20.
Firm & Fast around the greens can be adapted to by high handicap players. They don't expect to make birdies and pars, other than occassionally. They usually don't hit a high number of greens in regulation, and, they're usually using shorter clubs when approaching the green.
Since courses don't transition from spongey one day to firm & fast the next, the process is over a good amount of time, thus making it far easier for ALL golfers to gradually adjust to the changing conditions.
You and others tend to view the process in the context of spongey one day and F&F the next, when nothing could be further from reality.
Once you understand the time frame in which the golf course is transitioned, it's a lot easier to understand how higher handicaps can reasonably adjust to the change in conditions.
With respect to accuracy, I agree, the ball goes straighter.
And, I think that's another reason for F&F conditions with wide fairways.
Since golfers rarely hit a ball exactly where they aim it, Firm, fast fairways will continue to direct, if not deflect, the ball along that line.
When you have 50 yards of run-out, you'd better hit that ball perfectly or the terrain and/or your deviation from center, and/or the shape of your ball flight will result in a ball in the rough or worse.
In some instances, wide fairways that are firm and fast present a narrower, or more difficult target than soft, normal or narrowed fairways.
I think you have to see the product in its application.
I have no doubt that you'd appreciate what happens to the game of golf under real F&F conditions.
As TEPaul stated, the one fly in the ointment can be Mother Nature, but, if the ground has been properly prepared, in a few days the golf course will return to the IMM.