I agree that Doak attempts a lot of interesting shots with contours and I like that. That said, I think that even when playing "non-standard shots" which I like, don't most golfers think about getting as close to the pin as possible on most shots, however they get there? I don't mind the occaisional green where the best play is twenty yards from the pin, but the driving range is only there to perfect skills for the real rounds! And I sure don't mind a hole that takes a while to figure out. Again, the only question I would have is how many times to build a green where it is nearly impossible to attain results from ANY kind of shot and I have the impression that Doak builds a few greens like that.
I think we both agree that its not wrong, but can be simply too much if overdone. And, the definition of overdone can vary from course to course. In the case of the Rawls course, yeah, its basically for college competitions. And Ballyneal is for a special group of golfers, so I am not critiquing.
However, some golfers with more talent than you and I probably would complain about any one shot with no way to get good results or gain advantage and I do understand that point of view, even while not embracing it completely.
But still a question of philosophy, and fair game to discuss here!