I recently saw a Charlie Rose rerun with guest Paul Goldberger, the architecture critic for The New Yorker. He mentioned a reason why so and so's work is great and unique is because it 'challenges and comforts.'
The parallels to GCA are apparant and I began to think of courses I had played that did just that. Bandon Trails immediately came to mind. I remember a feeling of comfort and peace while playing. And it's certainly most challenging. (Conversely, a course that is most challenging yet not comforting at all to me is Bethpage Black. Downright scary.)
I also remember Wayne desciribing some of Flynn's deceptive bunker work (perhaps at Indian Creek) where the player thougt a bunker was further or shorter than it seemed. When in fact its distance was right in the player's wheelhouse. Seems like a case of challenge BY comfort. I felt that way a few times at Wolf Point with the wide fairways and deceptive bunkers.
What courses have you played where you felt challenged AND comforted? How about challenged BY comforted?
Also, besides wide fairways and deceptive bunker placement, what are some design techniques used to create comfort?