Consider this from C.B Macdonald who honestly has to not only be considered the father of American architecture but also the transporter and conveyor of the spirit of the old game to America (an attempt I fear he very early realized he would not succeed in as he'd hoped).
"It was not until the summer of 1907 that the storm broke in a wave of indignation, demanding a revision of the St. Andrew's rules. I must say that I had much sympathy with this movement. The rules of golf as applied to St Andrew's worked out well enough with golfers born and bred there who intuitively absorbed the spirit of the traditions of the game, although they might know really little about the letter of the law. Custom made the law and so St. Andrews has ever been a law unto itself in golf. When the myriad of golf clubs sprung up throughout the world, with every variety of golf course......the custom at St Andrews did not satisfy, nor could it meet the emergencies arising from the new conditions. Then again, in America every person was comparatively a beginner in golf."
And more poignantly this about burgeoning America golf and architecture from A.W. Tillinghast in 1917;
"Although the criticism is aimed at modern courses in general, it occurs to many that Taylor is taking a long brassey to the blind green on a strange course, for he refers to American courses of which he has heard. Certainly the recollections of the courses over which he played in America during his visit some years ago, made it difficult for him to conceive of the gigantic strides toward perfection, made by American golf since that time. Little Wonder! He saw some of the crudest courses of that period and several of the best, which were bad enough as compared with those of today. America no longer is the heathen country in which his pilgramage found him. Since that day American progressiveness has given to the game the rubber core ball, which was only adopted grudgingly in Great Britain, but to which may be traced the real secret of the game's universal popularity. This same spirit of progressiveness has enabled this country to produce its own excellent clubs, develop its own professionals, its own architects, and to think its own thoughts. Once we gave ear to the words of the master without question. Now we are pleased to listen just as attentively, yet form our own conclusions with our own brains. In the jargon of the theater, "Waving the American flag has saved many a bad show." Let this not be the excuse for my defense of our modern courses. But it is because I believe we have grown big enough to think for ourselves, I dare raise a voice to assert that Taylor's shot has not found our green."
And those two sentiments from two Americans who not only knew and understood the old architecture and the old game as well as any Americans but were two of it's most knowledgeable proponents at one time.