I work with a few golf biz consultants. One says (I think based on research, although I'm not sure how formal) that most golfers pick a course where they can shoot their normal score when playing every day.
Another says golfers pick courses that are easier rather than harder, and argues the middle tee slope rating should be approximately the 116 average slope rating. I argue that in urban areas, with many newer courses and remodels, that perhaps a course similar to the local average slope rating (which is likely to be in the 120-129 range) makes sense.
Or as one big management company guru says, no one has ever complained about us making a course easier. My experience is a bit different - fairly often the pro or top players will argue a course needs to be tougher, and they don't care about the average golfer.
I think the above is fairly common knowledge, and since you can like a course for aesthetics and maintenance, many will design their version of an attractive course that isn't as difficult as it may look.
Granted, the question was to the participants here, and I would expect the responses here to lean towards liking a better course design wise (and assuming good design means some punishment for misses, strategy, and perhaps difficulty.)