If I was forced to play to the center of every green, you may as well take my clubs away from me. Who amongst us hasn’t experienced the thrill of taking on a heroic shot, one well above their talent level, and actually pulled it off? I am not willing to let analytics and score take that potential feeling away from me. That doesn’t mean I *never* play safe, but sometimes you just have to go for it. Put the card down, and play some golf.
So, you are in the "I didn't drive all this way to lay up" mentality. Ha! I get it.
That said, whether the center or an edge of the green, I would say most greens ought to have a safe(er) spot to aim at, for both ams and better players who might be off their game, or playing defensively. I mean, whether it's the narrow fw of Olympic and Medinah, or island greens, it is just no fun, nor strategic to have to aim somewhere, whereas the safe option is always tempting to many, as is the glory shot. Most greens need both, and only a few per course, IMHO, should be all or nothing shots.
And, as ACho suggests, it really is a greyscale, i.e., do I aim at the pin, the safe spot, or try to shade it somewhere in between, increasing both chances of success and penalty? With different winds, tee shot length, etc. that decision, albeit not dramatic, changes every day. IIRC correctly, I think Jack used to aim at the center and curve a bit towards the pin earlier in his career, before deciding that the high fade was the most consistent shot. Other pros complained that he was the only one talented enough to plan his shot to that degree, but of course, more power to him.
And, I do think every course ought to have one or two greens where it really is hit it or else, i.e. penal, but if there are too many of them, they don't stand out, i.e., the TPC island green has some players thinking about it on the first tee, but if there were 17 more, it is not a factor.
And, this reminds me of another thread idea I had....that is, exactly when is the risk of a bold shot worth it? I would love to hear from both the stats guys and a wide range of golfers. I have always believed that for average golfers, hitting for the middle (or as far away from trouble as the design allows) is the highest percentage play in almost every case. I suspect it is for better players, to a lesser degree, i.e., like a football coach rarely going for it on 4th down and 2.
Similarly, would a bold, heroic option on the first hole be as tempting as the same option on 15-19 where a score or match might be decided? I would guess most folks play the first few holes a bit defensively to avoid bogey, and that risk is more tempting later in the round if you are really thinking about it. There is the old philosophy that if you make a bogey, then you need to make two birdies to get to -1.
Just some rando thoughts.