Tom,
From my perspective, photos taken from the "sides of hole" are done so for a few reasons.
1....It was the only decent shot of the hole.
2.....It was an additional shot of the hole.
3.....The angle of the sun prevented me from shooting from another view.
4.....The angle of the sun afforded me the opportunity of creating an image while not necessarily descriptive of that particular hole, however had sufficient "eye candy" to make it an attractive image.
Angle of the sun......... I try to shoot when the sun is at a 90 degree angle to my intended direction. Sun coming from behind and over the shoulder tends to render the image flat and devoid of interest. Sun directly in your face can do the same as well as create lens flare.
I will be in your neck of the woods next week. Playing Poppy,Pasatiempo, and Old Del Monte. Don't worry, I will leave lots of birdies out there for you.
Aidan.