The thread on the five things that make architecture good got me thinking as one of the responses mentioned a feeling of completeness.
In a game where there is near infinite variety in the types and combination of challenges which are the particular ones that complement each other in a way that provides this feeling of completeness.
Obviously, every course should not have a 300 yard hole that may be reachable for some of the longer hitters, not should the course have a long 600+ yard hole that is out of reach in three full shots for all but the longest. Architects must make these selections/choices in order to provide the challenge and game designed.
William Flynn wrote in 1926 about a series of shots that should be faced during the course of the round. I'll let Mike Malone or someone post the actual list as I do not have it handy but it included such statements as "A full driver and mashie approach to a small green," etc. These can obviously be interpreted as Flynn's selections but what say the general board?
Which holes provide some of the better examples complementary shots that make the round feel "complete?"
16-18 at Sawgrass?
Amen Corner?
P.S. I abhor the notion of using par to explain or define a hole. I prefer to use the raw distances of each other and allow the golfer to determine how they fit their game, this is why I mentioned a 300 yard hole above instead of "drivable Par 4," the latter use, I feel is meaningless.