So much to which to respond....
1. Whoops! Yep, I sure did put Sand Hills #17 twice in my little summation... call it a Freudian Cut and Paste Error... get the picture I REALLY like this hole?
2. GREAT call re #11 at Shinnecock! Hell yes it belongs in this company. I may even put it at #2, ahead of my beloved California greats... ranking these is very tough though, they are such damn great golf holes. And Mr. Goodale, oh yes, I was damn lucky to get my Frosty there, if not for a footprint SOMEONE left in the bunker I swear I could have made an easy 6.
That was the most fun I've ever had butchering a golf hole... You could likely tell I was gonna finish that no matter how long it took. I expected you guys to desert me, and I appreciate you hanging in there.
3. Re 15 Cypress, well... Rich has made this assessment before, stating nearly exactly what shivas did. To me, your reasoning is why it doesn't go to the top of this ranking... but that being said, it has to be among the top 5 most beautiful golf holes on this earth, so for that, it makes the list. It's also not quite the easy shot some think... Finding the ocean is not far-fetched at all, and there are some devilish pin placements possible (out on the right tongue?).
4. Although I have debated the merits of #7PB with Rich and shivas before also and I still find it a great hole, I am working on memory really. I last played it a year ago and it had been a few years before that... First playing, late 70's, is the hole that I keep in mind... and yeah, the green does look damn bigger today. Shrink that back down to size and it vaults to the top. As it is, well... Rich was right (to my wife - see, I can admit I'm wrong). I still don't think adding odd pot-bunkers helps, but maybe it's not the great hole today that exists in my mind.
TH