I've long held that in order to think outside of the box in regard to golf and golf architecture, one must first define golf in the simplest of terms and work from there.
Golf is a game where a golf ball is manuevered from point A to point B with a speficially designed implement or implements for the purpose of recording the number of instances of manuevering for the sake of comparison against another golfer or fixed figure.
By this definition, in order to play golf, one needs a point A (tee or starting point) a point B (the hole, a/k/a the only truly standard thing in golf), an implement (a conforming golf club) and a golf ball.
Everything else is ancillary and ultimately subjective in terms of qualitative measures of the game.
In this vein, and the recent discussion of computerized assistance for yardages, and even the old stand-by of yardage indicators on the course I have a rather interesting proposal.
Give me all the yardage information I can handle:
Sprinkler Heads
Pin Sheets
GPS
SkyCaddy
Yardage Books
and another other means.
Just do one thing:
Remove the flagstick.
Regardless of the quality of the other information, the presence of a flagstick on the green gives the golfer a focal and aiming point that is probably most useful in using all the other information available. Every piece of information in the golfers' mind is related to his ability to see or discern the flagstick on the green.
Yardages from the front or sides of a green are visualized FROM the flagstick to the edge of the green.
By removing the flagstick, we remove one of the points of information and suddenly, the golfer must process the information in relation to other features on the golf course, namely hazards and architectural features.
In his Androssan Farm tales, Tom Paul relates as to how he question Bill Coore as to why the golfer needed a focal point off the tee.
I'll extend this:
Why does he need one on the approach?