Yikes Dugger, you are M O T I V A T E D!
I would only offer some humble suggestions. By doing this seeding as you have, you are already sort of vetting or ranking them. That is why I was originally suggesting to identify an original list of "like courses" in a division first, then find some way (maybe flip of a coin or some non-vetting/ranking method to match them up for the fight).
For instance, rather than doing it merely by region and pitting a Pac Dunes, obviously a coastal Dunes like course against a Barton Creek (that has very little similarity) I would suggest it be considered in a division with the likes of Kiawah TOC, Whistling Straits, Bandon and Pac Dunes, Arcadia Bluffs (bubble identity there), Pebble B, Spanish Bay, etc. Hopefully, we can get 16 such dunesland linksland coastal courses that are public (as so many tend to be private)
We could debate the merits of including a course like Wild Horse because it is all sandy, duneslike, treeless etc. Yet, I could also see it in a division with the likes of Tobacco Road, True Blue, Lawsonia Links, Rustic Canyon, Barona Creek, Erin Hills (might have some trouble finding guys for judges of the fight that have played Erin and any of the others in its bracket) There might be many on the bubble that need some discussion of how to catagorize them.
What if we get some divisions together of like courses first, from a master or amalgamated list like you guys already have. See if we can get a solid 16 in each division of like public courses, without seeding them or matching them just yet. If one division has obviously more than 16 candidates, lets list them anyway, and have two differing opinion guys alternately strike names off the divisional list for competition, like they do for arbitrators or jurors. Some of the struck names might still fill the bill in another division.
We need a clearing house and compilier. Mike and Jay and Jim already have lists.
I like the idea of amalgamation of already identified lists as a starting point.
Since I'm blabbing, and offering modifications... let me start from Mike's list with a possible starting list of candidates for the high end resort, dunes, coastal public division. Notice a Sand Hills, BallyNeal, Dismal, Cypress Ptl, Friars Head can't qualify here. Save them for the privates list... I am no where near the travelled player that most of you are, so I can't even come up with a whole list of 16. But, I know if my start is acceptable, you guys can come up with plenty more similar upscale public duneslike, coastal to fill it.
Pebble B., Pac Dunes, Bandon Dunes, Bandon Tr., Sea Island, Spanish Bay, Whistling Straits, Kiawah TOC, Trump L.A., Arcadia Bluffs (?) Torrey Pines (?)
If we pilot test one division for fight night, we can move on to other divisions, private coastal dunes links, etc.
Lets start small, one division, then find a way to post the matches, and post a request for volunteers to judge, who have played both courses in the match. A 16 course division should give us a good idea if the concpet can be taken further.