Paul, You're right about where strokes might be taken. At Alwoodley the hardest holes for most players are 13th-18th (395, 206, 409, 414, 434 and 439 yards respectively from the members' tees) yet they are ranked stroke 11, 9, 15, 4, 13 and 7.
Aldeburgh, one of many predominantly match-play clubs in East Anglia, finishes from the 14th with holes of 361, 201, 457, 142 and 425 yards and stroke indices of 6, 14, 4, 18 and 8. The 14th, at 361 yards is considerably better in reach than the 18th, but you can see why the index is slanted in this way - many a player would lose before having used up his given shots.
Hunstanton, another match-play only course in East Anglia, finishes from the 14th 219, 478, 189, 445 and 398 yards with strokes on 18, 8, 14, 4, 12. The 17th is a very tough hole, probably worthy of Stroke 1 rating, but you couldn't keep that so late in the round. On the other hand, I cannot quite understand the 14th being stroke 18. It is a totally blind hole played from a tee substantially below a big dune, over which the ball must be struck towards a distant oscillator (which is wiggled when the match in front leaves the green). It also features a downhill run-in to the green off the back of which it is all too easy to roll. In fairness, the 7th and 16th are first-rate short holes and ought to be ranked above it, and the 4th, which is the simplest short hole, comes in at No 17 - all the odd numbers being taken on the front nine (a fairly standard policy in the UK).
Yet another of the East Anglian match-play courses is Royal West Norfolk. Again the odd number stroke holes occur on the outward half, with stroke 1 being taken at the famous 8th, a par-5 of only 492 yards. It must be unusual among the top UK courses in having its stroke 1 on a hole which, on paper, is so eminently a birdie opportunity, but it is a great hole with a double water-crossing on the angle and umpteen decisions to be made about eaxctly how far one can hit on a particular line.
Another upper-crust club with an unusual stroke index is Little Aston, on which the 1st stroke hole is the 317-yard par-4 4th. Perhaps this reflects the fact that it is those half-par holes which are so exciting in match-play. You can just imagine the good player, frustrated at having to give a shot away on such a tiddling hole, having a lash at the ball in an attempt to drive the green and pulling the tee shot out-of-bounds and having to try to do the same thing again in order to attempt to catch up with the lesser player who drove into the cross-bunker for net 0, pitched out for net 1 halfway to the green and topped the ball to the front edge of the green in net 2, putting to the middle of the putting surface in net 3. Did the good player manage to drive the green, so equalling his lesser playing companion? It is a fun hole and matchplay such a good game.