Tom,
Of course you do! Its part of your marketing personna.
I have played Vaquero and just looked up the 4th (and 13th on the small chance you were turned around) and I don't see much of an ode to Riviera 10 from my experience, or your description!
As you say, it depends on the definition of template. If you call Vaquero 4 a template that is obviously modified quite a bit at what % of modification does it become an original hole? I guess no one cares, really, just that it is a good hole, as Andy suggests. However, when you modify just to make it different, you might lose the details that made the original great, as well.
To me there is a difference between cookie cutter, whereby the hole is truly plopped in via computer and use of a template concept that has worked before on similar ground. So, its semantics, but no, I don't agree with cookie cutters, because they probably won't work exactly as is in a new situation.
Whatever you call it, when you start the design of a new hole, it ought to be considered as an original. As an example,
If playing in stronger winds and with new clubs, would you use the exact same length of the 10 at Riv, or change it as you saw fit?
With modern green speeds would you flatten the green a touch or no? Would grass types, wind direction irrigation or other factors also cause the green on a "concept" hole to be modified somewhat?
Would the land afford the same big carry bunker or would it fit better to break that bunker into two or three, perhaps at different levels. If it fit a bit shorter (or longer) than the original, would you make the bunker deeper than the original to restore or enhance the penalty.
I think Raynor did a fair job of picking land to fit his templates in seamlessly. To me, that, and the ability to see where it must be modified a bit to fit the ground and make it work is what makes the use of templates that play well also be good architecture. My only complaint with Seth was that he and a few others limit themselves to too few templates. I think there are more, and every time I play a new course, I see twists on the same basic ideas that are different enough to be considered original.
For fun, I went back to my "hip pocket" list of design ideas I prefer and came up with 32 Tee shot concepts and 49 green concepts. While there are some I would never mix and match, that provides over 1500 original design combos using similar elements for par 4 holes. Thus, there isn't too much need to repeat my self to closely from design to design if I choose not to.
On the other hand, I figure I might as well stick with the top half of my ideas at least, limiting me to 750. I guess that might be cutting it close and we may see a duplicate Brauer par 4 at some point in the future!
Please look me up next time you are in DFW. I am literally 5 miles from the airport.