There is alot to digest in this thread and some very interesting ideas.
Last night, I was reading The Links again and found it interesting that Hunter states in his book that TOC was one of the worst routed courses and then turns around waxes poetic about the virtues of the course.
"Such criticisms would be more than enough to destroy forever the reputation of any course in the universe exceppt SA. Upon her standing in the wrold of golf they seem to have no effect whatsoever. It is rather difficult to explain why SA shouldbe the one and only course which stands above and scorns all criticism. One can say evil things of Sandwich, Prestwick, Hoylake and any other course, and find some to agree; but if one assails the home of the R&A, one soon fins the atmosphere grows chilly."
Although Hunter clearly expresses is affection for the course in his book, I found his thoughts here interesting. What exactly was he saying? He doesn't expound on it (the criticism). Perhaps he was saying that TOC follows no "formula", that a "balance" compared to later courses doesn't exist and yet is non the worse for it. His mentor, AM, certainly took this idea to heart in his courses.
"The strategy required to play some of the holes is so varied and so interesting. Pine Valley is a course where we hit with all our power, and if the high soaring ball plumps down on a bit of turf, we are immensely pleased; but we never have a sufficient variety of shots of quite enough skill and accuracy to play SA as we should like to play it, or indeed as we feel that one day we shall play it. At PV we feel that we lack power only, and no one thinks of committing suicide because Dempsey can lick him; but at SA our brains fail us. There is something in the very terrain which outwits us. That is, I think, what gives the old course its enduring vitality. It is the most captivating and unfair, the most tantalizing and bewitching, of all courses."