I suspect that Mr. Huckaby, aka "America's Guest", is the master at expressing to the host that while his baby is fat and ugly, she is among the best. Most head pros who have been around know "damnation by benign praise" when they hear it, so is best not to blow smoke up their rears.
I've never played a course where there were not several positive items I could talk about. Recently, I played a CC in west Texas that was nominated (for rating). The course was unremarkable in nearly every way, but the routing was compact and very walkable, pull-carts were allowed, and the membership was extremely friendly. My debriefing and follow-up with the club dwelled on those positives, and on the couple of holes that had some design merit. My rating card reflected my full evaluation on each of the relevant criteria. Had the club requested a more detailed analysis, I would have addressed their questions honestly, but with tact. Many private clubs, specially those already comfortably established, are satisfied with their courses being enjoyed and appreciated by the members. The notoriety of being on a "greatest list" is a nice compliment, but perhaps not so important as it is to a course trying to acquire a reputation and a place in the market.