Matt:
For an example of a course with more ink tied to its creation in modern times: how about Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes? Who hasn't heard their back story? There's a whole book about them. How about Sebonack? Or the story of those two brothers from Colorado who wanted to build something cool? And how about Sand Hills, for Christ's sake? Who hasn't heard a million times how it was all there waiting to be discovered and they didn't do anything to build it? It's precisely the flip side of the Shadow Creek story, and it has been told to DEATH -- people talk about that way more than they talk about the many great individual holes at Sand Hills.
Indeed, you would have a hard time naming many top ten layouts from EITHER the classic list or the modern list that don't have a prominent back story. You don't think the Pete Dye Golf Club being named after Pete Dye contributes to people's impression of it just a little bit, even if the golf holes are outstanding? You don't think Muirfield Village being Jack's first course is the reason it's still his highest-rated venue?
Yes, Shadow Creek deliberately tried to create a mystique by being "private," and they were accused of all sorts of things when they showed up in the GOLF DIGEST top ten, but mostly what they showed was how easy it was to influence panelists' judgment by making them feel special. I always got a kick out of the president of Seminole being the one to complain so loudly to DIGEST about the unfairness of it all. You don't think Seminole being Ben Hogan's personal practice ground is a part of its mystique? You don't think they've played off that mystique for years, and made every panelist who ever set foot there (as a guest of a member) feel like they were privileged to be there? Shadow Creek is hardly unique in this respect. Its back story is different, but it's not the only one out there.
Matt, I will freely admit that while I have seen probably 30 Tom Fazio designs, I haven't gone to see any of the three you just named as superior to Shadow Creek. I was on the ground in Stillwater years ago trying to get that job, and it was a great piece of property, but my travels have never taken me back; and when I asked the pro at Atlantic City how to get to Galloway, he forbade me to go see it, because he said that was what our client DIDN'T want for ACCC.
Just to refresh your memory, I didn't say that I thought Seminole or Augusta or Pine Valley were overrated. They are all great courses, great architecture, 9's or 10's on the Doak scale. But I don't think Shadow Creek is way overrated, either. I think there are a lot of excellent holes there. It's a bit repetitious because they were so focused on having every hole a thing unto itself ... but any course created from scratch will always suffer from being compared to perfection. I just have never seen a better course created from nothing, and when I do, I'll be glad to say so.
Do you need any more reality than that?
P.S. I wish to God you would stop using the phrase "the totality of the architecture". It's essentially meaningless and your over-use of it draws attention to your light use of specific examples. I named five holes at Shadow Creek that I thought were really outstanding holes. If there are five holes at Galloway that would match them, we would all love to hear about them.