Bryon,
How we perceive gca is largely subjective. We often argue about style preferences (taste) as if there are correct and incorrect or superior and inferior objective standards.
This site has a reverence for the old, the "classic" in golf. We are miffed how someone might prefer a Dallas National over a San Francisco Golf Club (where even the showerheads get accolades). I think the ambiance, exclusivity, and history all play a large role. That many of these older courses are shorter, easier to play and walk, and often built on superior sites with minimal regulatory restrictions likely have a large impact.
I do think that the older courses get a break when it comes to overlooking their weak connector holes. Fazio, I believe, has said that his clients today expect and demand 18 "signature" holes. He likes to tell the story about how the developer of Dallas National was concerned that the par 3 17th hole would be perceived as too plain or ordinary. Fazio ripped the earth and created a very "natural" canyon running lengthwise between the tees and the green, and, as he related with a smile, "One million dollars later, he (the developer) likes it just fine". The old architects would not have bothered and we would not complain.