No one else wants to take a stab at this?
Fine.
NB - I have played very few courses designed by the many architects that I would like to study.
I'll take Doak for my contemporary architect.
- Pac Dunes, Ballyneal, Barnbougle, Kidnappers, High Pointe, Rawls, Charlotte Golf Links, etc., etc.
Several brilliant settings that demanded layouts to compliment them, several settings that needed to adhere closely to a client's request, other decent settings that could have been special or mediocre depending on creativity and execution, and so on.
Kidd would be my second contemporary choice, if I could pick one, simply because I have played Tetherow and was impressed with his work, and it would be interesting to see how his designs changed (or didn't) at BD, Nanea, Machrihanish, the Castle Course, Huntsman Springs, TPC SF, Powerscourt, etc. etc.