I have played TOC and would not trade the experience for ANY golf course. But I don't believe a GCA must have played every great golf course or someones "list" of great courses to be validated. It gets back to the question of "groupthink" and what everyone wants others to think is great.
Case in point, anyone on here ever played a golf course that was absolutely brilliant but never recognized by anyone as great? I'm sure there have been several post to that effect. The REAL sleepers. You know, "The greatest course NO ONE has ever suggested was great? I have (no I won't tell you which ones because it would ruin it). But they certainly exist.
I do believe a competent golf course architect will have made a thorough study of the great courses and examined the architects that built them to be educated in their design tenets.
Lester