Mike's essay is great food for thought and also speaks to the perspective that we should have on GCA.com - ie) different people will like different courses/architects.
I am sure that many of the treehouse members would be in the "fun" camp with courses like NGLA, Ballyneal, Pac Dunes, TOC, OM (when it opens), Lawsonia, etc. at the top of their list and I definitely agree. That is probably one of the reasons why Tom Doak is so revered on the site, along with C&C, they build "fun" courses with a lot to think about.
I appreciate a challenging course, like Tetherow (which I have played) or Oakmont (which I have not played), but I would not like to have one as my home course. On a bad day, I still want to be able to enjoy myself without getting too beaten up.
Beauty is a nice plus on a course - golfing next to a factory, highway, power plant, airport, etc. is not my favorite - a nice course with a great view is relaxing and good for the soul. However, beauty can come in several forms - aesthetics on the course and aesthetics off the course. I believe that great architects have a talent of incorporating on course beauty into their fun yet challenging routings. Off course aesthetics can be incorporated but also overdone, to the point where they compromise the design.
How many elevated tee shots to valley fairways providing beautiful vistas can a golfer handle in a round - for some it is many, for me it is a few because those types of tee shots are a lot of fun, but I prefer variety. Uphill tee shots and semi-blind tee shots are also a lot of fun and create a different type of anticipation off the tee.