Sean- I see where you are coming from. There certainly needs to be different standards for pace of play. Courses built through housing developments might not be difficult courses at all, but since there may be some substantial distances from green to tee, the course takes a long time to get around, especially if you are walking. Terrain has a bit to do with it as well. Certainly with links courses, there is only subtle elevation change. But with inland courses, there can be some very substantial elevation changes, several hundred feet in many cases. That slows down play as well. So, by itself, pace of play is not an indicator of an overly difficult golf course.
I think difficulty is a combination of a lot of factors. Take Pinehurst #2 for example. A 4ball might not lose a single ball and might never have to look for a single ball. And certainly the course is routed in such a way that it is easy to walk. But each golfer in the group is liable to take 3 or 4 shots after they get within 25 yards of the green. Does that make #2 overly difficult?
And what kind of course are we talking about in general? Private, public, resort? Because I'd bet the members at a place like Oakmont get around somewhat quickly even though that course is considered to be a brute. Yet, as we've heard for the last few days from Matt on another thread, it takes upwards of 6 hours to get around Bethpage Black, and the Black may or may not be as difficult numerically as Oakmont. However, they cater to different people. Oakmont is a members club and the Black is a public club open to anyone with a few dollars.
It all has to come together. As a public course, the Black is probably too difficult; as a members course, it likely wouldn't be.
Just for arguements sake, how long does it take a group of foreign golfers to get around The Old Course or Carnoustie?