Ed, how do the bunkers in these pictures "compliment the strategic elements of the course," as you put it in your earlier post? Like I said before, I have not played Diamond Creek, so I am eager to hear your thoughts.
JNC, thanks for the substantive question. As I noted earlier, #18 (the second picture) has earned my respect through repeated play. But, like most everyone else who has played the course and chimed in here, I consider it the weakest hole on the course. So I won't defend it since doing so would arguably represent the kind of member defensiveness that I spoke of in my initial post. I just don't think that members (or any other proponents of a golf course) need to feel they have to go to the mat to defend every single aspect of their course. Every course has weak links, but those weak links do not necessarily signal architectural flaws or lessen the overall quality of the course. For supporters to deny the existence of weaknesses is as fanciful as it is unreasonable for detractors to expect perfection.
I will, however, respond as to #16 since I believe it clearly evidences the qualities I described in my earlier posts. I'm actually glad you picked that hole because it is my second least favorite hole on the course after #18. So if it can stand scrutiny I think that speaks well of the rest of the course.
From the tee on #16, the two fairway bunkers appear to be parallel and pinching the fairway from each side RTJ-style. But that is an illusion. I'm guessing the left bunker is 50 yards or so past the right bunker. The key to the hole is the speed slot down the right side of the fairway. If you can find that slot, you can shorten a 485 yard hole dramatically. But to do so you have to challenge the right bunker. And if you make a mistake and find the right bunker, you are left with a very difficult long bunker shot with the right to left cant of the fairway working against you. On the other hand, if you take the safe route and play down the left side of the fairway, the hole becomes much longer. The left fairway bunker reinforces that effect by forcing you to stay short of it. So there is a huge risk/reward decision off the tee that is created by the interplay between the fairway bunkers, the contours of the fairway and the hole's conceptual design.
Now, let's look at the approach shot. From the fairway, the green appears to be a standard back to front design. But that too is an illusion created by the fact it is viewed from a point high above. In reality, it slopes front to back and right to left. It actually shares some common traits with a redan green. The ground in front of the green is very firm and the best and sometimes only way to get your ball close to the hole is by bouncing it in. However, the fronting ground is subtly crowned. So misjugdments will often trickle into one or the other greenside bunkers. The slopes from the green into the bunkers are downhill and, in my experience, the rough collar in between rarely prevents a misplayed ball from finding the sand. So, here too, I believe the greeenside bunkering compliments the contours of the green and the available playing options to create the desired effect.