I won't debate this ridiculous premise except to say that everyone knows good food when they taste it. No matter their level of cooking ability.
So do you have to be a good golfer to evaluate architecture? No. You just have to be a golfer.
Shucks, I agreed with Melvyn on something.
I think I agree with your conclusion Ben but I don't agree with the analogy. I think cooking skill is analogous to the ability to design a golf course. Eating a lot is analogous to being a good golfer.
My wife was a pastry chef in some of the best restaurants in NYC and she is absolutely able to evaluate food much better than I can. I am able to say, "I like this dish" or "I don't like this dish". But because of her training she is able to go much deeper. Last month I was eating a cookie from a bakery and I said that I liked it and that it had an interesting taste. Knowing only the type of cookie and that I thought it had an interesting taste, she said to the owner, "did you use [insert spice I had never heard of] in the cookie?" And she was right, without even having to taste the cookie.
Similarly, I would gladly concede that any of the architects here are much more skilled at evaluating a golf course than I am - they have more training and experience than I do. But I wouldn’t make that concession with respect to the average 2 handicap (I am a 13 handicap) just as I wouldn't necessarily trust a restaurant recommendation from a fat person.