There are clearly two schools of thought: 1) the life's too short or alternatively resources too scarce to play other than anything that's highly regarded and a slam dunk; or 2) broaden one's horizon. Most of us probably fall somewhere in between due to access issues. also, there's a little wh$re in all of us when nobody's looking.
That said, how do you determine what's extraordinary without getting a good feeling for what's ordinary? If you're going to drive all the way out to Cle Elum, Washington to play Doak's Tumble Creek, why not set aside enough time to also play Palmer's Prospector course to see how two very different architects used the elements? If you're going to play C&C's Talking Stick North, why not also play the underrated South course. You won't find anywhere in this country where two more contrasting golf courses were designed and constructed next to each other. It's architecture 101. After playing Victoria National, take a few hours to slum around Doak's early Quail Run.
Personally, I really need to see some work by Stiles & Van Kleek, Tim Liddy, Stanley Thompson, George C. Thomas, Jr., Lester George, Harry Colt, Eddie Hackett, Forrest Richardson, Willie Park, Jr., Ken Kavanaugh, Herbert Fowler, Mike Nuzzo and Walter Travis. I'm pitching a shut-out on those guys. (I have intentionally ommitted Fownes and Crump to avoid the appearance of trolling). When it gets right down to it, I might not know a damned thing.
Mike