I get a kick of all of the fawning because I don't really like it. I've never played it, but I've been to the Crosby a couple of times, so I've seen the whole course in person. The houses really take A LOT away from it for me. And the whole place just feels so 'corporate.' I freely admit that there are some really great holes out there, but there are some clunkers, too, which I think hurts it considering it's supposed to be 'all-world.'
I actually agree with you, Andy. And I have played the course enough to make sure I didn't miss anything. Unfortunately, the houses and cart paths are there. It's an excellent course, but probably not worth this amount of fawning.
Thanks for the support; it was getting pretty lonely!
As far as houses being "in the way," I'd say 1 is a good example. Right out of the gate it looks like a housing development course, tight with a lot of houses and trees whose only purpose seems to be to hide/protect those houses. The 18th tee is bad because the line is "right at the chandelier in the living room of the modernist mansion, with a little draw." But the houses are right there for most of the back nine. For example 14, where mercifully the play of the hole takes you away from the houses, but they're very much on display.
And cart paths are one thing, but Pebble takes that to a whole new level with actual roads. I think it's three where just over the green runs down a hill to a convergence of several paths/roads. I slightly overhit ball could go miles beyond the hole because of those paths. And I think there's OB right there too that they bring into play.
For me, 6-10 are not only cracking holes, they're away from the that stuff with ocean to the right and golf to the left. The development is now way left and out of my radar.