If I may ask of the treehouse.......first of all, let me say, I love the 10th hole at Rivirera......so that there is no misunderstanding on my question....here goes.
If the 10th was just a golf hole on a higly ranked course, but the course was not a regular, highly regarded tour stop, and therefore most golfers were not able to see the hole played on TV by the best players in the world and you didn't hear all the adulation from the announcers about how great the hole is.......and average golfers just played the hole with out all that knowledge, what would be reaction and feeling about the hole from players that might only play the hole once or twice and had to formulate their opinion based solely on their play.
What I am poorly asking is....are the slopes, green size, etc, toooooo difficult for the average or even good amateur player and could it be that they might not have as highly regarded an opinion of the hole after making and watching playing companions make bogeys and double bogeys and higher on the hole. I am wondering what the average player thinks about the playability of the hole just based on what they see when they play the hole without all the acclaim and positive commentary. Based on other holes that I know of that have similar playing characteristics but without TV and commentary, my suspicion is that it might not be so highly regarded....but that is why I am asking such a long a drawn out question.
Mr. Lipe, the only hole with similar playing characteristics of 10Riv, that I know from experience, that is not played by the best tour pros and almost exclusively played by either GCA fanatics or sodbusters and local sticks, is 15 Wild Horse, Gothenburg NE. I am not familiar with anyone who says it isn't a fabulous golf hole design for a short - drivable par 4. I think as Brent observes, the hard core pen and card competitive people may look at it as a round killer, and pan the design. But I think those players that seek the essence of golf design, options, challenge mentally and playing skill set, embrace this sort of opportunity, that has both a chance for the layup artist with that skill set, the riverboat gambler, and the brave fellow reaching beyond his normal expectations, in hope of beating overwhelming odds he can't pull it off. It is matchplay at its best, IMHO, and golf design fanatics catnip. Add the artistic presentation of the array of bunkering, and the setting, and I think if you are struck negatively by the hole, you might be player whose ability to appreciate the best aspects of being alive and player of the game of golf is jaded by too much competition, not enough fun.