I don't know Deal well enough (sadly) to make any comparison with the Old Course, but I do think there are fleeting moments on courses all over the country when a certain part of the Old Course flashes into the mind. I remember playing Conwy with my brother-in-law (who was brought up and learned his golf in St Andrews) at least thirty years ago and as we approached the 14th green he was struck by the similarity of the approach to the 9th green of TOC. The Conwy hole is par five, the 9th at TOC a short par four, but it is the situation, the approach over level ground, the town in the background, gradually closing in gorse bushes. There is no other similarity on the course, but for a moment you are transported to Fife. I often find these connections, a green here, a bunker there, a line of trees or a distant church spire.
Very occasionally I play at Wilmslow with another member who is a former captain of Cambridge University. On one occasion I mentioned that I thought the trees on the right and the setting of the green always reminded me of the 8th at Royal Worlington (Cambridge University's home course). 'Good Lord! I'd never thought of that before.' Apparently he now always points out the similarity to others! It's the feeling, not the physical similarity which makes the connection.