Par matters!
How do we know? Because people change behaviors based on the par of a hole, they are communicating by their actions that par matters. And why does it matter? Because par communicates and triggers a set of expectations on how the player should perform. This is powerful, really powerful, and makes the assignment of par a very useful tool in the designer's toolkit.
For most holes the assigned par is not in dispute. But, for holes whose distance is on the cusp, the par drives expectations and influences how players make play decisions and how they feel about their performance.
Take a long hole. Assign it a par of 4, and it will be seen as a ball-buster. Assign it a par of 5, and it will be seen as a gettable birdie. Assign it a par of 5 and card a 3? For many people, eagles come once every long while, if ever. That can make a player's day, week, or year!
Assign that long hole a par of 4 and there is a good chance it bubbles to the top of the handicap assignments. Assign that long hola a par of 5 and it may trickle down a few spots.
Certainly that matters in a match. Make the hole a par of 4, with a high handicap number and it effectively plays as a 4 for the better player and a 5 for their lesser competitor. Make the hole a par of 5, with a lower handicap number, and now the hole plays at even for more competitions, favoring the better player.
In play, since players are likely to succumb to the desire to be on the green in regulation, the lower par value is more likely to drive riskier approach shots. If the architect's intent is to invite that play, assigning the lower par will create pressure on many players to take the risk. How could that not be a useful component of the architect's arsenal?