I honestly agree with Azinger. He is not saying that trees, bunkers and narrow fairways make good golf. He is saying that they are needed to test the best players in the world today. It is a distinction between a great golf course architecturally and a great golf course for the US Open. There can be a difference.
Angles of play simply don't provide enough of a defense. For instance, on a cape hole with the hazard on the left, the front, right greenside bunker to a tucked pin is not hard enough for the best players in the world. They will hit to the outside of the cape and launch a shot high over that bunker that lands soft. Today you need rough and trees to defend the outside of the dogleg against the best players in the world. Yes, it creates boring golf, but it will define who is hitting his golf ball the best. That is what Azinger and Brandel aresaying and they are right.
Next year at Pinehurst #2, if they don't have significant/wide-spread penalties in the sandy areas off the fairways (ie. clumps of grass and natives, footprints, etc...), you will get the same criticism that LACC got....maybe worse.