Michael,
My first reaction to this was that it's very sad indeed.
This is not because changes are being made - some of those I heard about first seemed like they'd be real improvements , like a new 10th in the dunes, replacing arguably the weakest hole on the course, an altered 11th to remove the internal OB, and an altered second played largely over the same ground.
The problem is with the removal of all of the blind approaches, because the prevalence of blind shots is to me the single defining characteristic of the Machrie.
Niall, you are spot on in that like most great courses, the layout has been tweaked and redesigned over time, and that this can be a very good thing. You are also right in suggesting that the new holes may have great architectural merit - they certainly should, because I'd have thought any designer worth his salt should be able to create something pretty special on such a splendid piece of ground.
But I also fear that in a few years time you will indeed be told "you should have seen the old layout, what a course!" Not because the old layout was 'better' in any empirical sense, but because there was, and probably never will be, anything quite like it.
Andrew