In the revived anti-strategy thread, I can add a few things.
First, I have played some Fazio courses with options and strategy. After reading about his courses here, I guess I should be surprised!
Second, I have discussed the inside of fw, inside of green hazard layout with Pete, and he is trying to force the long par 4 holes to be longer, since the legal limit for par 4s is no longer sufficient to require long iron play for the top players.
I had this discussion with him five years ago, so I wonder how new the idea is. Also, I believe Doak mentions guarding the short cut route twice in Anatomy of a Golf Course, and as a disciple of Dye, assume it must have been discussed with Pete sometime prior to writing the book, but, I may be wrong.
None of that is the point of the question, though. What constitutes the best advantage for the good player? I wonder if the open front green as the primary advantage is now as dated as the 200 yard dogleg, at least for good players you presumably design for?
When the ground game was king and ground hard, the open front was essential. In the aerial era, good players not only don't bump it in, they don't worry about ground balls! They also have better distance control than lateral control with their irons, meaning left and right hazards and angles of play are more important.
The pros I know tell me this:
1. They look at the green contours, to work their shots close to the pin, not surrounding hazards, in plannning their approach.
2. If between clubs, an open front may allow them to club down, allowing an uphill putt. Without one, they simply take the extra club and play more spin back to the hole.
3. They like to hit away from trouble (ie, teeing up right next to O.B., aiming at the far edge, and curving the ball back towards O.B., rather than aim out over the O.B. and curve it away, to max out side to side miss area.
Thus, in the Bulle Rock example, the right side may be preferred, because:
1.They can aim at the far left edge of the green, and have the greatest angle room to miss the bunker. The green angle sets up the fade.
2. Unless the pin is cut right behind the bunker, it doesn't come into play. Distance control should also help avoid the back bunker.
3. As the green angles right, I presume the back left is high, and if the front swale happens to aim at the right fairway, the contour may give more assistance to stopping the shot.
4. And lets not forget, it is still shorter, which should imply more accuracy, no?
Leaving the green open from the long side/angle provides two more or less good options, rather than hand the hole to the long hitter, while shutting out the medium hitter. The long carry hitter has the shorter shot, which he can more easily execute the carry bunker by the green, and the shorter hitter has a longer shot, but an open front to help ease the burden.
Isn't it better to be more "democratic" and favor a wider range of players, with the inside/inside hazard combo preferred (at least in many cases) over a inside carry/outside green hazard?
And again, what really contitutes an advantage to the best players in todays game?