...rolling on some areas from the previous thread(s) and because of its post-Renovation signatures in the GCA imagination, I wonder if it can be said WHICH holes have been bastardized from one of the finest municipal courses and WHICH were "elevated"(?) to highlight their hidden virtues:
For my money:
1, 2, 5, 9 - 13, 15 & 18 have been morphed like Barry Bonds was...much more graceful and dynamic a profile before the steroids turned him into a large-headed, body-armour plated unnatural walk/HR monster... still potent? Yes, but not a warm human or beautiful thing anymore.
On 4, 6, 7, 8, 14, & 17... I would argue the reno/storations enhanced or brightened the frame for the hole. I think #4 is the finest and funnest, the most audacious and most amusing, savory hole of its general length in this deep region, and the renovations brought that into better relief. No. 6 is not a great hole to watch elite competition, but it's a much better hole for the balance of mortals...7 is the most underrated hole on the course and though the rough is certainly too near and too penal for what is called for, the bunker arrangement and tee angles are better for me now than before. (Taken together and played from 460 to 480, 4, 7 and 12 are perhaps the most thorough assortment of half-par holes anywhere). As it is hard to screw up par 3s, it might be little wonder why I think their (mostly visual) modern treatment is a value-add (though 14's green complex has been worked into something much pleasing than what was there pre-1998).
Though the penal rough-bowling alley treatment has unneccesarily toughned up 16 for us mortals, I think of it as essentially the same meadow vista hole it always was... And there's somethign about 3 that I have never liked or made me appreciate it.
cheers vk