As a long time former HC member I probably played the hole 1,200 + times.
I don’t necessarily agree that it’s an awkward hole as defined in the thread.
It’s often said a shot is blind only once but HC #8 is not even that - the first time I played it I was told to hit the drive to the side of the fairway aligned with where the pin is on the green - sound advice.
I don’t remember ever getting an unexpected lie or bounce, even with a poor drive.
What is 100% true is the absolute frustration of a tie or even losing the hole to a higher handicap player. The higher handicap player will usually chip first, and if they have a good short game (seemed like EVERY higher handicap at HC), they can drop their wedge pretty close to the pin which puts pressure on the lower handicap player to replicate the shot.
And as Tommy mentioned, even with a great drive one can still get a bogey if one is not attentive to the chip shot.
It’s one of the best matchplay holes I’ve ever played