Great article to post, thanks! One sentence on page 3 highlights a key difference between classic golf architecture and today's golf architecture. It's when Banks is talking about the different site requirements of the six (!) courses he had in progress at the time, late 1929. At Westhampton, "Most of the land had to be cleared and there were numerous bayous to be filled." What are the chances of filling numerous mud puddles today, not to mention bayous?
And I loved the great golf hole feature on # 15 at Oakmont. A slight pull on the tee ball to point "2" and and a solid 2-iron which gets the right roll and you're on in two. At that time the hole, now 455 yards, was apparently 475 yards as the article lists. Imagine doing that with 1930 equipment and balls. Firm and fast indeed!