I was recently involved in a discussion on Golf Club Atlas regarding the balance between subtlety and eye candy on a golf course. The question asked if a golf course could be overcooked with visual distraction? I believe this varies greater depending on the architect, character of the site, and time period. The point was also made about a particular golf course feeling highly stylized. One architect who is most famous (and skilled) for his highly stylized designs in Mike Stranz. His work at Tobacco Road is so artful, purposed, and screaming with style that it feels artificial despite a beautiful natural setting.
I guess this all comes down to a matter of taste as mine clearly leans toward a seamless natural landscape that happens to have some golf holes draped over the grass. In the modern day Tom D and Bill Coore do this better than most and have the restraint to let their sites speak for themselves when the opportunity presents itself.
How about C.B. Macdonald, Seth Raynor, Mike Stranz, and even Gil Hanse...?
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