I'm going to respectfully disagree with both of these statements.
Oh joy, a large event that couldn't be bothered to run string or paint on an OB line.
Stakes like that are fine for day to day use since paint wears off and string can be damaged too easily, but for a single weekend, make a definitive line.
(for reference, lead card, hole 5, round 2)
IMO white stakes are aesthetically so much nicer, and do just as good of a job. It's a great visual cue from the tee.
I can't even count how many times I've seen people pull strings taut, or press them down, etc. in order to examine the line, they end up getting stretched, distorted - or doing so to the next "section" between the following stakes.
There were lie questions, no doubt, but it was average compared to what I've seen anywhere else.
Lots of unnecessary OB on this course. We lose the chance to see these top players execute recovery saves from tough lies. The penalty just pads the score on a shot that's already in a tough lie. Reminds me of Chili in 1999 Worlds where the whole outside bushy boundary of the farm was strung as OB. No chance to test your skills and save a shot with with a good recovery.
I could not disagree with you more. Fox Run Meadows was fantastic, one of the best courses I've ever seen on tour. The OB was fair and tactically sculpted for these players. There were great, nuanced design elements executed on that course that trapped the players into over-aggressive play.
IMO, you're not adequately accounting for the wind patterns in the region, nor the visual illusions from the perspective of the tee.
The best advice I've ever read in regards to either designing or strategically analyzing a course is to walk it backwards. A good designer is like a magician in a certain sense, you have to deconstruct the hole from the pin/basket to the tee in order for the challenge to reveal itself.
We have so many bad courses in the US because it's either too obvious, or too random. Deceptive challenges are more fun to play, and now necessary for people at the top ranks of the game.