are you trying to create "East Coast" vs. "West Coast" Beef?
I remember reading SW22's review of FDR DG park in NY and he loved the front nine (which is a very New England-y/North Eastern-y wooded course) and didn't like the back nine (because its quite open and like those AZ courses such as Fountain Hills (like the OP is referring to).
A lot of the locals feel the same way (front nine is an epic woods-y course) back nine is weirdo open bomber course... but I love the fact there is an open bomber course (even if its a back 9) because that is a rarity in the north east.
open holes can be just as challenging (due to length, wind, ect) and if done right need just as much line shaping, having more options than
as to weather being a factor, its undeniable that certain certain places have advantages thats not limited to East and West Coast though... think about the NC people, they can play year round and have all the seasons too. That can be seen as an even bigger advantage (knowing how to play in the cold, and heat, leaves, no leaves).
Since there's no ICE Bowl Major (there really should be a major or NT thats held in the snow) knowing how to play in a foot of snow or super frigid temps isn't really an advantage, but something the northerners just have to deal with if we want to play the game we love.
ratings, subjective ratings, expert ratings, can all be useful. if its some yokel who rated a course badly because of rain, big trees, lack of trees, or something frivolous then you can just move on and take note. there's a "found this rating useful" sub rating that helps root out the lame reviews.