I don't believe the bolded is true. At least not in a way that signals some sort of seismic shift of the whole game.
You are probably right. And your facts support you. I still think it's the way pro level tournaments are trending. And I think we are witnessing a pivotal point in the growth of our sport. Look at how fast the high speed driver segment grew. It started slow, then exponentially grew. I think that's where pro tournaments are, starting slow. As the numbers grow, lower tiers will have to keep pace to provide the stepping stones to pro level. The only way lower tiers can be provided with big open courses is if more are put in.
I'm not against high speed drivers or ball golf style courses. I just hope this sport doesn't grow into the elitist sport ball golf is.