I'm biased in favor of natural. The classic architects of early 1900s that took the land as it was, MacKenzie, Ross, Tillinghast and others from their Era and those thay influenced. I'm also a fan of links golf, wind and ocean settings.
Having said that my criteria include
Interesting and diverse
Conditioning
Challenging but fair
Vistas
Overall: just plain fun
Unfortunately, the best courses require travel from my home in Tucson. Bandon Dunes (I work there in summers), Monterrey Penninsula, Pinehurst, Hilton head, Ireland and Scotland.
From my experience, Monterey and Bandon are as good as it gets. Caveat, I haven’t yet played in Melbourne or New Zealand. Next!