I suppose it does feel like that, sometimes, Jim. Might as well be discussing anatomy as course layout with some RDs.
I have gone to including cone icons and little course marshal figures on the maps I send to clients, and sometimes I include them on the certification map. Here's one example: - click on the small map image at the bottom of the page to enlarge.South Lakes 10K Map. I recognize that some measurers seeing this map may or may not like the look of these things on a certification document. As has been said, our courses don't always get run they way we measure them. For me, it is often an educational process to get the client/RD to realize there is little justification for certifying a course if our map is to serve as little more than a rough outline of the race path. If it takes crayon drawings to bring them up to speed, I say "OK".