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Springbrook Lakes
by Brian Kangas
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 1014 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2002-08-30 |
29,713,734 bytes |
72 |
7477 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
FICTIONAL |
WOODLAND |
springbrook Lakes.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| d4998058164f41119a5e6fb43622f8e3 |
6c05780e1bb856a5d821efd388a42935 |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by Joseph G Reynolds CPA
September 2002
FORMAT FOR REVIEW:
Intro/Overview/Conclusion/Hole Descriptions/Issues/Notes for the Designer
Introduction
Springbrook Lakes Golf Club is a fictional woodland course. The design was released without announcement to Links Corner August 30, 2002, with a download size of 29.714 MB (e.g., slightly larger than average). This par 72, 7,477-yard layout has an open feel with its moderately wide fairways, the planting is outstanding - understated and well balanced - and the custom panorama works beautifully. The course currently has a Three Star User Rating.
Mr. Kangas has a succinct readme file which struck me as being on point, so I'll let the designer do the introduction:
'Springbrook Lakes is not my first design but it is the first I've felt was strong enough to post to the Links community. I hope you enjoy the course, it was not meant to be too difficult as the fairways are fairly generous the deep rough is sparse and the greens aren't too severally sloped. Although it is quite long at over 7400 yards and the lakes and streams come into play shooting some good scores is very possible.
Many thanks go out to the Links Corner and their contributors for their tutorials and to Lacy Gearheart for some of the textures used on this course.'
Overview
I fell in love with this course on the first tee. If I had to use one word to describe it, modest comes to mind. There are few risk-reward holes, virtually nothing that could be called penal, yet it never bores you. The planting is beautiful; this first time designer could do a tutorial on how to plant effectively without being repetitive or going over the top. There are subtle elevations and undulations but nothing ventures into the extreme. The fairway, green and bunker shapes are interesting and realistic. In fact you'll feel like you're on a real course from one to eighteen.
In terms of strategic layout I would compare Springbrook Lakes to a mid level publinx, or perhaps a Player or Palmer/Seay resort course. In other words, it is designed with the average player in mind. Top players or pro clickers may not find this course challenging, but everyone else should find it fun and relaxing.
After playing this course I found the APCD work was exactly what I expected. Mr. Kangas has adequate meshwork. You'll find a double ring of verts on the edge of the fairways, greens, bunker lips, and elevations, producing smooth transitions. The remainder has a less than perfect look, which is just fine - mesh is a means to an end. The objects are thoughtfully placed - for instance, multiple trash cans when the tees are far apart. On Hole #13 - out of play but you may notice from the green - there is a trapezoid shaped maintenance area, with outbuildings and a Caterpillar bulldozer. Look around carefully during your round and you'll discover similar delights.
You'll make a lot of birdies here, so I would recommend trying this course out with the conditions cranked up a little higher than you normally play. Don't let that caveat discourage you - the artistry alone is worth spending time on this APCD design. It's a fun and beautiful course to play.
Conclusion
I would recommend downloading Springbrook Lakes GC. From a technical standpoint, the textures are smooth and realistic, and the designer has mastered the basic required skills. As for the look, feel and playability, it is a joy to find a first time designer who understands what makes a good design. This course got overlooked in the run-up to the Links 2003 release, but it is worthy of your inspection. I suspect if Brian continues to design, you'll be proud to say you still play his first effort.
Hole-by-Hole Description
1st Hole 438 Yards Par 4
Depending on wind conditions, you should be able to avoid the fairway bunkers short right and long left, and hit the large green in regulation. The 3 greenside traps will not come into play, though the back right tier offers some challenging pins.
2nd Hole 397 Yards Par 4
This dogleg left has a long bunker running the length of the near side; if you avoid the mound at the turn, flip a SW/LW onto the kidney shaped green which features a front center mound, and roll in a birdie.
3rd Hole 210 Yards Par 3
A gem of a hole design! The front bunker is little more than an aiming point for the front pin positions; but the back right shelf requires precision. Short right or long left will be collected by large deep bunkers, and the ridge protecting this third of the green may well kick your tee shot into 3 putt land. A classic, thoughtful one shotter.
4th Hole 550 Yards Par 5
Most days you'll blow past the left and right landing area bunkers and find the generous fairway. Although reachable at times, you may want to consider laying up just short of this two tiered green to avoid 35 yard eagle putts. The bunkers on the approach may catch the daring player, but this is one you should overpower.
5th Hole 431 Yards Par 4
A subtle and fairly benign hole. Moderate width fairway, smaller but still ample green, this slight dogleg right offers plenty of opportunity for a good score.
6th Hole 417 Yards Par 4
Favor the left side to avoid the trees guarding this dogleg right, but take care to avoid the long and interestingly shaped bunker over there. 3 circular bunkers placed symmetrically guard the long green running away from right to left.
7th Hole 185 Yards Par 3
Redan with a twist - water guards the left of this 65-yard long green, the main feature of which is a large middle shelf. Take care to be on the correct 'green within a green'.
8th Hole 400 Yards Par 4
Options abound off the tee. Hooking a long iron around the trees and short of the lake will leave a SW approach, or choose the safer play to the right followed by a 6 or 7 iron. With a strong wind at your back try carrying the bunker and corner of the lake to the chipping fairway right of the green. Like most at SLGC, this putting surface is large with subtle breaks.
9th Hole 459 Yards Par 4
The 45 yard wide fairway is about the average for what we've seen so far. Slight dogleg right should give you no major trouble, as the lone greenside bunker and the water do not come into play.
10th Hole 459 Yards Par 4
Dogleg left, with 3 beautiful bunkers and a mound around the kidney shaped green.
11th Hole 557 Yards Par 5
Dogleg right with a creek some 50 yards short, you'll have opportunities to go for the green in two under the right conditions. Clever use of elevation beyond the creek; the false front fairway will kill incoming shots, and if you carry to the green the rounded fringe might kick the ball right. Enormous green is sloped from left to right save for a small flat portion in the front.
12th Hole 467 Yards Par 4
Favor the right side with your tee shot to avoid the well done bunker complex on the left. Smallish (by Springbrook standards) green has a difficult to hold lower shelf in the extreme back portion.
13th Hole 460 Yards Par 4
Huge landing area for this dogleg right, and the stream snaking its way through will generally not be in play. Two beautiful bunkers guard the front right and rear of this green. Long is wrong - big drop-off - but if you find yourself back there check out the buildings and the swimming pool. We're down the asphalt road from the Clubhouse here, just beyond the aforementioned maintenance area. Restaurant? Nice details regardless.
14th Hole 467 Yards Par 4
Your drive will land well short of the stream bisecting the fairway. Another large green guarded by two bunkers in front, one in the back, which appear to be identical triplets.
15th Hole 453 Yards Par 4
The last few holes have become slightly narrower, and if you manage to land in the short grass, take plenty of club to avoid the large bunker guarding this elevated kidney shaped green.
16th Hole 425 Yards Par 4
Dogleg left, with creek running through beyond the bend. There are two bunkers right front and along the rear of this wide green.
17th Hole 154 Yards Par 3
Signature hole, with water front, left and rear, but with a mid iron to a large green, your biggest is finding the correct shelf on this two tier green.
18th Hole 548 Yards Par 5
Nice bunker complex on the left will catch the wayward drive, while two bunkers and water right and rear pinch the green designed to hold a long second. Note the detail work around this hole: nicely planted bridge to a narrow peninsula, which has a double rail fence on either side, leading up to another bridge, and onto the 19the hole.
Issues and Oddities
Springbrook Lakes has extruded tees and greens, with a fine pencil line denoting the edges, noticeable but not unpleasant. I've seen much worse, and on average, maybe you'll get an odd bounce every few rounds (I had none). Guess what - you get odd bounces IRL.
There is little to penalize the wayward shot. In lieu of rough Brian has lined the fairways with a broad uneven width 2' first cut. If you miss badly you might end up in 6' rough. I found no normal rough. The grass planting found on the hazard banks will help you more often than it will hinder. It will often prevent your ball from rolling into the water, and it's fairly easy to recover from. Although there are numerous trees, you won't find them in play unless you've hit a truly poor shot. Although SLGC has water on more than half the holes, it rarely comes into play.
I found numerous rubber cups, especially on the back 9 (this seems to affect side door strokes far more often than anything center cut). The number of pins is inconsistent, ranging from 10 to 12. The routing has 3 Par 5s and Par 3s, and the back 9 is 500 yards longer than the front. The 6 par 4s between holes 9-15 vary by only 14 yards, and the 3 Par 5s vary by only 9 yards.
Two minor quibbles with the planting. The designer appears to have fallen in love with using the cart path tool to draw shapes, and the grass planting along water hazards is a uniform (e.g., a bit unnatural IMO). My other objection is the wide use of the 'first cut' texture. The look is fine, and I understand the designer intended to design a very playable course. But I don't like the uneven bounces and rolls this produces. If nothing else I would have renamed it, but to me it would have been better to leave it only on the first 3 feet and then plant normal rough. Given the outstanding balance and subtlety of the rest of the planting, truly minor.
Notes for the Designer
First let me say congratulations on a very decent first design. While technically it is less than perfect, from an ascetic view this is a top shelf effort. You have an artist's eye for what works well. I like the fact this course has a smooth but realistic look and feel. Your attention to detail with respect to the planting is outstanding.
I'd encourage you to work more with custom textures and objects. What you used for this course worked very well, but I believe you have a real gift. Push yourself to go farther and do more; I am truly excited about your potential as a designer. You have the talent to get to the next level as a designer, so don't be afraid to experiment and take some reasonable chances.
I was disappointed in a few areas. I wish you would have given more thought to including some of the extras we've come to take for granted should be included with any good design, such as hole previews, hole handicaps and tournament objects. I also hope you will do a little more with your elevation work in your next design. It's a fine line; the greens at Springbrook Lakes GC have subtle breaks, and too often we see an unrealistic severity in APCD putting surfaces. There's a happy medium somewhere in there.
Two technical suggestions I have for you are cleaning up the extrusions a little better and fixing the rubber cups. Use the 'Search the Forums' tool at Links Corner and you'll find proven techniques for both problems in the Designers Forum.
I'd also like to give you some suggested reading which will help you deepen your understanding of golf course design. The strategic layout is the weak point of SLGC. That's probably the only item holding this design back from being a great course.
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/ - the golf club atlas web site has a wealth of information, from course profiles to interviews with top architects, as well as lively discussion group.
http://members.tripod.com/silverleaf_design/architecture.htm - this is a wonderful page on 14 classic hole designs. Amazing how often you will see these variations of these themes repeated on great golf courses. Brought to you by Silverleaf Designs (R.S. Barker - PGA2000 Designer).
Sleeping Bear Press is the preeminent golf course architecture publishing house. Anything by Tom Doak is recommended; this is a good place to decide what to buy, but you can find better prices elsewhere.
Golf by Design: How to Lower Your Score by Reading the Features of the Course by Robert Trent Jones is still in print and available at any fine book store. While no one has ever accused RTJ of being an intellectual or great theorist, this readable book offers some good basic insights from the architects' perspective.
Another suggestion would be to find a web message board to hang out at to bounce ideas off other designers and players. Whether its Links Corner, Dark Horse Design, the Course Depot or another site, it's great to leverage others abilities. This is your best resource to find beta testers or post a technical question.
With respect to beta testing - an absolute MUST if you want to create a first rate course - do whatever you're comfortable with. Public, private, or league beta testing all have pros and cons. What is important is that you take this critical step, and rework the course accordingly before final release.
I hope you stick with APCD design. The sky is the limit! I look forward to your next release.
Course statistics: Par 72; 7,447 yards from back tees; 5 sets of tees; 10-12 sets of pins..
Included/Not Included:
Cameo: Yes
Custom Flags: Yes
Custom Tee Markers: No
Custom or added Sounds: No
Handicaps: No
Hole Previews: No
Read-Me: Yes
Splash Screen: Yes
Tee Signs: No
Tournament Crowds/Objects: Yes
I am both a player and a designer. I review courses primarily from the standpoint of strength of design, style, and overall ascetic appeal. I am cognizant of the enormous effort required to complete an APCD design, but out of a sense of duty to the Links community I will not hesitate to point out flaws. This review is intended to be fair, helpful, and constructive to the designer. However, this is merely one person's opinion. |
This course is available as a FREE download.
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