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Jubilee Pines 2003
by Neil Ogle
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 1188 |
| Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2002-12-15 |
42,217,326 bytes |
72 |
6950 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
FICTIONAL |
WOODLAND |
Jubilee Pines 2003.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| 188fe5800bc711d7a093ff6da422963b |
55e2a08531b1bdd7333535e6ffa3c8f3 |
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LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by Robert Rundel
January 2003
It seems to me, at the end of 2002 and the beginning of 2003, that we are entering a golden era for Links. Now that course designers have become familiar with the APCD 1.5, the new courses released for Links 2k3 are of an amazing consistency and quality. The new textures, and seam-blending, are contributing to a new feeling of realism and detail that was seldom seen in 2k1 courses. The new Mike Jones Shadowlands is an awesome creation, and richly deserved its rating of 98, but other recent courses are, in my opinion, nearly in the same class.
It is quite incredible to me that Jubilee Pines is Mr. Ogle's first Links design. This is an outstanding piece of work! It is a fun and interesting course to play; risk/reward decisions occur on every hole, and you must plan your shots carefully. The beautiful green fairways have subtle hills and valleys, so you must be able to play from a variety of lies. The course is mountainous, with the Banff panorama looking very good here, and heavily wooded (pines, of course!), although the fairways are reasonably open. The greens are varied in size, but nearly all have slopes and ridges so the putting is moderate to difficult. Patches of scrub rough, and the undergrowth beneath the pines, is especially well done. Custom objects abound, such as bridges, fountains, a clock on the first tee, and a lovely clubhouse. And there is a readme file which could well be a model for designers. It lists the course specifications, and then provides a hole-by-hole description and discussion of strategy.
I found only a few minor disappointments and technical glitches. First, there are no hole previews. This is somewhat compensated for by the excellent readme file, but I'd prefer to see a hole map and description right on the screen before I tee off. There seems to be a phantom shadow on the water on the second hole (screenshot 2). There are some cloned trees. This is less important on a heavily wooded course like this, but when the clones are right next to each other it becomes a little too obvious.
But there is so much to like here! The first hole has a great mountain view, a shack for golfcarts, and a large free-standing clock, so that players will observe their tee-times (screenshot 1). It's a short par 4, but a right-angle dogleg to the left. You might be able to drive the green with a prodigious drive over the trees, but the woods are thick, and I wouldn't do it unless I was playing unlimited mulligans. The safe shot is a 3-wood off the tee, and a short approach. The green is small, and sloped sharply down from back to front.
The second hole is another short par 4, this one fairly straight. But a lake runs down the length of the fairway on the right, a large bunker guards the left, and a nasty pot bunker sits right in the middle of the fairway. You can take a driver here, leaving a short approach to a large tricky green. There's a ridge in the middle of it, and I found the cup sitting near the ridge top. There's a phantom shadow on this hole�a shadow with no tree anywhere near (screenshot 2)
The third hole is the first par 3. The tee area is really lovely, with boulders, small pines, and various sorts of bushes (screenshot 3). There's a nasty little bunker right at the front center of the kidney-shaped green, with the pin frequently tucked just behind it. The green is crowned, the 3rd difficult green in a row. Note, however, the two biggest trees behind the green are clones, and other cloned trees are visible on this hole.
Now the course gets really interesting. The fourth hole is a 480 yard par 4 dogleg right, and the #1 handicap hole. The fairway is guarded by a pond on the right, and several bunkers on the left. One of the bunkers protrudes into the fairway, narrowing the landing area, and three trees next to the lake can impede the second shot (screenshot 4). The green is large, with several humps. That, together with the long approach, can lead to a long and difficult putt
The fifth hole is an enormously long par 5 which doglegs to the left all the way around another lake. There's a pot bunker just where you want to drive. Aim for it anyway! On the second shot, there's a big star-shaped bunker right in the middle of the freeway, at about 250 yards away. Then there's a pretty good size patch of scrub right in the middle of the huge green, so an accurate approach is vital. The green has humps again, so you don't get an easy putt.
The sixth is a short par 4, which can be reached with a very long drive. However, there's a ring-shaped bunker which nearly encloses the green, leaving only a narrow opening at the front. The green is not quite as difficult as some of the previous ones.
After this respite, the seventh is another long par 4. A bunker stretches diagonally across the fairway, at 250 yards on the left and 290 yards on the right. Then there's a long approach shot to a ridged green guarded by a pot bunker in the front and a large bunker at the right and back.
The eighth is a medium par 4, dogleg right. There's a pond on the left, a long bunker on the right, and three large pot bunkers in the middle of the fairway. You can play safe by hitting a 2 or 2 iron off the tee, short of the pot bunkers, but you then face a long approach shot. Or, you can hit away, and say a prayer to the god of pot bunkers. The green is severely tilted, so you want to get your approach as close as possible. This is a very interesting and challenging hole.
The ninth provides another brief rest�it's a short par 4 with a nice wide inviting fairway. The green slopes, but gently.
Now on to the back nine. The tenth hole is a very short par 4, with a beautiful mountain view from the tee. This one is a dogleg left. A large bunker with a huge tree sticks into the fairway just at the dogleg. One might be able to drive the green, but it's a long blind shot over trees. I hit a light 3 wood, and had a 60 yard approach to a tricky multi-level green.
The eleventh provides another beautiful view from the tee! This is a medium par 3 to an elongated green guarded by bunkers left and right.
The twelfth hole is the signature hole of the course. There's a beautiful rock garden with a fountain next to the tee (screenshot 5). This is a short par 5 with a lake on the left and a large bunker on the right. It's reachable in two, and since there are two pot bunkers defending against a short approach, you might as well go for it. The green has a tongue sticking into the lake; if the pin is positioned here, this is a very challenging hole.
The thirteenth is a medium par 4. There's a rock garden with a huge tree right in the middle of the fairway at the landing area. If you can avoid the tree, it's just a 9-iron to a reasonably flat green.
The fourteenth is a straightforward par 4 with an enormous bunker running all along the left side of the fairway, and a smaller bunker on the right. There's another beautiful mountain view from the tee. The green is elongated, and slopes from right to left.
The fifteenth hole is a lovely design. It's a medium length right-angle dogleg to the right, with a pond at the inside of the bend to catch the slightest fade (screenshot 6). You have to hit a full driver to see the pin on your second shot, but the pond seems to have a magnetic attraction for golf balls. If you drive safely, the hole is straightforward after that.
The sixteenth is another nice design. There's a long thin pond, with trees bordering it, running right down the middle of the fairway. It's a long carry to clear it, and there's a tree at the far end that you must clear. Going left or right, there's a bunker at about 260 yards. Best I think to hit a 3-wood. The green is very small, but fairly flat.
The seventeenth is a gorgeous short par 3, with a 30 foot drop to the green (screenshot 7). The green bends around a lovely lake, with a fountain and bridge. Bunkers guard the right and rear. A fairly flat green can yield some birdies.
The eighteenth provides a great finishing hole, with risk/reward decisions everywhere. It's a short par 5, with a pond cutting into the fairway at about 250 yards, and a bunker along the left. If you need to gain a stroke here, you can drive over the pond with a decent drive, and reach the green in two by clearing a second pond at the front of the green. Or, you can lay up and play safely for par. It makes for an exciting finishing hole! There's a scoreboard, and a magnificent clubhouse, near the flattish green (screenshot 8).
I thoroughly enjoyed playing this course, and it will stay on my hard drive for a long time. The download size of less than 40 Meg is very reasonable for a 2k3 course. And, at the end of the readme file, Mr. Ogle promises us another course, The Obsidian. I can't wait!
Summary :
Details: Fictional wooded mountain 18-hole course, par 72, 6950 yards, 3 par 3s, 12 par 4s, 3 par 5s, 5 tees per hole. Readme file with detailed hole descriptions and playing tips, a cameo and a splash screen with course pictures, hole handicaps, no hole previews, no hole signs, no cart path, many custom objects including a clubhouse, galleries and tournament objects, Banff panorama. |
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CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Fictional, woodland course. |
Location
TBA |
Conditions
TBA |
Concept 5/10
That rare oddity: a flat mountain course! You'd swear these holes were fairly standard parkland if they hadn't been set against sumptuous backdrops, thick alpine forests, and the features of some artful planting and a freehand with the design. Oddly, given the obvious intention to incorporate something different into the course, it pales rather on the second half. Because of so many apparent contradictions it's a course that unfortunately doesn't hang around in the memory for long. |
Appearance 9/10
There's a crisp, chilly feel to this course. The pale greens and cleverly-used flowerbeds combine well with the stock panorama (in this case using stock has become an asset) to really give the impression of Rocky foothills. The design ticks all the right boxes with perhaps just a few clones to distract the eye. |
Playability 5/10
Somewhat inexplicably, this is a course that becomes something of a drag over 18 holes. It could be the fault of the lack of good elevational work; it might be due to the unappealing and pressurising nature of many of the tee shots. It might simply be due to the unconvincing location. Whatever the cause, perhaps just half a round would suffice, with just the Par 3s holding up the course as a whole. The back nine becomes almost a comical parody of the course's style, and really start to grate. |
Challenge 5/10
Ah. I think I have it. Part of the appeal problems stem from the lack of impact this course has upon your game. There's little out there to impress you - to make you want to hit your shots. The course is open and inoffensive, and could use an injection of target-setting or at least creative - rather than peripheral - use of hazards. |
Technical 7/10
Smoothly done, although the lack of customisation doesn't work in the course's favour. The background and textures are stock, despite having been used well, and the forest line is spoiled by the occasional clone. The elevations, of course, are what could save this course if carried out more competently. Clones aside, there is some special planting, though, and the APCD work is sufficiently advanced to keep everyone happy. |
| Overall |
OK in short spells, but a bit of a damp squib when you actually get stuck in. Probably better avoided for tournament play: this course lacks that final bite. |
31/50 |
Please remember that Clipnote reviews are the opinion of one person and do not constitute an 'Official' Links Corner review of the course. |
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