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Medinah C.C. #3 2003
by John Pineda
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 1190 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2002-12-20 |
76,790,136 bytes |
72 |
7403 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
REAL |
PARKLAND |
Medinah3-2003.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| 7a87d2db862d4049b73677ee0c086537 |
51960de6b8a3a10568067800aa3879f4 |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by Joe Turner `Loner'
January 2003
The read-me contains history, the course layout, the scorecard and general characteristics (interesting). The following are only excerpts from the read-me:
Medinah #3 was released in July 2001 for Links 2001. It was voted course of the month for July at Links Corner and at TPC. The course is one of the top downloads and was downloaded more than 30,000 times. It got 5 star/ 5 Ball ratings as well as very high review scores to it.
Two years later, Links 2003 was released. Shadows were back and yes, this is a course that would benefit much with the shadows. I started working on Medinah when APCD 1.5 came out to practice the new features of the designer. Medinah became my guinea pig on seam blending. One hole led to another until I decided to go full blast with it. The course is still based on the 1999 layout as there is no info yet on the current renovations being done by Rees Jones. A few months later, the beta was ready. Feedback provided was good and the changes I made to it warranted a 2nd beta. After a few more minor things updated, I think it is ready. Personally, I think the course is more dramatic now than it was then. The views are more picturesque and breathtaking. I hope you enjoy the course as much as I have enjoyed updating it.
The course was done as close as possible using my limited resources. Some greens may slope more than actual but for Links I think it makes the course challenging. Shotmaking is a requirement with this course especially if you hit the rough. Punch shots will be very useful. While it has 4 par-5's, you cant reach most of them in 2. Doglegs on some par-4's require maybe a long iron or fairway wood shot then another long iron to the green. Keeping it on the fairway though will help set up scoring opportunities. I planted lots of pins around the greens as well so there will be enough variety
The clubhouse
As members of the Medinah Temple -- named for the Muslim holy city of Medina -- they wanted the club to reflect that history in everything from its name to its architecture. So before he drew his blueprints for the clubhouse, designer Richard Schmid spent two years traveling the Middle East and Europe in search of inspiration.
The result is a clubhouse that looks like a smaller version of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The brown- and orange-brick building is three stories high and 104,000 square feet, with towers on the left and right sides. There used to be a minaret, too, but the top was knocked off by lightning and never restored.
The centerpiece of the building is the 60-foot rotunda. While the ceiling looks like a mosaic of cream, blue, orange, black and red tiles, it's actually hand-painted. The walls of the rotunda also are hand-painted, giving them a Byzantine flavor.
"There isn't anybody who walks in there for the first time that doesn't just gasp," Larson said.
This is a entirely revamped rendition of the award winning course now made for 2003 with all of the new tools, seam blending, new textures, objects built from terrain and completely reworked bunkers and greens. Taking full advantage of the shadows now available to him John created a course that defies description, a labor of love as Pete Dixon called it when it first came out, he then in the days of low scores gave it 92%.It's better now. On to a short description of a course that you never stopped playing and now will find that it will be a staple on every hard drive.
The mowed tee boxes, the checkerboard fairways with a first cut, the lush rough. The heavily textured (beautiful) greens with a slight pattern and its fringe all blend together into a magnificent course. This time we have shadows highlighting the tee boxes, fairways and greens to give you the feeling of being there, all of this caused by the heavily planted choice assortment of trees lining the course, amazing. The fairways undulating and narrow all seem to be hittable and the beautiful greens medium in size will give you wonderful play. The greens are easier than they were before if you are close the breaks are mild, if you are unfortunate enough to have a long putt the course will allow you to sink or get tantalizingly close, kudos on the green contours to the designer. I would call the putting medium if you want to put a name on it. The bunkers are all well placed and on both the fairways and guarding the greens. I of course only landed in a few for scientific purposes only. They are avoidable although if you do get into one you'll find that the depths won't present any unreasonable shots to get out, they just look formidable because of their unusually large size. I found the elevations although not extreme by any means to be very accurate and the caddie to be excellent. Take a quick look on hole # 12; to the left of the tee box is a superb sundial, a gift, if you would, by the designer of TPC Sawgrass the Stadium course.
This is where I usually tell the designer to seek advice from other designers in order to improve his course. The problem is, I can't find anything wrong with this course and he is the designer I send others to for advice. The course is one of a kind, a gem, a polished gem. This is a must download, an evergreen, a staple on all hard drives. Download it, enjoy it and when you tell others to do the same they will appreciate the advice, it won't come back at you. Good golfing.
Reviewer Note
I am a player not a designer and therefore rate a course as a player for other players.
Summary :
Included: read-me, cameo, splash, custom flags, custom tees, cart path, ball washers, custom objects (buildings, bridges etc), crowds, hole previews, signs and numbers.
Not Included: recorded round.
Statistical Information: par 72, 7403y, 3 sets of tees, 4-3 pars, 10-4 pars, 4-5 pars. |
This course is available as a FREE download.
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