| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 133 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2001-01-13 |
22,586,475 bytes |
72 |
7085 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
REAL |
PARKLAND |
Hillhurst CC.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| bcf19162ddc911d4a196c0e54ec10001 |
7aec8a4258e2edd052105e578ef1ed22 |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by Lacy Gearheart
This is the first design by Simon Moss. It is a Real course re-creation that I am not familiar with the Real life design. I did not know it was a real course but I could tell by the detail of the planting that it had to be based on something. The panorama is of the mountain nature and sticks out like a sore thumb at times. I would consider the course a Parkland style. From the back tees, it plays about 7085 yards and offers many views and amenities. In general the layout is GREAT but I would not know how accurate it was. The fairways undulate quite well and Simon has also added a second cut of rough to add to the realism. Water is present here, but not over stated. The small streams pass by every so often to create the feeling of a real venture into the wonderful world of golf. Several holes looked very nice and many texture types were used in this design. Various mogul's appeared and were filled with grasses and small trees that popped up just when you did not expect them. The course is quite enjoyable and should be somewhat of a challenge to both Clickers and PS'ers alike. The course even comes with an island hole which is the par 3 #12 hole measuring at a miniscule 140 yards. This course offers alot and should be looked at.
Custom amenities: None that I saw, but the objects were wisely used and looked quite real.
Greens: They tend to be standard in shape, but seemed to be real bumpy and could use alot more work. Some of them have nice undulations on them that feed stray shots in the direction of the bunkers. There are several sharp edges on the greens and the majority of them are slightly elevated.
Fairways: They are very nicely formed and never seem to bore you. They tend to break apart and become smaller islands. between these sections of fairway are sand traps, grasses, mogules, and small trees The undulations on here seem quite realistic but are choppy in some areas; especially on the front nine.
Tee Boxes: They are all elevated with a ROUNDED look to them. This is one of the two areas I see that need to be improved on the next course. They need to gradually slope down to meet the rest of the course.
Bunkers and Water Hazards: They are natural looking but tend not to show much depth. There are a few that look decent and for the most part have a nice lip on them. With the way they are elevated they are not easily seen from the fairway so the top view is needed. And you all know I am NOT an advocate of the top camera.
Planting: The vegetation is naturally placed but there could have been more attention to variety. This is a gripe of mine. With a little more care the planting could have been TOP RATE. Smaller grasses and bushes could have been added as undergrowth to add to the realism.
Best Hole: Its definitely a 3 way tie between #8, #9, and #18. Hole #8 was a lovely 410 yard par 4 that showed the landscape quite well. The fairways were real smooth and it all flowed with nature. Hole # 9 was a 566 yard par 5 with a sweeping fairway and a great view from the tee. Hole #18 was a very long and narrow par 5 that led to the green that also had a grassy knoll with the course name written in flowers; and I LOVED that. The 18th finished with the typical leader board and a beautiful clubhouse.
Overall: A above average re-creation of a real course. Challenging at times; this course could be a keeper for you real course fanatics. I would like to see it touched up just so I could see how nice it really is. If it was re-worked...I would be the first to download it.
Course Info :
Cameo Screen? No
Splash Screen? No
Text file? No
Hole Previews? No
21mb
Reviewed March 2001 |
|
CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Real, woodland course |
Location
Allegedly based on a real course in Calgary |
Conditions
S*/S* only |
Concept 5/10
Clearly a course that has inspired someone, Hillhurst is an entertaining layout, although I have trouble believing and researching it to be a real layout. Unfortunately the designers technical skill hasn't really lived up to his aspirations, and the presentation of this course is desperately uneven, lacking previews or documentation and showing up some amateurish APCD work. |
Appearance 2/10
The trees manage to be both varied and cloned, thanks to planting in little clumps, and the Whistler panorama is back in play yet again. The mesh has been extremely poorly handled, with extrusions and folds all over the place and a largely flat plot which makes the occasional elevation experiment stick out like a sore thumb. Nothing doing here. |
Playability 2/10
It's difficult to get past the stock visuals here, even if some hole designs are nicely contrived, and it's difficult to ascertain what motivation players would have to keep going back for repeat visits. Some unpleasant greening and pin positions limit your options as well. |
Challenge 3/10
It's all about the putting surface here. The lack of elevations is little threat, nor are the bunkers, even though they are hard-extruded. With difficult pins, you'll encounter a lot of impossible putting situations. Without the menace elsewhere, it's woefully artificial. |
Technical 3/10
Very little of note here. Everyone should have a go with the APCD once, and Hillhurst is a pretty good illustration of why once is often enough. |
| Overall |
A few holes of note, but there's not much reason to play this. |
13/50 |
Please remember that Clipnote reviews are the opinion of one person and do not constitute an 'Official' Links Corner review of the course. |
This course is available as a FREE download.
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