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Pacific Breaks 2003
by Mike Jones
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 1376 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2017-06-28 |
728,298,996 bytes |
72 |
7358 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
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FICTIONAL |
OCEAN |
PacificBreaks03.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
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| COURSE NOTES |
| Re-released as a free download June 2017 |
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LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Designer: With 9 individual course designs, 15 in total including updated versions, 9 Links Corner Recommended honours, 4 Players Choice and 4 Course of the Month awards, Mike Jones has established himself as one of the most influential and leading designers in the Links community. His course portfolio includes Atlantic Point G.C., Ayshire Dunes, Babylon Ridge, Burn's Old Links, DriftWood G.C., DriftWood G.C. 2003, El Escorpion, El Escorpion v2, Northern Dunes, Northern Dunes 2.0 (The Open), Pacific Breaks, Pacific Breaks 2003, Royal County Kilderry, Royal County Kilderry 2003 and ShadowLands G.C. It seems as if the APCD has not limited this designer, as with Fictional designs including Links, Mountain, Ocean, Parkland and Woodland styles, all with varied Index Ratings from 0.93 to 1.10, he continually amazes people with his course designing skills. Since his first release back in early 2001, Mike Jones's resume has become a long one, and even after what seems like such a long designing career already, he will no doubt continue to bring the community more wonderful courses for years to come. More information can be found on the designer and his courses at http://www.mikejgolfdesign.com.
Course: Pacific Breaks 2003 is a course that is not only well designed, but well thought out, as with an array of variety in the planting, including a diverse range of flowers, grasses, shrubs and trees, the course looks very realistic. With three different tee placements, and holes with an assortment of various distances, players will have to gradually learn how to effectively play Pacific Breaks, and considering the course has both uphill and downhill elevations, and subtle undulations in the fairways, every shot is different from the last. Bunkers have been designed and placed around the course so that they will come into play regardless of what conditions you are playing in, as players will come across bunkers both above and below the level of the green, and with many greens having tiers in them, getting accustomed to reading the curve and slope to the green will be the difference between players shooting low or high scores. Pacific Breaks certainly forces players to consider the placement of their shots, as with the bunker and green designs varying in elevation and length, misplaced drives will result in difficult approach shots, so it is vital to be within regulation off the tee. Holes on this course generally favour right handed golfers, but with some designs like Hole 17, which has a left to right fairway alongside the ocean, players need to have extremely accurate drives if they want to stay away from trouble. Culminating on Hole 18 with a long and twisting Par 5, Pacific Breaks 2003 certainly has proven that its true essence is in its course design, a challenge that will test any golfer's game. Even though Pacific Breaks was initially released for Links 2001, it is evident that the course design has stood the test of time, and now with Pacific Breaks 2003, there is no doubt that this course will also find itself entrenched in the history books as one of the best courses ever released.
Favourite Hole: With the ocean a main feature in the distance, the Par 4 Hole 15 was my favourite hole on the course, as with a combination of both spectacular views and a stunning hole design, it forces players to think hard about where they need to place their ball, but also sets them up for an amazing finish of ocean design holes, leading up to Hole 18.
Playability: Only one can imagine what is to come when stepping up to the tee on Hole 1, as with the astonishing beauty found everywhere one looks, it is hard to concentrate on the round ahead, but even though this course is known for its captivating aesthetic appeal, it is the course design where the true soul of Pacific Breaks is found. With sand dunes forcing players to shoot blind into the green on the Par 5 Hole 3, players will realise that eagles will not be easy to come by, as even when presented with a shorter second shot to the green like at the Par 5 Hole 11, with bunkers protecting the opening, players will have a very slim chance of an eagle, let alone a comfortable birdie, so it is quite important to play safe and only attack when the opportunity exists. The Par 3's are no doubt beautiful, but with some tough designs, as shown with Hole 16, which makes the easiest of conditions seem difficult with bunkers and ocean lying in wait, players will need to be exceptionally accurate with their iron play. Each Par 4 is quite unique at Pacific Breaks, as with great variety in design, distance and elevation, players will never need to worry about any of the holes becoming dull or repetitive, as the Par 4's may also turn out to be the most realistic opportunity players will have for birdies. Pacific Breaks 2003 is certainly not an easy course, however by staying within regulation in both the fairways and greens, players will have the opportunity to shoot a low score.
Technically: The APCD techniques used for this course stand out immediately, as Pacific Breaks includes numerous custom textures, including a stunning sand texture found in the bunkers, while even though the bunker lips and soft extrusions were obviously well done, it is the seam blending and attention to detail that really makes this course outstanding. One of the most difficult things to do in the APCD is the seam blending of water, and as the biggest feature of Pacific Breaks is the ocean, the designer has done an extremely good job at making the ocean seem as realistic as possible. The 3D work next to the tee on Hole 1 is some of the best APCD work found on the course, with the clubhouse and fences being as solid as they can be, but it is the little additions like the path connecting the Hole 6 green to the Hole 7 tee that shows the brilliant technical detail of Pacific Breaks. At just over 69mb, the rendering times are surprisingly small for a course that uses so many advanced APCD techniques, and unless you are a designer who has the time to rummage around the course, you would be hard pressed to find any mistakes at Pacific Breaks 2003.
Other: When playing a Mike Jones design, you expect to find the highest quality features included within the course, and Pacific Breaks was no exception, as it included a cameo, custom flags and tee markers, handicaps, and two breathtaking splash screens. Players who like to play their rounds without using the top cam view will be pleased, as the Hole Previews are of an exceptionally high quality, while even though a subtle feature, the ambient sounds found around the course, like the waves crashing onto the rocks and the local birdlife, were a great addition to the already superb atmosphere of the course. Other excellent additions included ball washers, benches, cart paths, a road winding away from the clubhouse area, brilliant tournament options, and a panorama, which somewhat connects the course to the rest of the world.
Download Value: When Pacific Breaks was first released for Links 2001, it was considered, and still to this day, as one of the best courses ever, as with its ground breaking APCD techniques and amazing course design, nothing like it had ever been seen before. Trying to captivate that spirit again, Pacific Breaks 2003 has now been released, and taking into account that it is just over 69mb, quite small considering the high quality APCD techniques included, it is truly a valuable download for any user. Disregarding the speed of your internet connection, or whether or not you have played a Mike Jones design before, everybody needs to discover the heart of Pacific Breaks 2003, as once you have downloaded the course, it will forever be etched on to your hard drive.
Information:
Course Statistics:
2003 - Fictional Ocean - Par 72 - 3 Tees
7358yds (Back) - 6709yds (Forward)
Par 3's: 4 - Par 4's: 10 - Par 5's: 4
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CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Fictional, ocean course |
Location
TBA |
Conditions
TBA |
Concept 10/10
This brilliant Links-style course takes everything that was great about
Northern Dunes, Americanises it (not a bad thing in this case), and refines
it to the point of brilliance. The Par 3 holes here are, without exception,
wonders to behold, and every hole has been millimetrically thought
through and plotted with great golf in mind. An absolute stunner of a
course. |
Appearance 9/10
Amazing in parts. While the low-level planting is - again - a mite too repetitive, and the occasional extrusion sticks its neck out, the
ocean and the rock surround is a thing of wonder, and each hole brings a new delight or view. There's still some fine detail work
needed, though. |
Playability 8/10
From the first tee, this is a course that sucks you in, challenges you in a seemingly endless variety of ways and, almost inevitably,
dumps on you from a great height. You'll undoubtedly have great fun at Pacific Breaks, but you leave it wondering whether the bunker
positioning and the nasty greens were maybe just a little bit too calculated. |
Challenge 7/10
There is little mercy to be had on this course, although it never strays into completely unfair territory. The greens are nearly all sloped
almost to the point of unfairness, and you'll be required to save par from over 10 feet at least once. The rough is punishing and it is a
little too easy to hit the sea. Thankfully the fairways are open, receptive and largely flat, which makes birdies somewhat easier. Playing
with tough conditions would make this course a definite no-no; even with B/S/S, you'll do well to break par. |
Technical 10/10
There is little mercy to be had on this course, although it never strays into completely unfair territory. The greens are nearly all sloped
almost to the point of unfairness, and you'll be required to save par from over 10 feet at least once. The rough is punishing and it is a
little too easy to hit the sea. Thankfully the fairways are open, receptive and largely flat, which makes birdies somewhat easier. Playing
with tough conditions would make this course a definite no-no; even with B/S/S, you'll do well to break par. |
| Overall |
Another wonderful Mike Jones course. A brilliant ocean run that at times knocks
Pebble Beach into a cocked hat. |
44/50 |
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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