|
Bull Run
by Eddie Schmidt
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 1411 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2004-03-06 |
69,121,000 bytes |
72 |
7063 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
FICTIONAL |
PARKLAND |
bullrun.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| 0da926006efd11d8a1ec0010b55cadae |
4cc2996d942296f9e17f1d53f622f94d |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Designer: Having received six Links Corner Recommended honours and five Players Choice awards, Eddie Schmidt is one of the most accomplished and well known designers in the community. With courses including both Fictional and Real designs, in styles such as Ocean, Parkland, Tropical and Woodland, his designs have Index Ratings varying from 0.91 to 1.06 and range in size from 18mb to 68mb. Bull Run is arguably his best work to date, and with an obvious skill in the APCD, his courses are sure to provide enjoyment for years to come.
Course: Stated as being 'a fictional pine forested course that is located somewhere in the Virginia area of the United States', Bull Run stands out as being a very beautiful course, but the design itself is what makes the course so memorable. Each hole forces the player to think off the tee, and in many cases, driver won't always be the best option. When it comes to unique features, Bull Run has many including large bunkers running alongside the fairway, newly planted trees, plantation ruins, and sandy scrub, while combined with a diverse range of plant life, you could well imagine the course existing in real life. There are many stand out hole designs, with a wonderful arrangement of bunkers, planting and water features, while Hole 18 is a magnificent finish, as it presents the golfer with numerous options off the tee, and could result in either a disaster or miracle depending on how well you play the hole. Bull Run is a wonderful course, and one that is sure to be remembered for a long time to come, while as the course is like a painting, with the exception being that people can play in it, the designer should feel really proud of his outstanding work.
Favourite Hole: The drivable Par 4 Hole 14 was my favourite hole on the course, as with a combination of aesthetic, hole design and technical brilliance, this risk/reward hole stands out as a memorable playing experience on this course, and is definitely one of the best holes I have ever played.
Playability: The key to playing Bull Run is to stay away from the tall trees, as with many curving, elevated and undulated fairways, a low driving accuracy will result in more putts for Par, than Birdie chances or better. With some large greens, three putts are quite possible, so it's important to place the ball well in relation to the pin, as with many sloped and tiered greens, a short putt won't always result in a birdie. The Par 3's are deceiving in their beauty, with tight pin placements protected by bunkers and water, while none of the Par 4's are dull, as challenges face the golfer on each of them from start to finish. All of the Par 5's are reachable, but without two good shots, eagles will be hard to come by, and depending on what conditions you use, the course can play differently every time you step up onto the first tee.
AI Performance: The AI Golfer 'Simon' shot a -2 (70), with 35% Fairways and 66% Greens in Regulation, with a total of 27 putts.
Difficulty Index: 0.95
Technically: Considering the standard too which courses are now compared, with a designer like Eddie Schmidt, you somewhat expect his courses to be of a high quality, and that Bull Run is, but in this instance, it seems that this course has far exceeded the level of technical brilliance one comes to expect, as with advanced and high quality APCD techniques being used throughout the entire course, Bull Run seems to have reached a level of technical mastery that hasn't been seen before. As first impressions are forever lasting, each hole has been paid particular attention to, with each tee using either, or sometimes both curved and lined tee areas, and in one case, even a set of stone stairs were included leading down to the cart path. Textures were extremely well chosen from fairway to the deepest of rough, and with the course looking as realistic as possible, the seam blending throughout the course could well be the best ever done.
For a course to be realistic, the planting needs to be carefully laid out, and in this case, there is no exception, as the trees were of an extremely high quality in their look and placement, with the undergrowth and smaller planting making the course seem like it is real rather than fictional. The design and choice of texture for the bunkers was important, as they are certainly a signature part of the overall design, and in combination with both the aesthetics and technical work, it could well be said that the bunkers are near perfect. It is evident that the water will challenge any golfer's game, but with exquisite planting on the shorelines and amazing walls found on some of the holes, the water doesn't just test the golfer, but also looks exceptional. Other additions within the course include ball washers, bins, cabins, a magnificent winding cart path, an exceptional clubhouse, houses, plantation ruins, railings, stone bridges and walls, wooden bridge and markers, wonderful ambient sounds that add to the atmosphere of the course, and a panorama that makes you wonder what's hiding beyond the trees. Even if you are a designer, you may not ever find a mistake on this course, as in terms of APCD work, it comes close to being faultless.
Other: Bull Run includes many of the wonderful extras one has come accustomed to when playing an Eddie Schmidt course, with a Cameo, Custom Flags and Tees, Handicaps, Hole Previews and Splash Screens all being incorporated into the overall design. Tournament options with crowds have been added, which allows Bull Run can have a tournament style atmosphere at a click of a button. Rendering times were also quite quick, which is especially good considering all of the advanced APCD techniques included within the course.
Download Value: At just over 65mb, the course is quite large, but considering the amount of work put into the course, it is certainly worth the download, as with numerous wonderful extras included in the zip file like two splash screens, a recorded round and a read-me, anyone who downloads this course won't be disappointed. The designer is already well established in the community, but Bull Run seems to have taken him to another level, and with the course forever remaining on my hard drive, I am confident that many others will feel the same about this exceptional course. Comparing one course to another is always very hard, but in my personal opinion, this is definitely within the company of the best courses ever designed, as with a challenging course design, breathtaking scenery, and extraordinary APCD work, Bull Run is a masterpiece.
Information:
Course Statistics:
2003 - Fictional Parkland - Par 72 - 5 Tees
7063yds (Back) - 6653yds (Forward)
Par 3's: 4 - Par 4's: 10 - Par 5's: 4
(This review is based on the playability for users of Links Golf. It is only my opinion, but comes from a thorough analysis of the course. Disregarding my opinion, I know the difficulty involved in designing a course and I congratulate the designer on a job well done. My comments are objective, are based on a number of criteria, and any comments are from a players stand point and not from a designers). |
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CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Fictional, estate course |
Location
TBC |
Conditions
TBC |
Concept 10/10
I've never been to Virginia, nor would I have much idea what to expect if I did visit, but somehow Bull Run has managed to transcend this ignorance and deliver a prime slice of Olde America right onto my PC. It's a glorious, lush and green slice of Civil War country, featuring some bang-on-the-money golf, and scenery to die for, including ruins and beautiful 2D and 3D customisations. Truly one for the connoisseur. |
Appearance 10/10
Eddie has really brought off a coup here. Bull Run is terrifically atmospheric; barely a blade of grass out of place. The icing on the cake are the lovely course buildings - both ruins and holiday homes, and the delicious atmosphere, which is virtually real enough that you can smell it. It's glorious, coherent and utterly convincing. |
Playability 10/10
As if drop-dead looks weren't enough, there a range of beautiful golf holes here, too. Ingenious, creative and sometimes quite unique, there are eighteen perfect tests of strategy and bravado. From the gutsy 6th, through the novel 13th, to the audacity of the closing hole, there's a perfect mix of golfing styles and a round will go by before you know it. And you'll be back for more. |
Challenge 3/10
Ah. Here the raving must cease. It has to be said that a lot of the strategy isn't quite bang on the money, and it's just too easy to walk all over this short course. With the exception of the Par 3s, the holes come in well under normal length, and even quite moderate players will find themselves with plenty of birdie putts. Birdie putts which the greens and green complexes do little to prevent. |
Technical 10/10
As a P2P course, perfection would be expected. And perfection has been duly delivered. It takes considerable skill to produce such an absorbing, glossy environment, and no-one could doubt Eddie's ability to step up to the mark. |
| Overall |
Home to a thousand great casual rounds, Bull Run will take a very long time to tire of. |
43/50 |
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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