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Hilina Pali
by Greg Purcell
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 1480 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2004-08-03 |
31,989,760 bytes |
71 |
7127 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
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IMAGINARY |
TROPICAL |
Hilina_Pali.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
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LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by: Chuck Clark
Background: This is the fifth course released to Links Corner by Mr. Purcell. None of these courses was outstanding in any way; other than the creativity shown by the designer for making fantasy type golf holes. I reviewed his previous course called Novicane Grove; and it had numerous problems despite the imagination shown by the designer. I would hope that Hilina Pali will show some improvement over Novicane.
Overall Impression: In one word: wild! This course is something of a Devils Island wannabe. It has volcano's and spewing lava. There are huge rock cliffs and wildly unplayable holes. As for everything else just go back and read my review of Novicane Grove. While Hilina Pali is a very different style golf course than Novicane Grove the two are very similar in many ways. They both show great imagination by the designer. They both show that the designer has a good understanding of how to use the program; and they both are wild and interesting to play. But unfortunately they also suffer from the same problems of construction and playability. There are numerous errors and bizarre-ness. There are many blind and impossible holes. The course jumps all over the plot so there is no continuity or flow. It's a course just for the fantasy-type aficionado.
Playability/Shot Values: This course is next to impossible. There are many holes which have blind/forced carries over water, sand, rock, jungle and even red-hot lava! There are no hole previews so the use of the top cam is mandatory. Even then it's tough to figure some of these holes out. This is very much a fantasy course; with lots of risk/reward type shots. There is one hole in which you shoot thru a big hole/arch in a mountain of rock. As a fan of these types of courses I actually had fun trying to figure out how to play this course; but most people will not like it I'm afraid.
Visuals: A very strange and bizarre looking course. Between the bright red lava, the weirdly colored and shaped trees, the low flying airplanes and birds, and the huge rock formations this course couldn't look much stranger if it tried. The designer obviously spent a great deal of time building this course and knows how to use the program. But there are so many strange things and, unfortunately, so many technical errors that the overall effect is not very good. This is a jungle/island type course with an active volcano. There are holes set along the ocean and bays, sand and jungle, rock and flowing lava.
Technique: This course has great potential but it isn't realized because of the many technical errors on display. Some of the course was seam blended and a lot of it wasn't. There were extrusions on the tees and greens. The transition from seam blending to no seam blending, and extrusions to no extrusions was glaring to say the least. There were weird and bad textures, strange planting, poor mapping of the rocky areas and a number of other glitches and flubs. The holes also weren't placed in any consecutive or flowing manner. I realize in the game that you jump from green to tee; but it was obvious that the holes were scattered all over the plot. On one hole you were playing along the beach; and when you went to the next tee you were playing up in the rocks no where near the area you just left. This just added to the bizarreness.
Favorite Hole: It is hard to pick out just one hole. There were many interesting and strange holes. Many of them were just too unplayable or I would have to pick one of them. I guess I'll go with the 15th; a short par 3 with the exploding volcano in the background. It must be pretty hot to play because there is flowing lava all around! You don't just lose a ball on this hole if you hit it wild; it gets melted!
Summary: I'm going to get lazy here and just copy over what I wrote for Novicane Grove: 'I think this designer shows a great imagination and flare. But he needs to really spend a lot more time cleaning up his courses. There are just too many technical errors for someone this proficient with the program. This course had the makings of greatness if he had spent enough time making it look and play more realistically. As it is I really can't recommend downloading and playing it. There are just too many technical errors and quirky glitches. If you really like and enjoy fantasy type courses; then you may want to go ahead and download it. It will definitely keep you wondering what will come next!' Despite everything I have said above I did enjoy playing this course; it is quite a hoot. That's all I can really say; although you may want to download this course just for the novelty. I can't remember any other course with 'red-hot lava'.
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CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Imaginary, tropical course |
Location
TBA |
Conditions
TBA |
Concept 9/10
Perhaps best compared to the Crusoe Course or Volcano Island, Hilina Pali is an outlandish track set on a crazy volcanic island. The designer has (rightly, in my opinion) allowed his imagination to run riot and there are some terrific hole ideas and novel prototype landscaping. I say 'prototype' because, sadly, the whole course is a little over-run with technical problems and weak execution. There is less continuity between holes than could be desired, as well. Leave the flaws for another section though; this course is magnificently conceived. |
Appearance 2/10
Many, many problems here. Seam blends are only used sporadically and are not particularly convincing when they are done. There are ghastly extrusion marks around every single green, and the politest thing to say about the planting is that it looks very odd. Very rarely, though, there's something new and special, and the course should be treasured for these moments of innovation. |
Playability 6/10
Very blind - to the extent of impossible - tee shots become a nuisance on some of the more obscure holes, and the lack of design experience has led to small unplayable regions of the course. If you let your golfing conscience go to sleep, however, there's a huge amount of fun to be had, and of course you never quite know what's coming next. |
Challenge 5/10
The outlandish range of hole designs inevitably leads to a stiff challenge. It's no Devil's Island, thankfully, and frankly could be eased off considerably by making the greens flatter and more receptive. On the 18th green, you'll be breathing a sigh of relief, but on reflection it could be far worse, especially for a fantasy course. |
Technical 2/10
It's disappointing to see the lack of APCD know-how in someone with several courses to his name. With such a brilliant set of ideas, it would be magnificent to see this course in fully-textured glory. Sadly, for now, we'll have to make do with sharp edges, mis-assigned textures and a course rich in clones. |
| Overall |
Possibly the biggest disparity between ambition and talent I have yet encountered. |
24/50 |
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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