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Werrington Downs G. C.
by Vivian Davies
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 1558 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2005-03-11 |
61,755,392 bytes |
72 |
7120 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
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FICTIONAL |
WOODLAND |
W D G. C..crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
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| COURSE NOTES |
This is my second course to be released at Links Corner.
The first being 'THE HENRY'.
Werrington Downs is a fictional course, par 72; 7052 yards, 6450 meters; 4 par threes, 4 par fives woodlands. Set nowhere in the world but based on the drought conditions in Australia over the last two years that's why the dams might look a bit strange.
Contact kdavies@bigpond.net.au |
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LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by: Chuck Clark
Background: This is the second Links course released to Links Corner by Vivian. The first was called The Henry; definitely a first effort, but a fun little golf course nonetheless. The following is from the read-me: 'Werrington Downs is a fictional course, par 72; 7052 yards, 6450 meters; 4 par threes, 4 par fives woodlands. Set nowhere in the world but based on the drought conditions in Australia over the last two years that's why the dam's might look a bit strange.'
Overall Impression: As you can see from the screen shots this is a course set in an unusual setting. There is deep brush, small lakes and widely scattered tall trees; but it is set in an arid-type climate. I like the open look of the course; but there are still those trees that frame the holes and provide some definition to the course. Werrington Downs is fairly flat; but there were a few small hills here and there. A number of the greens had bunkers directly in front of them; which precluded running the ball onto the greens if you were hitting out of the rough. The fairways were usually generous and the greens were fairly large. It is a fun little layout and not too taxing to your score. Werrington is a nice course, and fairly well done; however it wasn't extraordinary in any way.
Playability/Shot Values: This course is very playable except for one or two issues. There were a few too many bunkers in front of the greens. I have always thought one of the most realistic parts of the Links ball physics was the run you get when hitting out of the rough. This enables the golfer to play a touch shot in a computer game that is unparalleled (in my opinion). At Werrington Downs this shot is not available to the golfer (a bit too often for my taste). Other than that I enjoyed my round here. There were some nice easy holes and some nice tough ones as well. I think a good balance is important for a fun round of golf. One other thing I noticed about this course was the predominance of uphill approach shots to semi-blind greens. It seemed like a lot of the greens were situated on small hills elevated up from the surrounding flat terrain. This not only resulted in the blind shots mentioned above but it also seemed a bit unnatural after awhile. Jack Nicklaus has said that he would build a course with 18 downhill holes if he could. Getting to see the hole and green laid out below you is one of the great joys of golf. On a flat piece of ground it's difficult to create the impression of hitting downhill. Donald Ross was a master of this and used an innovative technique. He excavated the ground around and in front of the greens to create the impression that the green was elevated without it being higher than the fairway (and therefore blind). Pinehurst No. 2 is famous for this technique; and if you watch the US Open coverage carefully you'll see what I mean. Werrington Downs could have used a bit of the Donald Ross touch to keep the greens more visible.
Favorite Hole: The thirteenth hole is a short par 3 to an elevated green. The green is shaped like a four leaf clover with bunkers in the corners and a lake just in front. Pin position is imperative information when playing this hole. Hitting one of the clover leaves is tough to say the least.
Visuals: WD is a good looking course with a sparse and open look. The planting is fairly well done; although there are a few too many repetitive trees. The textures were a bit too grainy for my taste but seemed to fit the course pretty well. There weren't any deep dark forests (which was a nice change) but the trees were like picket fences along the sides of the fairways at times. This is kind of nice in places but a bit unnatural again when used too often. The pano was one of the stock ones available for use with the program; but it is one of the nicer ones. It did seem to fit the course; which is what is really important.
Technique: There was very nice technique used throughout. The planting was agreeably done, the elevations smooth and consistent, and the seam blending was prevalent throughout the course. I have a few small critiques however. The seam blends were a bit stretched and strained looking. This occurs when the U or V wraps are not set correctly. My other critiques include a bit of repetitive planting, some fairly bland hole previews (with not much useful information) and some fairly ordinary elevation work. One other small note: the course name is misspelled in the course file (so it shows up wrong in the game). This is completely meaningless and I don't think it should bother anyone.
Summary: A nice looking course that is fun to play. I liked the open look and feel and some of the quirky holes. The layout was interesting and varied; and I enjoyed playing Werrington Downs. It's not an extraordinary course in any appreciable way. The bar is set pretty high these days by the likes of Mr. Jones; but I think you'll enjoy your round here. However I have to say that it probably won't leave much of an impression. I recommend giving it a try though; especially if you like the look and feel.
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CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Fictional, farmland course |
Location
TBA |
Conditions
TBA |
Concept 3/10
These are the oddest 'Downs' I've ever known. The elevations run
prominently, and quite cleverly, through the course, but there's little to
suggest wilderness, and indeed there is a bizarre contrast between the
manicured course with its tidy paths, and the almost-desertlike
surroundings. There's an odd mix of hole types, too, the silly 6th being
followed by a terrific Par 3 in the 7th: overall, again the feeling of desert
permeates the various layouts. While it's not terribly coherent, there's a
glimmer of some talent here. But not enough. |
Appearance 4/10
The garish greens are almost painful on the eyes and the bunker sculpture is somewhat rudimentary. But there are heartening signs in
the soft ground-level planting, a tasteful panorama and a clever, if somewhat unbefitting, use of the mesh. A small amount of
customisation is at least a little heartening. |
Playability 5/10
The uphill holes are the most spectacular, and also the most rewarding, and they help put some sorely-missed life into the course.
There's an appealing moment or two elsewhere, but largely there's too little to do, and too little reason to come back and do it again. |
Challenge 5/10
I had high hopes for the course as an opponent at first, but it founders badly along the back nine, with too many Par 5s short on
challenge. Keeping the rough wide open and bunkers easily escapable has barely helped, although the unexaggerated greens are a
pleasant surprise. The real blow are the handful of over-contrived holes, not least the sixth, which damage the course's credibility and
force a similarly artificial set of tactics. |
Technical 4/10
The designer hasn't exactly built on his past courses, but he seems to be toeing a moderate if undistinguished line. The textures are
crying out for work, though, as is the all-round construction of an environment. There's a hint of shape placement about the course that
could have so easily been phased out. Plus, how difficult can it really be to type the name of your course correctly? The mind boggles. |
| Overall |
No more than passable. The 'Downs' idea is only partially carried off and would
need much more coherency than this. |
21/50 |
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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