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De Zalze Estate
by Damian de Villiers
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 1562 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2005-01-28 |
42,688,512 bytes |
72 |
6753 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
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REAL |
PARKLAND |
De Zalze.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
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| COURSE NOTES |
The De Zalze Golf Course situated within the De Zalze Winelands Golf Estate was designed by Peter Matkovich [course architect for both Leopard Rock and Arabella] who has made the most of the stunning setting and created a course that places a premium on accuracy.
The course has an excellent mix of parkland holes with its main defenses coming from the water features on several of the holes as well as the Oak tree lined Blaauwklippen River which winds its way through the golf estate and comes into play at various intervals.
The golf course, open since 2000 with the brand new Cape styled thatch clubhouse [opened December 2003] is an exciting addition to the group of international standard championship golf courses recently built in the Western Cape region of South Africa.
The De Zalze Golf Course [co-developed & managed by Spier] has already hosted a number of championship events and will together with the Spier resort be the host venue for the 2006 World Amateur Team Championships [Eisenhower and Esporito Santo trophies] which will attract teams from approximately 80 countries around the globe.
The name De Zalze originates from the early wine farmers who produced wines on the three farms making up De Zalze, namely, Groote Zalze, Kleine Zalze & De Vleie. There are historical buildings on the estate dating back to 1838 as well as a manor house and precinct. In 2000 the Spier group purchased an interest in the property and together with Kleine Zalze have re-modeled the estate into one of the most sought after golf real estate properties in the Cape Winelands of South Africa. The estate boasts a working wine farm [Kleine Zalze] as well as fairways surrounded by vineyards, olive groves & lavender fields, which will all produce marketable crops for the estate.
De Zalze Golf Club welcomes visiting golfers from around the globe and is geared to provide an exceptional experience from the moment you arrive. After your round of golf you may be tempted to relax on the scenic outdoor terrace and enjoy a delicious meal together with a selection of some fine wines from both Spier and Kleine Zalze, two of the regions premier wine producers.
"Come and enjoy a walk in the Winelands"
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LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by Chris Gormley
Background Info:
This is the first course by designer Damien de Villiers and it is a real course rendition at that. My hat is off to Damien for taking on such a project for a first design. There was not a readme included with this design but that does not mean it is not an excellent design, and one I think that many people may look over while downloading. The course has some minor issues but in this reviewers opinion it is a really great design for reasons that I will go over below.
Overall Impressions:
I must say that I am impressed that this course is the first design done by Damien, as far as the technical APCD work things look really well done. There were a couple of rough spots but these were in far out places that the normal player would never visit unless they were hitting the ball around in all the wrong directions. The course is laid out very nicely with plenty of risk and reward to keep a player on their toes at every turn of the course. Players will enjoy their rounds at this course as it is not overly difficult but also not a walk in the park either and with every hole offering something challenging to the player it will keep people thinking for all 18 holes. I especially like the wide open views that some holes give you of the surrounding terrain, especially when the full pano can be seen as well. There are also some wonderful elevation changes throughout the course give a player some great looks at the hole in general.
The fairways offer a player plenty of room to work with on just about all of the holes. Players will need to be careful on their drives off the tee though as there are some nicely contoured areas as well as multiple landing areas for them to contend with while playing the longer holes. The greens as well are quite roomy and are shaped in such a manner as to force a player to take into account the surrounding hazards when making their approach shots to the green. They are contoured very well and challenge a player on every put without being unfair at any point. I played all of my test rounds using the 1.06 MOD and I did not find any pin positions that I would feel are unfair at the faster settings.
The hazards are very well placed and constructed. There are numerous bunkers and water areas that protect the greens as well as some of the landing areas on the fairways. Some thought has gone into their placements as they are not just there for looks, but to challenge a player on every hole.
The planting on the course is pretty good although there were a few trees that were cloned or used just one to many times. There were a couple of grassy areas where things were a little out of proportion as well. Occasionally the under planting around the course and especially at the waters edge got a little busy, some more variety here would also be nice. I really like the vineyard areas as well. Adds a nice touch to the course.
The textures used throughout the course are also very well done, I personally did not care for the bushes texture but that is a matter of personal preference. I am going to mention it though for the designers sake as I think something better could have been used here, but then again that is just my opinion.
Now let's walk through some holes on the course:
Hole 3: This is a longer par 3 hole that measures in at around 173 yards depending on where the pin is cut. The green is protected on 3 sides by large bunkers with the front of the green being protected by water and rocks. The green is sloped very well for any of the pin positions therefore making your approach shot all the more important if you want to birdie this hole, especially pin #1 which is in between 2 bunkers.
Hole 9: This is another wonderful par 3 hole that measures in at around 152 yards. The elevated tees give you a great look at the hole and all the dangers that it has. The green is protected heavily on the front side but a bunker, a creek, and a small pond to the right. Make sure to carry these to the green if you want to have a chance at a birdie. Anything hit short will be gobbled up.
Hole 12: There is a trend setting up here on my favorite holes for this course. The par 3's are excellently done and this one is no exception. It measures in at around 179 yards and unlike the other two I have mentioned is relatively flat, but the green is protected heavily again by water to the right and sand to the left and back sides. There are no trees to deal with on this hole but the other hazards make up for that. The green is mostly flat and longer distance putts should be easy to hole out for a good score.
I have only taken the time to go over 3 great holes on the course but there are 15 others for you to discover on your own. Every one of the holes offers something to challenge players of any ability.
Closing comments:
As I stated at the beginning of the review I am very impressed with this first design. Although there were some little things that I mentioned as being negative this is a great design and one that I hope people play a lot. Damien has done a wonderful job recreating this course for us in Links. I hope to see more designs from Damien as he has shown with this design that he has a firm grasp on the APCD and a wonderful vision on how a course should look within the game.
"I am writing this review from the viewpoint of not only a player but as a Tour Director. Although I am not a designer I understand the work that goes into a design as I have beta tested many courses and look at every course that is released. M review is simply how I as a player/Tour Director would view this course after a couple of rounds."
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CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Real, estate course |
Location
TBC |
Conditions
TBC |
Concept 8/10
A short-ish course (all Par 5s are reachable, and the Par 4s are mostly sub-400 yards) with a lush and appealing vineyard surround, De Zalze Estate is curiously appealing. Each of the Par 3 holes is a little landmark and the course expertly mixes some convincing risk/reward with seemingly straightforward holes. Certain holes, such as the 13th, 14th and 18th are outstanding, and the course as a whole has a welcoming and unthreatening atmosphere. |
Appearance 9/10
Notwithstanding an occasional planting clone, this has been pieced together very cleverly. The course buildings are beautifully customised, textures are well-chosen and blended, and the elevations handled skilfully to the benefit of good views and good golf alike. The panorama is sumptuous and generally well-fitting, although I think the mountains might have been toned down a little: they are a bit overbearing. |
Playability 10/10
Something indefinable about De Zalze draws you in and just keeps you playing. I don't know whether it's the atmosphere, the elegant mix of hole types, the genuine feeling that you don't know what's coming next, or just the honest-to-goodness presentation of a favourite course, but I find it utterly, utterly absorbing. Top notch! |
Challenge 3/10
Of course, one reason for the appeal could be that the course isn't too penal. Accommodating fairways and great depth in the stretches of light rough help you hit greens with ease, and many of the greens are not too tricky to read. The Par 5s give up eagles very easily, and the short length of the course does not work in its favour here. |
Technical 8/10
The level of customisation and attention to detail is way ahead of what would otherwise be expected from a first course. All that's required for nigh-on perfection is the attention to planting, at all levels. But the designer should be extremely proud, if only for the reason that he's created something so widely regarded for its appeal and playability. |
| Overall |
Possesses a 'wow' factor that's not seen often enough. Not quite perfect, but a long long way from being bad. |
38/50 |
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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