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Bushido Gardens
by Johnny Holland
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 1569 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2005-04-08 |
127,655,936 bytes |
72 |
7113 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
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FICTIONAL |
PARKLAND |
bushido_gardens3.1_locked.crz.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| 063a315d85f64c03889d7d435c3d0294 |
2cf1c338c9f25c3f1ded52d31a29fc16 |
| COURSE NOTES |
Version 3.1 fixes an issue with a steel tree and some texture problems.
Anyone who purchased version 2 should apply to apcd-courses.com to enquire about getting the new version. |
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LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
REVIEW BY JON WEINRIEB
From the Course Notes: Bushido Gardens snakes through an area along the outskirts of Tokyo, Japan bringing many types of terrain into play. The front nine boasts the pleasure of having an ocean side view while the back snakes inland with many beautifully planted gardens. The many flower gardens found throughout the course also pay tribute to the beauty and peacefulness of the area. The course is designed to be quite challenging without the proper course management skills. Also some of the greens are a bit tricky when using some of the more difficult pin locations, so a good putter is a definite advantage. If a player keeps the ball in the fairway and reaches the greens in regulation then scoring well shouldn't be a problem.
The Basics: This is Johnny's 5th course for Links, his 3rd for Links 2003 and his 2nd P2P. His prior work includes Victory Grounds (2001), Sandlot Shores (2001), Outworld (2003) and Oklahoma Crossings (2003 P2P). When I think of Johnny, however, only Oklahoma Crossings comes to mind -- and now, most assuredly, Bushido Gardens. The very large (approx. 125 MB) zip file includes a EULA, 2 splash screens, a readme, 2 recorded rounds and an ANI named Smitty. Despite the file size, rendering times are minimal and the course plays very nicely. Bushido Gardens plays to a par of 72 and stretches to 7,113 yards from the tips (4 other tees offered: 6,874, 6,617, 6,172 and 6,092). Johnny also provides beautiful hole previews for the player with great pro tips and other useful information.
The Course:
Bushido Gardens is a gorgeous fictional golf course that honors the traditions of the Samurai, specifically those of the Bushido Creed, for which the course is named. Although listed as a 'parkland' course, Bushido could just as easily be dubbed a woodland-style track or an ocean course. There is quite some variety in the terrain but it is congruous and has a nice flow to it. Whereas the front nine boasts a series of wonderful ocean views with tall trees and shadows lurking (much like a Pebble Beach without the cypress influence), the back shoots through a series of heavy woodlands and gardens. Both are pretty enough for a postcard and both offer unique challenges. It bears noting that, despite the differences in the nines, it is not one of those tracks where the player feels he is embarking on a different course as he makes the turn. The entire course comes together as a cohesive unit and each hole builds to a dramatic conclusion.
Visually, the main attributes of the course are the expertly crafted textures, beautiful circular mow patterns around all of the greens, amazingly brilliant flowers spread amongst the Japanese Gardens, the mountain/ocean pano, and the short but rocky cliffs running the length of many holes. Although I would not say one gets the overwhelming sense of being in Japan, there are hints of the East all the way around. The gardens, in particular, coupled with the uniquely Japanese 'clubhouse' give the clear sense that one is most certainly somewhere on the Pacific Rim.
The course itself is eminently playable. It boasts a great variety of designs, including an almost reachable par 4, an absolutely unreachable par 5 and a nice blend of straight bomber holes mixed in with strategic doglegs where driver is not the prudent play. Overall, this is a course where you can go low if you are striking it well. Although the greens are very small making club selection and accuracy musts, most of the greens are flat enough to hole some putts and nab some birdies and eagles. The shorter holes generally have tougher greens, as they should, and Johnny offers a challenging mix of hole locations that indeed range from 'easy' to very 'difficult.' The bunkering throughout the course is excellent and, in many places, forces the player to think before he hits. Unlike the tiny greens, the fairways are relatively generous. Driver, therefore, is normally going to be the play in order to give the player his best shot at a birdie.
The main point that must be made about the course is that it is fun. Regardless of how I played (and I have played this course at least 10 times) I had a good time. I never found myself thinking any one of the 18 was a bad hole nor getting hung up on design technique. I simply enjoyed playing the course and concentrating on my round. The player quickly finds himself entranced with the beauty and creative challenge of Bushido Gardens.
APCD Technique: From a technical standpoint, Johnny's technique is near flawless. As we learned with Oklahoma Crossings, Johnny is one of the most skilled members of the design community. His elevation work is matched only by his great 3D work and creative planting. There really is little to say in this regard as the course does not contain many errors. The two minor flaws that are somewhat obvious are some pixilation in the pano and some average work on the rock cliffs (I would like to see some tighter mapping and planting on the shoreline rocks). I do not regard either as a major issue but could be improved in Johnny's future work. Overall, though, the course is simply a gem.
Overall Impression & Recommendation: Bushido Gardens is well worth the low membership fee. It is not only an expertly crafted course, from an APCD perspective, but it is a lot of fun to play. Whether you take advantage of the birdie holes, slash your way through the Bonsais with your samurai sword or go for a dip in the ocean, one thing is for sure . . . you'll have a smile on your face.
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CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Fictional, woodland course |
Location
Japan is very much in evidence here! |
Conditions
Some pin positions will demand slow settings, but you might hazard S*/M* if you select them carefully. |
Concept 4/10
Bushido Gardens appears to be a misguided attempt to squeeze several course styles into one course. The Japanese Garden theme is foremost, as you might expect, but there are also elements of ocean, parkland, heathland and - most prominently, given the dominance of dense spindly trees - woodland courses. All these different styles do not really sit happily together, and the casual player would be forgiven for thinking that he's ploughing through something of a mess. The course as a whole lacks in memorable holes, and doesn't really do justice to the beauty of many Japanese layouts. |
Appearance 8/10
The glorious, Mount Fuji-centric panorama dominates the course, although it's unlikely your gaze will be turned away from the richly coloured flowerbeds, which are easily among the best-planted I've seen - 'Gardens' is certainly the right word! Johnny pushes the boat out too with some stunning 3D customisation, and some objects rarely - if ever - seen before on Links courses, including statues, a mere and the excellent Japanese clubhouse buildings visible from the 18th. It's a visual banquet which only occasionally shows its age through extrusion marks and the odd stretched texture. |
Playability 6/10
Bushido Gardens will undoubtedly delight those in search of great design and architecture. For those who actually want to golf on the course, it's a different matter. There's a lot of demand on hitting targets, and quite a few areas of fairway do not afford a good line to the green. Plenty of blind tee shots don't really help matters, either. As great as the course is in the execution, it offers few concessions to the player. |
Challenge 6/10
A real mixed bag, with several holes suffering from encroaching woodland and over-hazarding, where others are boringly straightforward, an accusation levelled especially towards the Par 5s. Scores are likely to vary far too much for consistent tournament play, which relegates Bushido Gardens to the level of a novelty. |
Technical 9/10
Although not the best-planned course, the execution here is impeccable, with plenty of groundbreaking 3D and an eye for the flamboyant when it comes to flower planting. The greens are often a let-down, though. |
| Overall |
A classic example of the disparity between outstanding presentation and only mediocre golf. What you make of Bushido Gardens will very much depend on what you go looking for. |
33/50 |
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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