|
Walnut Grove Golf Course
by Art Patscheck
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 1631 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2005-12-18 |
81,793,024 bytes |
72 |
7168 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
FICTIONAL |
WOODLAND |
walnutgrovegc.crz.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| |
|
| COURSE NOTES |
Walnut Grove December 2005
Walnut Grove is a "sister" course to Buck Creek. This course is built on a DEM about 20 miles from where Buck Creek would've been located. I've chosen textures that represent Kentucky in the spring time when thoughts turn to horse racing and, of course, golf.
I have modified the deep grass texture properties using Andrew Jones' texture modification utility. I've always felt that Links didn't properly represent the really deep and thick stuff where all you can do is hack it out, get back on the fairway and salvage a par. Well, I feel that I've come up with just such a texture and I hope you enjoy it. If you don't, just stay out of it.. :)
I'd like to thank my beta testers. Without their tireless efforts, this project would not be possible.
Well, let's go have a nice round of golf here in the bluegrass of Kentucky. Fore!
Art Patscheck |
|
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewer - Michael Hubbard
INTRODUCTION
A most welcome return for one of links finest designers has given us what can only be described as a virtual feast of golfing stimulation. After an absence of nearly two and a half years the creator of such masterpieces as Buck Creek & Avocet has returned with a vengeance to test even the most accomplished of linksters with his biggest course to date.
Extract from the Readme
'Walnut Grove is a "sister" course to Buck Creek. This course is built on a DEM about 20 miles from where Buck Creek would've been located. I've chosen textures that represent Kentucky in the spring time when thoughts turn to horse racing and, of course, golf.'
'I have modified the deep grass texture properties using Andrew Jones' texture modification utility. I've always felt that Links didn't properly represent the really deep and thick stuff where all you can do is hack it out, get back on the fairway and salvage a par.
COURSE
Walnut Grove makes no attempt to deceive you with spectacular views, 3D objects or other such touches designed to sensationalise. Rather, it relies on natural realism, maturity and fantastic playability. Set as a woodland venue, Walnut Grove is densely forested. Not in the typical conifer variety but with well-established deciduous trees, superbly mixed and blended with such realism that you instantly feel at one with the course from the first tee [Screenshot 1]. Through the round there is some beautiful hole layouts that make the most of the tree lined fairways with occasional river and lake hazards to contend with.
What provides the course with much of its undoubted feel and splendour is the constantly changing elevations. The 6th for example rises 26 yards whilst the 4th & 7th fall 35 & 27 yards respectively. Such variation creates some charming scenery [Screenshots 4, 5, 6, 7] along the way which all adds to the majestic setting. There is no finer example of this than the 4th hole [Screenshot 2]. This is IMO the finest short par 4 hole I have seen or played in links. The green comes into reach solely due to the 35-yard drop from tee to green [Screenshot 3]. However, water to the right and bunkers encircling the left and rear of the hole provide vivid reminders of the perils awaiting any errant snap. The green itself which is small, has a step running through its length, ensuring that even the most precise of shots is unlikely to yield and easy eagle putt.
There are some fine custom flags containing the course name in addition to some very stylish hole previews. These come in the style of a notebook and contain a small inset of the green contours, which is an excellent aid to gameplay.
PLAYABILITY
Walnut Grove is without doubt one of the toughest tests to have come our way. At 7168 yards and sporting 4 holes in excess of 450 yards it has a good balance of both length and guile on the shorter holes. Overall the fairways are very accommodating with no severe slopes or tight narrowing points. Added to this the sand traps, rarely come into play from the tee, although many greens are heavily bunkered. Despite this the course plays tough. This is due for the most part, to the very small tight greens. In addition to being small, the greens are delightfully contoured. No slopes are too severe and yet there is always enough to make you work for each putt. Thus hitting the fairway here is a necessity to good scoring.
Along with this there is the unforgiving heavy rough that allows little more than a hack back out to the fairway if one is lucky. Thus if you hit the heavy gear around the greens then you are in for a torturous up and down. Some may find this rough to be excessive, as it is far more treacherous than the norm. As the readme states it is an attempt to reflect the rough often found IRL. Personal tastes will differ on this one for sure, but for me personally it makes for a good variant to the course and works well to make Walnut Grove one tough 'nut' to crack.
With its panoply of defences priority on this course has been made of solid approach play from the fairways. There is very little room for error either in length or direction if one is to hit low here.
DESIGNER INTERVIEW - ART PATSCHECK
1. Did you plan out the course ahead of time or does it take shape as you go along? 'Wow, good questions. The answers to 1 and 2 kind of go together. When I create a new course, I look over the land plot and look for ways to make good holes. Initially, I "saw" 1, 4, 9, 16, 17 and 18. The rest of the holes came together as I created them. Of course, I tried to make them fun too... oh yeah, 11 was one I saw at the beginning too'.
2. Where did you come up with the idea of the 4th hole, or did it just happen?
'Specifically, when I first saw that piece of land, I just knew it had to be a short par 4. I wanted it to be reachable, but be very difficult as well. The land sort of helps you define the holes too. I wouldn't want to try to come up with 18 holes off a flat plot. That just wouldn't be very fun for me'.
3. Was it your intention at the outset to create a course that would provide a stern test? 'No I didn't set out to make the "killer" course. I guess it just kind of ended up that way. I will say this. I played a practice round late in the beta testing where I scored a 61 on no wind/m/m and easy pins. So it is possible to score well.'
4. Do you believe that smaller greens are making for a better course or did you use them simply to suit this lay out?'As a player, I really dislike 60 and 70 foot putts. I'd much rather chip that kind of distance. As a designer, I've always felt that green sizes are a little bit on the large size. I know that in real life the courses that I play on, the greens are small, you rarely have more than a 30 foot putt. So I wanted to have smaller greens.'
'I also wanted to give the player places to hit to on the greens that would give the player a good chance at birdie. For instance, on #10, if the pin is in the middle of the green, just hit your approach to the back and you'll have a 10 to 20 foot putt for bird. If you try to get close and miss short or even worse, right, you'll be looking at par or worse.'
CONCLUSION
How refreshing it is to find a course that is designed to challenge all you know about the links game. Far from the regular diet of open courses, Walnut Grove provides an unrelenting test of ones ingenuity and skill around a tightly wooded track. The snug greens and unyielding rough ensure that no birdie will be surrendered lightly. The artful course design along with the glorious vista of woodland tundra tantalises you throughout and leaves you coming back for more.
What the course lacks in terms of lavish 3D work is more than made up for in the stunning game play. The simplicity of it all makes for an outstanding course & a wonderful tournament venue.
IN A WORD
'Nut Cracker' |
|
CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Fictional, canyon course |
Location
TBA |
Conditions
TBA |
Concept 5/10
Walnut Grove is the course that pioneered tampering with texture
properties. One of the big selling points of this course was that the deep
stuff had been toughened up and it's almost impossible to clear with
anything greater than a lob wedge. It's a shame therefore, that it can't
equally be sold on it's sense of location (apparently buried in the middle of
interminable forest) or rather brash hole design. There's a bizarre and
slightly out-of-character moment just over halfway round when you
disappear into a canyon; it just doesn't all fit together. |
Appearance 9/10
There's plenty to look at here, as one would expect from the designer. A great variety of textures and 3D objects are brought into play,
and the panorama seam is undetectable. The grass planting seems a little sparse and scattered, but the quality as a whole is
professional and well-detailed. |
Playability 6/10
A lot will depend on how well you react to the play of the deep rough. I've a feeling that a lot of people will find it unnecessarily
intolerant; it's certainly a big step from the lighter rough. Regardless of the texture properties, it's undeniable that rendering times edge
towards the dull, and that the course doesn't welcome you in the manner of some of its high-class brethren. The whole thing is not as
good as one might hope: indeed the front nine isn't far short of being downright boring. Two consecutive driveable Par 4s attest that
perhaps this isn't the most realistic round. |
Challenge 8/10
Walnut Grove has deliberately been made difficult, but players have reason to be grateful: if you can steer clear of the heavy rough, it
plays very well indeed. Hit the bunkers; hit the water; do anything but hit the undergrowth and you'll score acceptably. It'll be an
unnecessary risk to use a driver all the way round or attempt a Par 5 in two. Of course, there is the viewpoint that the toughening up is
more of a burden, and removes some of the fun from the game; a tough judgement call. |
Technical 10/10
The man who literally wrote the APCD book has turned out a very good course yet again; Walnut Grove is starting to age, but the
appearance is far from prehistoric. The textures are best, but some of the more ambitious landscape sculpture has been carried off
with flair and is incredible to look at. Despite one or two incongruities, the pioneering use of the texture editor is worth full marks. |
| Overall |
An acquired taste and perhaps not a course that mandates being acquired ahead of
other P2P courses. |
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.
|
|
Download course
|
Please support Links Corner
|
|
|
