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Updated version as of 23rd June 2011

Contrary to popular belief, England is not always warm and sunny!!
As some people on Links Corner have expressed an interest in the return of fog to Links, I decided to attempt this, and so, here is Fog at Battley Peak!!
Unfortunately, due to game engine limitations, compromises had to be taken, and a few issues that could not be resolved are still there, but hopefully they won't detract too much from your enjoyment.
The main problem is the fact that the game engine cannot draw the ball, golfer, flag and pole, or the aiming marker, when it is behind any fog, even though the fog is transparent. This meant that I had to clear all greens and areas close by, of fog. At times though, the dynamic cam will position itself behind the fog, and this will be noticeable. Also, aiming and distance measuring on the main cam, will be very difficult at times, due to the fog near the tees or on the fairways well short of the hole. Some fog had to be left to create the right effect, and if you hit shots off target, you may occasionally experience these issues too.
It was difficult to get a really smooth transition of fog. Although the APCD accepts full transparency levels, the Links game engine does not, and only registers limited levels for the alpha channels. I still think the effect is pretty good though, just not how I would have liked it to be!!
Another minor problem is caused by the fact that objects are 2D, and always rotate to face the player. This very occasionally results in the fog cutting through a tree and creating an odd looking tree. The only way to avoid this would be to keep the fog away from the trees, but this would have left the fog effect looking far less realistic, so I decided to leave things as they are.
Finally, there are no trees visible in the top view. These had to be deleted to remove the tree shadows. I tried removing tree shadows without deleting the top views, but again, due to game engine limitations, a satisfactory result could not be achieved. This does balance out the difficulty a little, with people who have to aim in the main cam though!
You can turn shadows off in the Graphics options, and this will remove the bench shadows too, but unfortunately there does not appear to be a way in Links to turn off the golfer shadow.

CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg)

Description Fictional, farmland course
Location Northern England � the Yorkshire Dales seem to fit the bill well.
Conditions The designer recommends M/F; I'd be happier at M/M. Playing with the Fog course is an unmissable experience.
Concept 9/10 Another delightful back-story comes with this creation - a twisty ride through hills and tight OB regions, culminating with a long climb up the eponymous hill. It's all very in-your-face and demanding, and quite a few holes test both credibility and patience. A lot is rescued, though, by the inspired inclusion of the Fog at Battley Peak course, a design which lives up to its promises by pushing the boundaries of inventiveness and creativity. An awesome inclusion.
Appearance 9/10 Plenty of course extras, after the fashion of Margaret's Bay and Ackerton cross, and there is clearly a high standard of competency here. The elevations have been levelled off perfectly, and the planting is beautiful, especially at the low level, where a riot of flowers decorate the course. It has to be said that the daisies and dandelions have been slightly overdone, and could have had more impact with about half the density. The 'Fog' course is as atmospheric as anything else we've seen, and plays as close to authentic British golf as anything else.
Playability 7/10 Lots of concentration needed here, as wayward shots could wind you up in plenty of trouble. The course theme is more-than-adequate compensation, and the Readme gives you landmarks to keep an eye out for. It's very restraining golf, though, and it's difficult not to feel a little oppressed by the demands made by some holes. At its best, around the turn, Battley Peak is a sheer joy, though.
Challenge 6/10 There's an awful lot of water and OB on this course: certainly more than any player reasonably expects (or needs) to see, and one or two holes are really downright unfair. Making birdies will be a treasured event, and don't count on the Par 5s for strokes - they're more or less the hardest of the lot! Playing with the designer's recommended Windy settings is to court complete disaster.
Technical 9/10 There's no faulting Lez's creativity, imagination, or ability to create terrific atmosphere, and the 'Fog' course is more than adequate proof of this. But I still would place question marks over hole design and his willingness to give the golfer an even break: sometimes less can be a whole lot more.
Overall	Another glorious idea, married with one absolutely superlative idea, but also another set of holes that don't quite add up.	40/50

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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