| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 2017 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2011-06-05 |
0 bytes |
71 |
7295 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
FICTIONAL |
LINKS |
MargBay2011.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
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| COURSE NOTES |
The main reason I wanted to update Margaret's Bay was to fix the crash problem that people using the green analyser have been experiencing. This is probably one of the courses that needs the analyser more than most!! At the time that I released the original, I was unaware of any problems that could be caused by using multiple seams. This problem has been corrected in this updated version.
I have also taken the opportunity to give the course a general graphics makeover too, and add some of the things that were intended for the original.
I have gone for a slightly more colourful look than the original's de-saturated colours, and have added many texture variations too.
Here is a list of the changes to Margaret's Bay 2011:
Green Analyser crash fixed
Custom Course Settings added
First cut texture property modified
Sand texture property modified (to reduce roll through sand a little)
Grass paths added
Textures re-coloured, and improved
New textures added
Plants re-coloured
Bushes added
New flowers added
More grass planted
Rocks added in Bay
Buoys and more boats added
Custom tee markers added
Divots, broken tee pegs, and seam blends added to tees
Benches added
Long grass seams added
Extra seam and texture added to bunkers
Tournament objects added (boats are no longer set as tournament objects)
New splash screen
Tweaked cameo
Tweaked pano
Hole Previews re-coloured
New 2D objects added |
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CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Fictional, links course |
Location
South of England – easy to see this one along the Kent or Sussex coasts. |
Conditions
One or two greens incline me towards a maximum of M*/M*. Windier conditions
should be considered a must. |
Concept 9/10
Oozing theme and links-land authenticity, Margaret's Bay is certainly a memorable creation. The Readme tells tales of woe of a course
that is slowly falling into the sea, and the impression is reinforced by the opening and closing holes which really do play fast and loose with
the clifftops. In between these heart-stoppers, the course makes dramatic use of elevations and is somewhat over-bunkered: the best
holes being those which make use of the natural landscape rather than a glut of sand traps. |
Appearance 9/10
Lovely, delicate work with the low-level planting and creation of differing regions of grassland really help the authenticity here. The cliff
tops and surf - notable problem areas in Links - are carried out efficiently and the use of a specialist sky is the mark of a designer who
really wanted his courses to look good. The excellent little touches such as boundary fences (somewhat collapsing on the 17th!) and the
neighbouring farmland, are superb, but the course is still let down by a hard edge or two and a panorama slightly too pale. |
Playability 8/10
Threading your way between lurking bunkers, perhaps even deliberately opting for the long grass, and pinpointing the optimum parts of
stiff greens: this has always been the hallmark of good links golf, and it is certainly delivered by Margaret's Bay. Perhaps it's a little short
on replayability; there are few holes that offer you any valid choice, and most fairways are determinedly one-way. The novelty and scenery
are compulsive, though, and there is a terrific, unmissable climax to the round as you return to the clifftops. |
Challenge 7/10
A lot of care has gone into the difficulty setup here, to the extent of recommending different green conditions for different
circumstances of play. The terrain and bunkering is extremely difficult, though, the clifftop holes are distinctly perilous, and it certainly
wouldn't be a surprise to see a difficult birdie-free round with the wind turned up. |
Technical 8/10
While much of the APCD-work is admirable, and there is delightful attention to the minutiae of the scenery and ambient sound, this is a
course with a primary flaw. The over-reliance on bunkers on about fifty per cent of holes can really only be viewed as a mistake; it
makes the course unacceptably hard, slightly unrealistic, and contrived. |
| Overall |
Home-style links with a terrific backstory and a slightly artificial challenge gradient. |
41/50 |
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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