|
Belmont Hills
by William Kline
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 35 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2001-04-01 |
12,589,371 bytes |
71 |
6232 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
FICTIONAL |
MOUNTAIN |
BelmontHills.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| 62bba2ac84244494ae4b6e81f381ef9b |
8dc583accc034376f779fa63fc2215a5 |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by Dave Campbell
Expectations: The original Belmont Hills was one of my early favorites and I like all of William's designs to date. I was really looking forward to this one.
First Impressions: This course is William Kline's forth offering at the Links Corner, although this is the second release of Belmont Hills. His previous efforts include Mountain Pass (since discontinued), Barkcamp Lake Resort and Spring Valley Resort. I have played all these courses with Barkcamp Lake being my first downloaded APCD course (called Water World upon initial release) and it still resides on my drive to this day. Belmont Hills is a fictitious par 71 playing to a short 6,232 yards from the back tees. It is very playable with doglegs, strategically placed bunkering and a water presence that seems to make the course play longer than it truly is.
The layout is very nice and a tough but not impossible test to this power stroker. I can see where it might be easy for the clickers but this shouldn't keep you from downloading and giving it a try. You get a different look from each hole and this had me anticipating each new hole. The custom panorama used on this course is something that has to be seen to be believed, hopefully the screenshot does this justice. Vivid colors are everywhere on this course, perhaps a bit too much for my tastes. This one may have you reaching for your sunglasses before the round is over. It's not just the pano but the rough texture is deep green and the contrast between the two is stark.
The fairways are very nice and spacious for the most part with a checked texture and no 1st cut, no complaints here. Fairway bunkers, and all traps in general, are first class. Well placed and in varying shapes and sizes. On the par 4 4th hole the green is virtually surrounded by a nice looking bunker, very creative. The 11th green has a huge bunker behind ready to swallow any approach that's to long. The 10th hole has an awesome looking bunker as well.
The greens can be scored on for the most part with a few severely breaking greens. Fast/firm conditions could be treacherous on these so play them a few times and you'll know where best to place your approaches. The par 4 11th and 14th are two such greens.
Water is all over the place and will come into play many times before the round is over. The 9th hole is an interesting par 5 that only measures 501 yards but water surrounds the green. There always seems to be a lake or creek in view. Most can come into play and in windy conditions will always need to be considered when planning your next shot. Some of the reflections of the panorama off the lake are great, really showing the water ripples off nicely.
William has set up some interesting holes that require much strategy. The par 4 7th for instance is a mere 376 yards from the back tees but I took a 6. It's a dogleg left and a short, precise drive is required (which I didn't pull off). The par 4 15th is only 302 yards but a tree influence forced a short drive and hence a normal length approach. The last three holes are all pickup (birdie or better) opportunities. The 16th is a par 4 that is 279 yards from the big boys. A risk reward with the emphasis on reward. The 17th is a 451 yard par 5 and the 18th is a similar short distance (530 yard) par 5 with a creek fronting the green. You can really salvage your round on the finishing holes but all come with their share of risks.
The objects around the course include golf carts, picnic benches, wastebaskets, OB stakes, custom pin flags, couple of different bridges and an amazing looking shell cart path. All these look good and don't dominate the landscape.
Drawbacks: I touched on this earlier but I need to mention it as a drawback. The color combinations on this course are almost surreal. The panorama is amazing in it's composition but is perhaps a bit dominant. The contrast between it and the 'Lacy Rough' texture just didn't seem believable to me. This is my opinion only and hopefully the screenshot gives you some idea of what I'm talking about and you can judge for yourself.
I noticed what looked like a mesh shadow on the fringe of the 1st green but that is it from the APCD standpoint. If there is anything else it is miniscule and was not apparent to me.
Best Hole: Many if not all could go here, lots of good stuff to choose from. My screenshot and vote as best hole goes to the par 4 5th. A split fairway dogleg left with some nice rockwork on the lake bank that's visible on your approach. As I said all are good though, you'll just have to download and see for yourself.
Comparable courses: Hard to find a course to compare to this one, certainly not any that are as colorful. I'll just say it's in a class by itself.
Overall: I must say I like this course a lot, it was very well thought out and playable. This is one my fellow power strokers will enjoy. The 11 meg size means everyone should download and give it a test drive. Some may be fonder of the color scheme than I and if so, this could become one of your favorites. Even so I plan on keeping this one and just slip on my shades when needed. Well-done William, nothing but winners in your design portfolio.
Course Info :
Splash Screen? Yes
Cameo Screen? Yes
Text file? No
Hole Previews? No
11mb
Reviewed June 2001 |
|
CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Fictional, parkland course |
Location
TBC |
Conditions
TBC |
Concept 8/10
This is very reminiscent of Autumn Valley in its beautiful golden colours, and the sun-quenched panorama is stunning, although at times a little at odds with the weather conditions. Hole design is consistent, dog-leg Par 4s being a particular favourite, and most holes require you to take a careful route in order to score well. Wild sliced drives are unlikely to register, such is the careful design. |
Appearance 8/10
On the whole, this is a very nice course to look at. While there are quite a few technical problems (see below), the designer has done a really nice job of running the landscape together and producing a convincing-looking fictional course. Just occasionally, but just often enough, there is something to divert the eye - a creek, perhaps, or the excellent rock surround of the 11th green. |
Playability 6/10
The main draw factor of this course is the potential to score well. Many of the Par 4s are tantalisingly within reach, and the temptation to pull off a crowd-pleaser of a shot in order to Eagle a hole is often overwhelming. For those who prefer a more conservative approach to their golf, this course may disappoint, with several holes looking somewhat 'samey' after you have got used to the premise. |
Challenge 9/10
This has been pitched really well. To offset the fact that many of the Par 4s are driveable, and the Par 5s can often be reached in two, the author has pinched in the landing areas, and beefed up the greens to a challenging, but not unplayable, standard. Bunkering is quite minimal, compared to many courses, but the bunkers are intelligently and strategically placed, and the ambitious player can expect to be playing quite a few sand shots during the course of his round. |
Technical 5/10
This is an early design, and while the visual style is appealing, there are a few nagging errors that detract from the game. Quite a few of these involve harsh texture clashes (there is no first-cut at the edge of the fairways, for example), and one or two of the hazards have been almost literally buried beneath the landscape. There is a distinct lack of custom objects, but having said this there are custom textures. Although, having also said this, the custom textures do not necessarily fit in with each other. It is pleasing to see the author striding forward with use of the APCD; now a small amount of fine-tuning is required. |
| Overall |
A convincing fictional course, with a riot of colour and a sure-fire winner in terms of presentation. But don't go for all your shots! |
36/50 |
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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