|
Pebble Beach 1930
by Les Wellard
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 405 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2001-05-21 |
40,782,952 bytes |
72 |
6813 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
REAL |
OCEAN |
PebbleBeach1930.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| af20810f936243ae80732438a9034bec |
2116efb75747d6e21c198634d70aeab8 |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by James Wood
May 2001
Course History:
Thanks to the remarkable talents of its original designers, Jack Neville and Douglas Grant, Pebble Beach Golf Links has seen very few substantial changes over the years. The current "figure-eight" routing is the same one that Neville and Grant laid out in 1919; they started at an old log cabin that had served as a way station for tourists on 17-Mile Drive. However, those early years saw frequent and significant refinements as owner Samuel F.B. Morse brought in other architects to perfect the course.
Early significant changes came shortly after the course was completed in 1919, The California Golf Association, which did not readily accept the new course as a site for its amateur championship, felt that the 345-yard par-4 18th hole was too easy; Morse turned to Arthur H. "Bunker" Vincent, who worked with the crew to lengthen the course (to 6,200 yards), change five greens and move the 18th tee to its current location near the 17th green. Eighteen became a more challenging 379-yard par 4, requiring two first-class shots to reach the green.
A great finishing hole is born: In 1922 William Herbert Fowler transformed the 18th hole from the 379-yard par 4 to a 548-yard par 5 that hardly anyone tries to reach in two because of the severe penalty for failure. Now, 18 is quite simply the best finishing hole in golf. The next major changes took place in preparation for the 1929 U.S. Amateur Championship, amateur golfer H. Chandler Egan-who had won back-to-back U.S. Amateurs himself in 1904 and 1905- reshaped and rebunkered each green, moved the 1st tee to create today's doglegged opening hole, reconfigured the 10th hole, added length to the 2nd, 9th and 14th holes and moved the 16th green to a natural depression behind a grove of trees, extending the hole more than 100 yards.
Almost sixty years later, Pebble Beach Golf Links unveiled its only other significant change: a new 5th Hole, designed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus. The hole was placed on a parcel of oceanfront land that Pebble Beach Company had been wanting to reacquire for 80 years; its conversion marks the realization of founder Samuel F.B. Morse's original vision of an unbroken string of waterfront golf holes, and perhaps the last major change in a golf course that was remarkably "unbroken" itself to begin with.
Reviewers Note:
All of us realize that Access was the first to bring us Pebble Beach. I've played it many times through the years. There really is no need to compare this version with the one made by the creators of the game. They are two distinct versions and I'm sure they both have their own individual merits. Others will make comparisons and the comparisons will undoubtedly be unfair to both parties. The version made by the creators of the game was done quite a long time ago and it has been converted for use in Links 2001. I'm quite sure if it were done now it would certainly look much better than the converted course. So if you'd like to compare versions you're more than welcome to do so on your own.
First Impressions:
This is Pebble Beach. You know that before you start playing so you're already intimately familiar with the layout. There probably isn't a golf course you know better except the one you play on the weekends. You've seen all of the drama it can produce on television and you already know the history and the legends associated with the course. The first look off of the tee box here isn't quite what you would expect though. It's very much like looking at an old photograph of a relative that lived long ago. I'm not sure if it's the textures or if it's the way the course appears as a wilder untamed version. The houses and the other objects we are used to seeing are gone and in their place is just the golf course. It's not the tournament course but just the course that people play everyday. It's almost as if we've been taken back to a time in the past. I can see why it was named Pebble Beach 1930. It fits it to a tee.
Strategy:
Everyone realizes that you need to get your birdies early in the round when playing Pebble Beach. The holes along the ocean are very long and difficult. One of the things that makes the course a challenge even if you play without the wind is the requirement to place your ball in the correct part of the fairway. Many of the tee shots require a fade or draw. You can hit driver on every par 4 and par 5 here so the designer never took that part of the game away from you. Starting with the 1st hole, which requires a fade to avoid trees on the right hand side to the 3rd hole, which requires a draw off of the tee box and then onto the 14th, which requires another fade off of the tee. All of the par 5's are reachable with the exception of the 14th, which is definitely a three shot hole and not even an easy birdie hole due to the difficult club selection for the third shot. The 18th hole requires the player to avoid trees down the right hand side of the fairway while avoiding the ocean on the left. A big 3W shot to the green will give you a chance at eagle.
Favorite Hole:
The 18th hole is widely known as the best finishing hole in golf. A classic risk/reward shot that can decide a golf tournament with one stroke. It doesn't get any better than this.
Overall:
Les has really done a tremendous job recreating the course. It's very smooth and plays like a dream. The thing that makes the course so good though is the atmosphere and the strategy involved in playing the course. Links has a habit of making real courses look easy and there's no doubt that you can score well here but this is also one real course that when you're playing you can still feel the history of the game. I don't think there is another one quite like it. You owe it to yourself to download this one I don't think it will disappoint you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Gormley's thoughts...
Overall: Pebble Beach 1930 has been one of the most refreshing courses for this reviewer to play in quite sometime. It has a much more open feeling to it compared to the Access/Microsoft version of Pebble Beach and I think the designer was trying to capture Pebble in its infancy before a lot of growth. Which does make it play slightly easier because of the slightly more open fairways. There are very few visual construction problems, actually just one that I was able to find on Hole #7, there were a couple of rough areas. The planting on this course was very well done, and appropriate what what Les was trying to do. This is not an 'eye candy' type of course, which just shows that the designer does not have to cover up any design flaws with fluff. The greens are just as challenging as they are in the original Pebble. Be ready for a challenge with Fast/Firm conditions. The elevation changes were handled very well, and most are smooth and natural looking. There were a couple of spots where some of the shapes were a bit chunky, for example, hole #15 in the top view there are a couple of shapes that don't look natural, but these don't take away from the course in anyway, as the rest of the construction is just to solid. Les has a great course here, I would recommend Pebble Beach 1930 to everyone.
Filesize 40MB
Course Info :
Cameo Screen? Yes
Splash Screen? Yes
Panorama Used? No
This review will be based on playability, aesthetics and originality. Please keep in mind that this is only my opinion following my play-testing of the completed course.
I fully understand the hard work and immense skill that is involved in the designing of these courses and my comments will try to be constructive and without bias. |
This course is available as a FREE download.
|
|
Download course
|
Please support Links Corner
|
|
|
