|
Santa Barbara Canyons
by Jason Conner
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 453 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2001-06-23 |
23,179,616 bytes |
72 |
7389 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
FICTIONAL |
MOUNTAIN |
Santa Barbara Canyons!.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| e5fcaa14b1ea4e438dc5f6e3ec019ebe |
193cb3a2c550382d38d90b2b03e2bdee |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by Mick Lenton
July 2001
Thoughts from the 1st: As I stand here I am looking out at a beautiful, if rugged, landscape. What is filling my thoughts though is, 'Where am I supposed to land this drive?' This is not the only time I will think this either. Looking at my notes I see the words, 'Very tight drive' against 8 of the holes. One of them I consider unfair but more of that later. The course may be very difficult to play, (Especially for us PSer's), but that does not make it a bad course, no more than looking really fantastic makes it a good course. So, heart in my mouth, I tee off.
The Course: This par 72 course, as it's name would imply, is built around canyons. This results in a course with a lot of elevation changes, some sloping fairways and some difficult greens. This also means that if your snap is a bit off, quite often it is, 'Goodbye' to your ball.
The course is very well designed and built, with well blended textures used. Pine trees surround the holes but, tend not to impinge on the play too much. That is the job of the canyon!! There is an awful lot of sand on this course and when you consider how difficult it is anyway, IMO it can be a bit unfair in places.
A lot of the bunkers feature a unique design, reminiscent of pot bunkers, but nothing like them really. I have made sure that they are in view in the pic above rather than try and explain them!!. They are very deep, with an overhanging grass lip. This can mean a very difficult lie, however most of the time the lay of the sand means that you can play out, though maybe not where you would like!! They are certainly an appealing bunker to the eye. I think that they are used to extreme in places though, particularly at 1st shot landing point on some holes. IMO, when the drive is difficult enough as it is, having a bunker exactly where you want to put your ball and not a lot of other space to choose, is not what you really want!!
The tees are built up and surrounded by stone. Very nice. A nice crosshatch texture has been used and before you say it, it wasn't me who left those divot marks on the par 3's! 4 positions are available, back, middle, forward and junior. No ladies again!!!
The sometimes very narrow fairways have deep green, crosshatch markings that do look nice, but can go a bit haywire in the distance occasionally. Stock rough is used for the first cut and then stock deep grass for the rough. Seems to come together quite well.
Stock green and fringe textures are used. Some of the greens are fine but a few have a very steep tier up to about 4 feet, which I think is a bit much and although I was playing medium pins, I was left with some very difficult putts, from quite close range.
I have mentioned earlier the myriad bunkers. They came in 2 main types. The deep type I have already mentioned and a shallower one, that again, had quite an overhanging grass lip.
As I have said the course is extremely well put together, with no noticable faults other than a few stretch marks on the edges of some of the bunkers. The stone and bunker walls are very well done and mapped well.
The planting is superb and objects are used very nicely to compliment the course.
All in all, a very nice course. I would just maybe liked to have been able to relax a tiny bit more on it.
Playability: Yes the course is playable, in calm conditions, by a reasonable clicker. Maybe that is being a bit harsh, as I don't know how a real good PS'er would play the course, as I am not one, but it is VERY difficult in places. As I have mentioned above, I consider that the bunkers have been used a bit gratuitously in some places. I think that when you are having to search hard for a landing spot anyway, to find a bunker there is a bit much. On some of the holes the available landing space is VERY small and in windy conditions may prove overly difficult. I am not saying the whole course is like this, but the few holes that are do tend to stick on one's mind!
There is one hole I consider unreasonably difficult and that is the 508 yard par 4 13th. Not only is the hole overly long, but you are presented with a difficult undulating landing area that is very difficult to drive over with any certainty, to reach a flat surface and if you lay up short of that point, the green very difficult to hold, being so skinny. I think this could be made into a par 5 hole and considering the par 5 18th can be EASILY reached, is 8 yards less and is a much more playable hole, maybe the par assignments, IMO, should be changed!!!
Of the par 5's, the 5th can be reached with some difficulty. The 8th, although it is over 600 yards is reachable, again with 2 excellent shots. The 15th, although you have a bit of room, is not reachable, I think, and of course I have mentioned the 18th, which is easily reachable.
The par 4 12th can get you a shot or two back as well, as this hole can be driven.
So, I think this course will appeal to a lot of people, but some will find it extremely difficult to get round and IMO it is not a course to play after a hard day.
Good Points: A superbly laid out and planted course, very nice to look at. A good course for a good player.
Bad Points: Maybe a little difficult for some of us, with maybe too much sand in some places. Maybe!!
Favourite Hole: I love driving a par 4, so the 12th.
Least Favourite Hole: That unreasonably difficult 13th. Maybe it is meant to be retribution for driving the 12th!!!
Final thoughts: This course has to be downloaded as it is so good. Just don't expect a pussycat. This course is a fully grown tiger and it will bite you if you are not careful!! I will maybe got a bit torn apart for not giving it a really high score, but I have to mark down on playability a bit, as it is a bit too difficult to appeal to all. If there was one part of the course that was a bit easier I may have considered a few more points but the driving was hard, as were the 2nd and if needed, 3rd shots and the greens were no pushovers when you got there!!
Filesize 16MB
Course Info :
Splash Screen? Yes
Cameo Screen? Yes
Custom Flag? No
Custom Tee Markers? No
Hole Previews? No
Readme file? No
Par - 72 7384yds
This review will be based on playability, aesthetics, design, originality and construction. 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 as I am a designer myself and my comments will try to be constructive and without bias.
Tested on Power Stroke swing - Champ level - from the back tees - Breezy/M/M Moderate
I have changed my method of reviewing to try and give more value for money. I have a knock around the course to get the overall picture. I then play a round in a window, writing as I go, reviewing hole by hole. In hope people enjoy this method. I am always open to input. micklenton@hotmail.com Not too much hate mail please!!!
Test Machine - AMD Athlon 1.4 266, 512 meg DDR ram, ATI 64 meg DDR Radeon VIVO |
This course is available as a FREE download.
|
|
Download course
|
Please support Links Corner
|
|
|
