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Loon Lake Lodge - Lakeside
by Warren Wilson
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 454 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2001-06-20 |
42,014,148 bytes |
72 |
6943 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
IMAGINARY |
MOUNTAIN |
LLL-Lakeside.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| b4be6aa065bd11d5bd140050baa75708 |
5bf10c2f93abc38be675e341eaed93bf |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by Chris Gormley
July 2001
Initial Impressions: Right off the first tee this course looks to be a pretty good one. There are custom objects everywhere, especially the hole signs which were very well done imho. The look and feel of the course matches the sounds that were used. Made me really feel like I was out in the woods playing a relaxing round of golf. Like hole #6, frogs are everywhere J. The only thing that is distracting is the pano that was used. Looks fake at times, but it fits the course well.
Greens: All of the greens are uniquely designed. No stock shapes here. Most are contoured well but some are a little drastic for Firm, Fast play. They would not be a problem with any other green settings. All are well thought out in regards to the rest of the whole. The greens on this course were very refreshing to play, just the right amount of undulation in them to keep a player thinking.
Fairways: All fairways are well thought out and shaped nicely. Landing zones are adequate and are challenging enough to keep you on your toes without a player always having to worry about hitting a perfect snap. Some shadows did appear in the top view camera but they were not distracting in the least bit. The only hole that may give powerstrokers a problem is #13, but if you think before you shoot there should not be a problem. Warren has given a player plenty of space to make a safe shot.
Tee Boxes: Done pretty well. There are also 5 tees on this course which is a refreshing site. There were only a couple of shadows created by the raised tees, but that is being picky, so I will not mention them again.
Bunkers and Water Hazards: Bunkers were well placed around the course. Some bunkers looked like they needed a little more tweaking but for the most part they are done very well. Not as refined looking as some other courses I have played but they were better than most. Water hazards were also well placed. The creeks that run throughout the course could have been a little more decorated with plants and such but I never should have hit my shot over there in the first place J
Planting: Planting throughout the course is done very well. Nothing obtrusive or distracting, but does make a player think before shooting.
Fairness: A pretty fair course. Some greens are tough, but every course should have those on it. Both PS and Clickers should like this course.
Best Hole: I liked all the holes a lot, therefore I am not picking just one to mention here. All holes were well designed and refreshing to play.
Overall: Loon Lake Lodge - Lakeside is a great course. This was probably the most refreshing round of golf I have played in quite sometime. This course does not have to use any gimmicks to keep a players interest as it is designed so well. Warren has taken a lot of time to place things on this course to make it visually appealing as well as fun to play. The custom objects add a lot to the course and show that Warren really cares for this course. A little better pano, and some bunker refining would move this course right up there with the elite courses in my opinion. This course will stay on my hard drive along time.
Filesize 42MB
Course Info :
Course Text File - No
Hole Handicapping - Yes
Course Yardage - 6943 yds.
Par - 72
When I review a course I do so as a player and as a Tour Coordinator. I look at things like playability, aesthetics, design, originality and construction. Since I have not created a course with the APCD I am not an expert on the in's and out's of the program, but do understand the amount of work that goes into a course. I will try to make any comments helpful to the designer from a players stand point and not from a designers standpoint.
Tested using Classic Swing with Pro Ability from the back tees. Played twice using the standard stroke mop with No Wind, Moderate, Medium and Windy, Firm, Fast conditions as well as numerous walkthroughs in practice mode. |
|
CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Imaginary, lakeside course. |
Location
TBA |
Conditions
TBA |
Concept 4/10
This is nowhere near the equal of bigger brother Hillside. Hole design is
less imaginative, more constricting and more didactic, and the appearance
is several notches down the scale. The lake itself is more of a swamp -
filled with water grasses it sort of defeats the point of a lakeside course.
The course as a whole looks under-prepared, under-planned and most
certainly underwhelming. |
Appearance 2/10
Far from beautiful, sadly. The texture transitions are horrible, there are large areas without elevation change and planting where you
can see texture repetition, and the panorama is completely inappropriate. Nightmares such as the rock wall next to the second tee and
the terribly unconvincing stream reoccur with terrible frequency, and really genuinely detract from the round of golf. Very disappointing. |
Playability 4/10
Lakeside presents an OK round of golf, but there's little stimulation in the way of shot-shaping or variety. Most holes are strictly onetrack
only, and the vast expanses of rough are unwelcoming, even if they're not the most penal. I have doubts about the replayability
value of this course - it's really only a one-shot deal. |
Challenge 8/10
Thankfully, this is well-pitched, and most golfers will be hovering around Par, no matter what the conditions and skill levels. The Par 5s
are the best holes on the course, with at least some element of risk/reward, and only the very deepest rough will penalise the
wayward. The greens are very severe (probably a bit too much) and are a significant part of the challenge. |
Technical 4/10
The course is frankly in a sorry state, and needs much more time expenditure to become halfway good. The sound is misplaced and
annoying. Textures and elevations are a priority for work: the planting and shapes are pretty good though, without too much obvious
cloning or stockwork, and at least show some imagination and thought on the part of the designer. |
| Overall |
Rough and ready, without the charm of the Hillside course, the clever design or the
innate playability. Much better to plump for just the one LLL course. |
23/50 |
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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