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Cascades Golf & Country Club
by Glenn Davis
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 526 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2001-08-16 |
57,241,308 bytes |
36 |
3489 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
FICTIONAL |
WOODLAND |
cascades.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| 174bfee0929011d59a6d00606708cd85 |
74c6112fc1c4eeb108c891f1af4c79ae |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by Mick Lenton
Thoughts from the 1st: I originally reviewed this course as a beta. Now the final version is out I have been asked to review it again. I shall do it without reference to the beta review, totally as a new course, although it is very similar apart from visual detailing. I stand here looking at my 1st shot thinking, 'Oh dear!'. But when you start off it is not quite as bed as you may think.
The Course: This 9 holer is carved out of thick woodland, on quite a steep hillside. A lot of custom textures have been made for this course and most of them do look very good. I am not quite sure about the fairway texture, as IMO it errs a bit too much towards yellow. But that is personal of course. The extruded tees sit directly in the rough. All 5 are available. The striped fairway has a 1st cut leading into the rough. There is some planting in the rough, but most is in a pine needle type of texture. The planting is very well done with sympathetic use of colour and nice underplanting. The green has a very pale crosshatched finish and a fringe. The bunkers are very nicely done with a thin dirt style edge and a pale golden sand. The water is also very well done with some very interesting running water textures. The trees and plants look really nice and the pano blends in perfectly. The visual beauty of this course is stunning. The detail which will never be seen by a lot of people is unbelievable. The practice ground, complete with players. The cart park and other odd little people and places. Excellent!
Playability: Standing on the 1st tee you could be led to believe that this is going to be a very difficult course. It is a sharp dogleg right, steeply downhill, with tall trees blocking any real attempt to cut the corner and a big one seemingly blocking any attempt to take any easy sort of shot. When you look at it carefully though you see it is a very cleverly designed hole. If you have a reliable slice you can play one nicely round the corner with a fairway wood. If you don't fancy that you have a simple shot to the corner and then a short iron, again downhill, although certainly from a sloping lie, to the large green protected by a large bunker at the back and a lake behind that. The green is full of lots of subtle borrows.
They say if you go down you will have to come up again. You came down the 1st, now you go up the 2nd. You drive uphill to the 1st level of the wide fairway which leaves another very uphill shot, blind, to the fairly large green, sand front left and a bunker at the back. It is not a particularly long hole, but as it is so uphill you do need quite a long iron for your 2nd shot. The green has a couple of slight ridges, but nothing too steep.
The 3rd is the first par 5. Another dogleg right, downhill with trees on the right, but this time there is a small gap between the tops of the trees that can be found with a 3 wood. This considerably shortens the hole, possibly leaving only a long iron rather than a wood if you play to the corner. The green is reachable from the corner, but is obviously a much more difficult shot. The green is fairly large and has bunkers at the front, back and right side. Again, nothing very steep on this green, but some awkward little breaks. What makes these greens particularly difficult are the slight borrows close to the pin that may stop the ball short or just take it a bit far past. Personally I like the challenge there.
The 4th is quite a short, uphill par 4. A wide fairway leads to a large green that is slightly off to the left. It is guarded by a bunker front right and the green has quite a slope up one side.
The 5th is a long, downhill par 3. The green is large with bunkers at the front and right and a more general slope one way on this one instead of lots of borrows.
The 6th is another dogleg par, this time to the left. Trees block the corner somewhat and you are driving towards the fairway, which is at 90 degrees to you. It is very important to get your position right here as the fairway slopes very steeply around this point. You should then be left with another blind, steeply uphill shot to the large green, protected by a bunker across the front. The green is fairly gentle.
The 7th hole is another dogleg left, quite steeply downhill. There is a stand of trees on the corner which can catch the mishit shot. A drive to the corner will leave a downhill wedge to the large green, bunkers to the front and right. Gentle borrows again here.
The penultimate hole is the 2nd par 5. A steeply downhill shot, over water, to the large green, bunker back right. Club selection has to be good for a close finish to the pin. This green has a general slope front to back.
The 9th hole is a long par 5, only slightly downhill. Water in front of the tee and all down the right, and then the brook turns across the fairway in front of the green. The fairway is fairly wide, but does narrow at around drive distance, with the brook on the right and trees on the left to catch the hook. Now I know this green CAN be reached in 2. I have done it. It is not recommended however, as there is not much to land in if you miss the green, other than trouble. So a couple of woods and a wedge to the last green is the safe way. But as I have said, it can be done, IF you get a perfect drive away.. The green is large and quite gentle, with bunkers front right and back.
So this is not a difficult course to play. Certainly not easy. But providing you look, think and check the hole previews, you can have a profitable round here.
Good Points: Virtually everything. Nice course to play, even for PS. Very nice to look at and very well constructed.
Bad Points: Not everyone like blind shots to greens. These 2 are quite large greens, but still blind however.
Favourite Hole: I still love the 1st, but this time I think I will go for the par 3, 8th. Lovely view, as you will see from the pic, needs a bit of thought and of course I love water.
Least Favourite Hole: Not one really. Providing you don't try and be silly all of them are well playable
Final thoughts: Ok, this is a very large download and it is only 9 holes. But a very good 9 holes and well worth the time. I know the work Glenn has put into this course and it really shows. It is well worth knocking a ball around off the course to have a look at the parts other players wouldn't reach.
Course Info :
Cameo Screen? Yes
Splash Screen? Yes
Text file? Yes
Hole Previews? Yes
54mb
Reviewed September 2001 |
This course is available as a FREE download.
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