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FiddleStyx CC
by Mike (Pecos Bill) Nicely
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 569 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2001-09-13 |
33,452,726 bytes |
72 |
7451 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
FICTIONAL |
WOODLAND |
FiddleStyx CC.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| 515198e7835947da8bdfad3d6a28578b |
e56faa05d8ef3daf601e1ecc7a0cd15e |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by Mick Lenton
Thoughts from the 1st: Well, on the splash screen Mike tells us that this is the sister course of the River Styx course and there certainly are similarities. It is a long course and in places quite a difficult one. From the tee it appears to have been built in quite thick woods, but there are quite a few large areas of open grass. Not nicely manicured grass, but thick, wild grass. So after a quick visit to the British Golf Museum, which resides by the 1st tee and signing on at the starters hut, I am ready to go. Oh dear, water on the 1st. Just what I needed in my frail state!!
The Course: As I have said, the course is built in quite heavily wooded grassland. If that sounds right. The majority of the texture is a wild grass one and there is a lot of planting on that, but the thick stands of trees are planted in a needle texture. Lots of different types of tree have been used and occasionally it can look a bit odd. The textures are custom ones and do fit quite nicely together. Water comes into play on a lot of the holes and different methods have been used to edge it, such as wood and brick, all well mapped. The tee's, in which all 5 positions are available, are the fairway texture mapped a bit tighter and they sit direct on the wild grass. The striped fairways have a dark strip of 1st cut and then some burnt rough , before you enter the wild grass. The bunkers are very well done using a pale sand and a 'sand lip' that is not a sand texture. It looks quite effective. The few bunkers that are on the fairway have an edge of 1st cut after the lip. The greens come in all shapes and sizes and have a narrow fringe. Objects and rocks are scattered about to brighten the course. I do have to say that sometimes you do think that this course is erring towards fantasy rather than fictional. But I suppose it could exist. Somewhere!!
Playability: So, the 1st. I do hope this is not how he intends to go on. A virtually 500 yard, par 4. AARGH!! Quite a tight drive too. Over a tiny little pond in front of you, to a rapidly narrowing fairway. Sand right and water left. And if that is not enough, PRECISELY where your drive will land is a tiny little bunker. I just hope Mike is getting ALL his aggression out on this one hole. If you do manage to find a welcome bit of fairway you are faced with a shot probably well over 200 yards, water to 20 yards in front of the green, sand front left of the fairly generous green, which to cap it all has a steep ridge on it. It can only get easier from here!!! By the way Mike, it looks as if a vert has been pulled up slightly by mistake on the left of the tee. The fence disappears into the grass!!!
Ah the 2nd. A nice simple, short par 3. That's better. Nice short iron the the large green, quite gentle in nature. With some nice planting round it. I feel a bit better now.
The 3rd is a tricky little hole. A mid length par 4, you tee off over some water, not really in play. You then have the choice of a very easy shot to the 1st bit of fairway, or you can try for the tiger shot, over a strip of planted rough to the 2nd fairway which is at an angle of about 45 degrees to you. It also is shaped to take you towards a bunker in it's centre. Not an easy shot, but worth trying for to give you an easy shot to the again, quite gentle green, that is well protected all round by sand and planting. Tough but rewarding hole.
The 4th another par 4, a fraction longer. It is split at around 280 by a stream from the lake on the right which is also in play for a bad slice. A couple of bunkers on the left and one short right protect the fairway. A fairly long 2nd over some planted rough takes you to the smallish green protected by a bunker around the front. Quite a deep bunker too, with a dirt edge. The green does have some slope, but nothing nasty.
Number 5 is our first par 5. A long one and tight too. The first fairway has sand right and at the end, also a rockery in the middle!!! With a perfect drive I guess the green is reachable, but difficult. There is a narrow lake in between you and the green and for something different there is a fairway either side of it to choose from. The green is fairly large and gentle and has sand, front and right.
The 6th is a long par 3. The green, only protected by plants, is large, oval and 2 tiered. Landing on the wrong tier will leave you a difficult up, or downhill putt.
The 7th is our next par 5, another long one and it doglegs to the left around a lake. The driving point is narrowed by quite a large bunker on the right and the beginning of the lake to the left. An accurate, or short, drive is needed, a long one giving you a very good chance of getting a shot onto the not overlarge green, protected by trees and a couple of bunkers. Another gentle green.
The 8th is a sharp dogleg right around another lake. Bunkers guard the left of the fairway at the corner and you flirt with the water on the drive to give you your best second shot. A long drive is needed to clear the corner of the lake, leaving a wedge to the large, this time quite sloping in parts, green.
Halfway and the 9th. This is a real fantasy hole. A pattern of lakes surrounds the 3 fairways and the green. You have a totally wussie drive to a large bit of fairway, well short. A weird one to a bit bigger bit with a bunker in the middle of it. And one to a small piece, surrounded by bunkers. So take your pick and off you go! I tend to go for choice 3 as I consider it maybe the easiest and certainly gives you the best shot at the green. Sand and water left and bordering the Golf Museum on the right. Where's the bar??
Ok, suitably refreshed we venture ot to the 10th. A longish par 3, with a large round green. A planted area at the front and a couple of bunkers at the back. A very steep 2 tiered green make an accurate drive essential to avoid a very difficult putt. Quite a difficult hole, as it can be a job to stick the second tier!
The 11th is a dogleg right par 4. The ideal drive would be on or just round the corner, avoiding the bunkers on the right of the fairway. This would set up the mid to short second to the green, protected by water sides and front and also a small bunker front and a larger one to the left.
The 12th is a narrow par 5, sweeping round to the right. A drive to the start of the bend should leave you set up to attempt a blind shot at the smallish green, with no real protection. Probably your best chance of an eagle!!
Unlucky for some, the 13th is a hole surrounded by water. You drive from dry land to the island where the fairway and green are situated. Not sure how you get out there as no bridges were evident this end of the island!! There is sand both sides of the fairway around drive point and a good drive should leave a short iron to the large, slightly more sloping green. Bunkers are in front and to the right.
The 14th is a dogleg left, par 4. Water is all down the left and also across the front of the green. The fairway is narrowed at drive range by a long bunker on the left. Nowhere to go right, in the trees. A good drive will leave a mid iron to the smallish, round rolling green, bunkers front and left.
The 15th is an attractive par 3, over a lake to the fairly large green. Two tiny bunkers guard the front and the green has a big slope front to back.
16 is a short par 4 with a very slight dogleg right. A long bunker guards the left of the fairway and there are trees all down the right. There is a route over the trees to leave you only 1/2 a wedge. But the trees are high and a mis-hit is very costly. The large green has 5 small bunkers down the left and a long one down the right. Again this green is quite rolling, with one or two slopes.
The 17th is a narrow, straightaway par 4. A really good drive will take you past the narrowest point that has a bunker on the left and trees close right. This will leave a fairly simple shot to the largish green that has a large, rough surrounded bunker in front, complete with a tree. And another bunker behind.
Ah the 18th. A U shaped par 5. Round a lake. In fact IN a lake. The fairway seems to be held up by some fancy brickwork. The idea is to drive to the first corner. Very narrow and protected by a bunker on the right. A perfect drive will set you up for your magnificent finale. A go for the green! What, 200 yards of water, a few trees and a bunker or two putting you off. Well just knock it up and knock it on then. But just think of that possible eagle!!! When you get there the green is quite large, has a few bunkers round it and also quite a slope.
So that is FiddleStyx. Hard work at times. But enjoyable.
Good Points: Mike's course building capabilities are coming on very well now. This is a well built course. Bit tough in places, but fun to play. None of the slight problems he has had before. I mentioned that high vert at the 1st. That was an exception. Nice course well worth playing.
Bad Points: Not many. If I were to nit pick I could say that for PSer's, it was a bit too difficult in places. Also the mix in tree planting can look a bit odd occasionally.
Favourite Hole: I think the par 5 12th, where a good drive will set you up for an eagle chance, but if not you are not sunk.
Least Favourite Hole: It might be a nice looking hole. But to open your round with a hole like that. The 1st!!
Final thoughts: A very nice course. Bordering, as I say, on the fantasy. But still a nice course to play. The PSer's may struggle on a few of the holes, but definitely one for the hard drive. Would maybe have like better views of the water from the tees. Just me there though!
Course Info :
Cameo Screen? Yes
Splash Screen? Yes
Text file? No
Hole Previews? No
28mb
Reviewed October 2001 |
|
CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Fictional, parkland course |
Location
TBC |
Conditions
TBC |
Concept 3/10
I really don't understand FiddleStyx. It's by turns wild and well trimmed,
fantastical and down-to-earth, subtle yet garish. The course is marked by
some tough, almost sadistic shots, a wild mix of trees and rocks, and
plenty of water. There's very little cohesion and certainly a fair amount of
confusion. |
Appearance 3/10
A somewhat difficult use of textures has led to an odd appearance. The deep rough, while admirably customised, is too obviously
chequered, and making it undroppable is ultimately very frustrating with the proliferation of water hazards on the course. Some odd
choices of surface are deployed on occasion, particularly the brick texture surrounding some of the water. There's also a lack of
subtlety in the planting, especially at low levels, and the elevations are generally a bit too sharp in general. |
Playability 7/10
Fiddlestyx is a bit of a jigsaw in that is succeeds where courses such as Cogitara fail, in making you puzzle out the right shots at every
juncture. There's a good amount of judgement required and surprisingly few frustrating holes, which points to a distinct cleverness on
the designer's part. It's not perfect, by any means, but it's devilishly good when it wants to be. |
Challenge 3/10
Cripes! There aren't many courses with greens this awful. Massive plateaus and gradients make putting a nightmare. Add these to
some intrusive planting, an almost certainty of finding the water twice or three times, and some awful cunning bunkering, and scores
are bound to rocket. In many ways, though, the worst aspect are the frequent blind tee shots, often into trouble, which makes you feel
rather hard done by. |
Technical 4/10
A more judicious use of textures springs quickly to mind here. It's all very well producing impressive customisations, but the properties
are all to pot here, and the mappings highlight the course's age more than anything else. The elevations need a practised eye to
prevent this course wandering into the fantastical. But the planting, largely, shows a sure hand and the layout is of good order. Old but
competent. |
| Overall |
A bit of an oddball course, borderline fantasy, somewhat tricky to play, and starting
to show its age. |
20/50 |
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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