| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 637 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2001-11-02 |
20,043,882 bytes |
72 |
7081 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
FICTIONAL |
PARKLAND |
RoyalAhart.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| 32cb6144717c441daccb7c6fb5483ee2 |
0789d2b29ef37215b4c42a50e067073f |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by Chuck Clark
January 2002
Background: This is the first course by Mr. Lehman. The Read-Me is short and to the point. To paraphrase, it states that this course is not too tough and he made the course to be fun and playable. There was little or no comment on this course in the Review Corner so with nothing else to go on, lets go see the course.
Overall Impression: This is a woodsy parkland course with the Aviara pano. It always seems strange to me to see this pano, because I live and work within a few miles of Aviara. I just have a hard time thinking of another course using this pano except maybe La Costa (which is in the same area as Aviara). When the match play tourney comes up in a few weeks at La Costa, watch the background, you will see the same area as this pano. So anyway, what I am trying to say is that this pano just doesn't seem to fit the course (for me anyway). The course itself is very flat and has basic textures throughout. The holes are widely spaced and in between them are just rough and a few trees. There is little or no under planting and the trees are sparse to boot. I am afraid that this tends to detract from the realism of the course. However, the course itself is simple and playable. Like I said above, it is pretty flat too. The fairways and greens are generous and the contours are subtle. It is hard to get into much trouble here; the hazards are mostly for show. Only on a few holes can you really get into trouble off the tee. The bunkers are large and well done. All and all it is a playable and easy golf course. There is not much detail work to add to the realism, but there is nothing contrived here either.
Good Points: I like courses that are subtle and playable. This course definitely fits that description. The greens are very playable without being boring. The fairways are wide and accessible. The hazards are easy to avoid but fairly well done.
Not So Good: To be honest there is nothing really bad about this course; there just isn't anything extraordinary about it either. The planting needs to be better, especially some under planting in the forest areas and along the hazards. The edges of the water treatments are generally left simple and un-planted. These areas need to be worked on to make the course more believable looking. The layout of the course was fairly mundane and uninteresting. I would like to see some more risk/reward type of holes and a little bit of elevation work. This course is very flat which results in a lot of redundant shots. There is also some other small details that need fixing like the one tee marker on the fourth tee (see below). I think that the designer has a good idea about building a playable golf course, but he needs to make it a little more fun and interesting.
Summary: To summarize, this golf course is subtle and playable. If you are tired of tricked up and unplayable golf courses then you may want to go get this one. Don't expect the most exciting round of your life but expect to shoot a good score. This is not the most realistic looking golf course either; it really looks like a computer course. I can't strongly recommend it, simple because there are many more courses that are better and more interesting. The designer shows that he knows how to use the APCD, but he needs to work on a more interesting and realistic looking golf course. Add some excitement and change in elevation and we may have another great designer here.
Included/Not Included:
Cameo: Yes
Splash Screen: Yes
Hole Previews: No
Tee Signs: No
Custom Tee Markers: No
Custom Flags: No
Handicaps: Yes
Custom or Added Sounds: No?
I am both a player and a designer. I review courses primarily from the standpoint of fun and playability. I appreciate courses that are beautiful to look at, but first and foremost I want a fun experience. I have spent many hours designing courses myself, so I understand the blood, sweat and tears that go into the design process. Any critical comments made here are meant to be constructive and helpful. |
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