|
Steelheads Country Club
by Graham Hardy
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 654 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2001-11-18 |
28,845,590 bytes |
72 |
7682 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
IMAGINARY |
MOUNTAIN |
Steelheads Country Club.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| 51d13801dbbf11d5ab7300d0c100c206 |
e5b9d607d04a0500dbccce770acffb95 |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by Mike Nifong
November 2001
Course type: This course is listed by its designer as an imaginary course. It is set in mountainous terrain and makes use of the Whistler pano.
Historical perspective: This is Graham Hardy's second APCD creation; his first, Golf Manor Estate, was released in early October to a rather lukewarm reception, although the Links Corner reviewer remarked on his potential. At 28.1 Mb, this new course boasts a file size more than twice that of its predecessor (which I have not played), placing it toward the upper end of the average range of APCD file sizes. Although Mr. Hardy has listed this course as imaginary, it could just as comfortably have been labelled fictional - only the lack of cart paths and the 125-yard drop in elevation (!) off the 15th tee would suggest that it could not exist in the real world, and I would urge any cyber golfer who, like myself, does not usually care for imaginary courses to simply overlook the choice of designation.
What is included: The read-me file contains a useful hole guide that will assist those of you who prefer to play without the top camera in negotiating the not-always-obvious obstacles. There is a cameo (unfortunately dominated by its lettering), and the splash screen appears to be a view from the 8th green. There are no hole previews.
First impressions: Standing at the back tees on the first hole, you are partly encircled by a horseshoe-shaped stone wall. You look down a relatively open fairway that is heavily forested on both sides. A steep rock face rises behind the trees to your left. Ahead of you, three bunkers guard the landing area. The colors and textures are well chosen and well matched, giving the course an especially lush look. Your round of golf is off to a very promising start!
What comes next: I really hate to give the ending away so early, but I am just going to come right out and say it. This is a course that keeps its promises. I could easily write several paragraphs about each hole, because there are not any duds, but it might end up taking you longer to read my review than it does to play the course. So I will content myself with several general observations.
First, the planting is exceptional. Everything looks utterly convincing, and the under planting deserves special mention. In addition, there is an abundance of outstanding stonework along the boundaries of the holes and around some of the ponds. And although I know some people cringe at the mention of the Whistler pano, it has never looked better. There are so many rock faces and protuberances occupying the nearer distances that the farther horizons make less of an impression than is often the case. When you do notice the pano, I predict that you will be struck more by its appropriateness (and, yes, its beauty) than by its over-familiarity. All in all, a very attractive course.
In addition to being nice to look out, the course is extremely enjoyable to play. The first element that leads to this result is the absolute rightness of the layout. Rarely have I played a course where it seems that every single bunker is in play, but this is such a course. The landing areas, both on the fairways and the greens, are fiendishly well guarded. If you hit the ball short, you will have trouble. Likewise if you hit it long, or too far right or left. And for the most part, the bunkers are very fearsome - huge and deep and surrounded by sloping terrain that tends to funnel stray shots into them. Yet you never feel that they are unfair, because you are never forced to challenge them. Moreover, as a function of their size, you will normally have a pretty good lie from which to extract your ball. I also found the sand texture quite appealing. That having been said, however, I would be remiss if I did not point out one of the few flaws in the course, which happens to involve these same bunkers. Especially noticeable on the first hole, where the bunkers are somewhat shallower than the norm for this course, are some bad edges - too straight, with occasional mesh shadows. These imperfections show up sporadically throughout the round - several bunker edges, the edges of the forward tee boxes on the 6th hole, etc., and more pronounced in the top camera and dynamic camera views than in the panoramic main view I normally use. And while they never affect play or, for that matter, diminish the overall enjoyment level of the course, they remain the one nagging distinction between this course and the Northern Dunes and Xilver Plaines of the world.
The second element that contributes to the outstanding play value is the variety. None of the holes is exactly like any of the others, and yet they maintain an overall kinship that ensures that all the holes feel like they are truly part of the same course. I cannot tell you, after four rounds, which hole is my favorite, but I am tempted to say that it is whichever one I am playing at the moment. The screen shot is from the par 5 16th, where your success will depend on avoiding the large bunker to the right of the fairway and then hitting a 3W to the green from a devilish side hill lie - tougher than it sounds, but very rewarding when you hit it just right. That is how the whole course plays, paradoxically: very challenging without being too difficult. (My rounds ranged from -9 with breezy conditions and moderate pins to even par with windy conditions and difficult pins, and I enjoyed all of them.) If you like risk/reward, there are some holes for you; if you like to leave the driver in the bag, there are some holes for you, too; if you like to grip it and rip it, there are even a few holes for you! But whatever your preference, this is not a course for lackadaisical shot making. I would say that Mr. Hardy got the balance about perfect.
A few more general observations: 1) the designer has slightly extruded the boundaries between the green and fringe textures, which (in my opinion) looks nice but has the potential to affect some shots (as often as not to your benefit, I might add); while this may not be to everyone's taste, it had absolutely no effect on any of my rounds; 2) the 700 yard par 5 15th hole, with its 125-yard elevation drop off the tee, should enable you to set personal records for driving distance if you are so inclined (mine ranged from 408 to 449 yards, and I was going for 12/6 snaps), but the key to an easy birdie or possible eagle is to avoid the bunkers; 3) the rough texture is primarily deep grass - you don't want to be in the bunkers, but you really don't want to be in the deep grass.
The bottom line: An absolutely outstanding course that falls just a few rough edges short of the best courses available, and a remarkable second effort. Recommended download for everyone who plays this game.
Course Statistics :
Par 72; 5 sets of tees; 7682 yards from back tees; holes not handicapped |
|
CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Fictional, canyon course. |
Location
TBA |
Conditions
TBA |
Concept 7/10
A lively course, wending its way in between gargantuan and impressive
rock formations, Steelheads uses a considerable amount of imagination on
the part of the designer. Water is used to considerable effect (the 15th and
18th are masterpieces of design in this respect) and the hazarding is harsh,
going on unfair. There's a stylish and creative set of designs within the
course, though. |
Appearance 6/10
While time has clearly been lavished on the impressive rock formations, there are a lot of hard edges remaining elsewhere, and quite a
few extrusions are notable in the Top View. The water and deep rough are crying out for better texture transitions and perhaps some
subtle low-level planting. This is surprising because elsewhere the planting is luxurious and plentiful, only spoiled by a few clones. The
course is passable, therefore, but pretty hard around the edges. |
Playability 7/10
You get the feeling sometimes that Steelheads is grinding you down, never more so than when trying to make an impossible tee shot
from the 12th. The course will draw on all your reserves of skill and patience, never more so than on the greens, where - inexplicably -
you always seem to be presented with a putt of over 10 yards. |
Challenge 4/10
This course is no pushover, no matter what your playing preferences. Water or bunkers are in play on nearly every shot, let alone
every hole, and you'll lose strokes if you end up in the well-planted undergrowth of the heavy rough. Green gradients are nearly
always sharp and some pin positions border on the unfair. With at least one unmakeable tee shot, my impulse is that this course
should have been toned down somewhat before release. |
Technical 6/10
Hard edges and texture blends are the worry here, especially given the use of custom textures throughout. The fairway first-cut is a
fringe texture, too, which doesn't help the fairways retain the ball. Attention needs to be paid to the edges of the water features and to
some of the planting. The elevation work is pulled off surprisingly well, given some of the massive height changes, and the bunkers
look good. It all makes for a playable golf course if you're willing to overlook the marginal errors. |
| Overall |
A course designed with flair and imagination, albeit to the detriment of your round of
golf. A few technical flaws are apparent, but your focus is too strongly on scoring
well for them to affect the game. |
30/50 |
Please remember that Clipnote reviews are the opinion of one person and do not constitute an 'Official' Links Corner review of the course. |
This course is available as a FREE download.
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