Palm Springs GC CFB Cold Lake AB Canada Ver. 2
by Bob Barry

Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 704 Release Date CRZ Filesize Par Course Length 2001-12-16  35,314,917  bytes 72  6922 yards Type Style CRZ Filename REAL  PARKLAND  Palm Springs31.crz  Course ID Course Key 55a76880f21411d5877e00036d1ad780  5d5558db806a89b3bbefc28d180c5522  COURSE SCREENSHOTS LINKS CORNER REVIEW Reviewed by Joe Turner `Loner' December 2001 Additional Review by Mike Nifong This course according to our database seems to be Bob's first course. I must say even for a first timer he build an impeccable course. The trees were a full and solid mixture and the undergrowth of plants, pine needles and color dirt made the realistic combination of green used for the tee boxes, mowed fairways, roughs and greens look very attractive. This is a beautiful job of course design. Even without a first cut the varied sizes of the fairways, from the very narrow to the wide were a pleasure to play. The greens with a few exceptions were very easy and you will get your fill of birdies here. Of the four five pars three were not reachable in two and the fourth presented and eagle opportunity. The elevations and the caddie bothered me a few times so watch them. Because of the limitations of duplicating a real course you always have to contend with the fact that a golf course is played and looks differently in real life than it does as a golf sim. In real life a course may it may be difficult to avoid the hazards that are always present, but in a sim they are usually quite easily avoided, in fact you can play these types of courses as if hazards didn't exist. This was one of those courses. The majority of the holes were standard normal types, the few 45 degree holes even though they do exist, seem out of place and don't belong on any course, real or sim. Be sure to use the readme for the reasons that he put out a second and final version. 7th hole, par 4, 413y, this is one of the 45 degree right angle holes, put the driver back in the bag and go to a fade 3w, it took me 248y. I had 164y to the flag and used an adjusted 5 iron to take me within birdie range of the cup. 9th hole, par 4, 412y, this is the second of the 45 degree right angle holes but on this one your driver is needed, keeping close to the right side of the fairway I was able to catch a down hill roll for a 290y drive. I then had 114y with a 8' drop, the caddie gave me a pw but it proved to be too much club. A full sw will do it here. 18th hole par 5, 576y, with first a tree at a 168y, and a dirt road 301y from the tee, both in the center of the fairway, a 292y drive was perfectly safe. This left 281y and then a 41y lw to the flag, a very possible birdie hole. This is a very attractive well made course that can be fun but not challenging to play. I could see with the varying sizes of the fairways how wind would play a factor and the smooth easy greens if played fast would cause some problems. When played under optimum conditions like mine it is an easy course. He builds a fine course and if he has imagination to go along with his designing talent we could have another crop of top courses. Even with the size of the download I would recommend this course if only to play a few rounds on an attractive well made course. It is not a keeper. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mike Nifong's thoughts.. Historical perspective: This is the second version of the first course released by Bob Barry to the Links Corner. I downloaded the original version of this course in early November, 2001, but I deleted it after nine holes because of the profusion of bad vertices and other design glitches that I found to be overly distracting for my tastes (a judgment that was apparently shared by many others). When I noticed that a second version had been released in mid-December, I decided to take another look. The improvement was dramatic, and as a consequence the course was (and is) still on my hard drive when I was assigned this review. It has received a respectable two stars (60-69%) from nine respondents in the user reviews, and was awarded a score of 78% by Joe Turner (loner) in his official review for this site. What is included: The read-me is short and to the point: it describes the course and its location, and then it acknowledges straightforwardly the shortcomings of the original version and the designer's determination to correct them. And while this set of circumstances points to the desirability of pre-release beta testing (as opposed to the post-release sort that certain OS and software developers periodically subject us to - Windows ME coming immediately to mind), I found it refreshing that Mr. Barry took the approach he did. The cameo is the course logo, and the splash screen is derived from a course screenshot with a photograph of two Canadian Air Force fighters overlain - nicely done. There are no hole previews (and at this file size, I would have to say they were expected). First impressions: From the elevated back tee box with its low stone surround, you look at a very open vista on this 572-yard par-5 opening hole. Nothing obscures your view of the pin straight ahead. Orange sand bunkers (which are used throughout the course and are generally very well done) lie on both sides of the ample fairway, although only the one to the right can come into play off the back tees. A reassuringly low-risk beginning: a reachable par-5 where eagle is a real possibility. Now that would certainly get you off to a good start! What comes next: If you are one of the people who downloaded the original version, you will probably notice the better execution from the outset. If this is your first look at Palm Springs, on the other hand, it will probably look about average. The truth is that it is still not perfect. You will see a few shadows in the top view, and things are still a little messy around a few of the greens (#1, #8, and #10 come to mind). You might also notice that in a few areas where you have no business hitting the ball (and indeed, probably could only do so intentionally), such as the ditch on #6 and (especially) the ravine on #7, the level of finish is a bit haphazard. But for the most part, if you stick to the parts of the course you are supposed to play, it looks good (for example, compare the stream that crosses the fairway on #9, where you can see it, to the one at the bottom of the ravine on #7, where you cannot). The sound of the occasional fighter jet streaking overhead will remind you that you are on an Air Force base (and seems oddly reassuring in these less certain times). In terms of playability, the course is probably about what you would expect from a semi-private course: not terribly challenging for the pro clicker, even under less than optimal conditions. Of course, that same fact might increase its appeal to champ clickers and powerstrokers. And it is also not to say that the course is devoid of challenge, especially as a matter of first impression. #4, for instance, which is the only absolutely unreachable par-5, (#18 is reachable only if you can land your tee shot on the far side of the cart path) has a green that slopes about 8' from back to front. If you set up the usual third shot wedge, you will probably find that the combination of slope and backspin will cause your ball to roll all the way off the green. What actually worked best for me was to set up my third shot farther away from the green and punch a 7I, but it is a tough birdie hole. The par-3 #5 also has a green that slopes to the front, but it also has what appear to be inverted drainage tiles covering the top of the wall of the greenside bunker; on one occasion, my ball rolled back into an unplayable lie. Although most of the pins are either straight in front of the tee or displaced slightly to one side, there are two examples of the much-maligned 90° dogleg at #7 and #9. Obviously, one cannot blame Mr. Barry for this, but you will certainly have to leave your driver in the bag on these two; on #9, it is very important not to drive your ball through the fairway because the terrain slopes rapidly away on the far side. #12 has a 20'-deep bunker protecting the left front of an elevated green (this was one of the few bunkers on which the execution seemed to leave something to be desired, but then again I have never seen the real one). I hit a ball into it just to see if I could get out of it onto the green. The answer is yes, if you use a LW and pick it cleanly, but good luck on landing it close enough to the hole for an easy par; everything else I tried hit the wall of the bunker and fell back in. In other words, don't try this at home. The bottom line: It is obvious that Bob Barry cares about this course. It is also obvious that he cares what we think about it, and that in and of itself is a kind of recommendability. If you insist on visual perfection, or on a championship level layout, this course is not for you. But I think that any fan of real courses will be happy with it, even at its not inconsiderable file size. I would also point out that several people who (unlike me) are actually familiar with the location have remarked on the web board about how well it captures the feel of that area. Overall scores are at least a little arbitrary, and I am sure you will notice that mine is actually lower than the previous official review mark, but my real bottom line is that it is a keeper for me, and I am looking forward to his next project. Reviewer Note: I am a player not a designer and therefore rate a course as a player for other players. Summary : Included: readme, cameo, splash, custom flag, ball washer, cart, cart path and many other objects. Not included: custom tees and hole preview, signs and numbers. Statistical information: par 72, 6922y, 3 sets of tees, 4-3 pars, 10-4 pars, 4-5 pars. This course is available as a FREE download. Download course Please support Links Corner