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Spyglass Hill
by Eddie Schmidt
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 748 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2002-01-24 |
39,724,642 bytes |
72 |
6882 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
REAL |
OCEAN |
Spyglass Hill.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| f8ce328010bb11d6a1ec0010b55cadae |
766c7e4b7a4ff0450f865574aefcefcd |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by
Mike Nifong
January 2002
Course type: This is a real course located on California's Monterey Peninsula and operated (along with its sibling courses: Del Monte, Spanish Bay, and Pebble Beach - perhaps you have heard of some of them) by the Pebble Beach Company. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, and taking its name from Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, the course is considered to be the toughest golf course in Northern California, and one of the toughest (and best) in the world.
Historical perspective: This is the third course released to the Links Corner by a man whom I consider to be one of the most underappreciated designers working in the APCD. I say that despite the fact that both of his previous courses, Southern Pines and Clubcito Diablo, have received 4-star ratings (80-89%) in the user reviews. I can assure you that they both belong at the top end of that range, if not higher, and I think that Southern Pines is the best realization yet of a Carolina Sandhills golf course for Links (and that includes the two Access/Microsoft Pinehurst courses). But with the release of Spyglass Hill, it appears that Eddie is finally getting the recognition he deserves: a 5-star user rating and a flood of glowing accolades on the web board. And it appears that Spyglass is only the beginning of the good news, as he has announced an ambitious slate of future re-creations including the Links at Spanish Bay (a natural follow-up to this course), TPC at Avenel, and the Olympic Club Lake Course, as well as joint projects on Brabazon at The Belfry and Hazeltine.
What is included: The read-me file contains information on the course history, notes on the design process, and extensive acknowledgements. The Pebble Beach Company logo has been adapted slightly for the cameo, and the splash screen is a screenshot off the tee on #3 (a spectacular view). The hole previews (by Roger 'Alliegator' Worsham) are exceptional: very attractive and quite easy to decipher, with a few brief notes at the bottom. In keeping with the most recent protocol, there is also a designer's round included; I have not yet played against it, but, judging from the comments on the web board, I will not be making any wagers with Eddie about how I'm going to wax him. And while I do not usually comment on custom objects (preferring to let them speak for themselves), check out that bench on #15, and play at least one round in tournament mode (which, by the way, looks very impressive on this course) so that you can check out the Pebble Beach Pro-Am leader board on #8 and #12 - not exactly the 'usual suspects', but you might recognize a name or two.
First impressions: From the back tees on the par-5 595-yard first hole, you find yourself looking down an alley lined on either side by tall pine trees. More pine trees are visible straight ahead, since the fairway arcs around to the left toward a green that is hidden from your view by the wall of pines on that side. Through the trees to your right, about 130 yards in front of you, you can see the tee area of the practice facility (yes, it is playable - just pick up your ball and drag it over there). While you cannot see the ocean vistas yet, you can marvel at the meticulousness with which this course is maintained as you plan to drive the ball (following the advice of the hole preview) down the left side of the fairway to set yourself up to go for the green in two.
What comes next: If you did not recognize from the outset that you were on a very special course, that realization will dawn very soon. Perhaps it will be from the fairway on #1 when you first catch a glimpse of the ocean and hear the waves breaking on shore. Certainly it will be by the time you tee off on #2, with its sandy dunes mottled with the green of the ice plants. This texture, presumably created for Spyglass, as I do not recall having seen it before, really captures the effect nicely, and is just one of the many special touches that contribute to its unique beauty. There are many others evident in the seaside holes (the course turns back into the forest at #6): the excellent ground level planting, the paths through the dunes, the houses along the beach, the sailboats on the ocean, even identifiable seagulls wheeling overhead (well, not really wheeling, since that is beyond the capability of the APCD, but you get the picture). The two par-3's on the front nine, #3 and #5, play toward the ocean, and they are among the more attractive holes created thus far in Links. This would also probably be a good time to mention the pano (another Dlunatic design), which is splendid (actually, that is Eddie's word, but it fit so well I borrowed it), as usual: it fits seamlessly into the design, looks perfectly natural, and never calls attention to itself - just what a pano should do.
Although the character of the course changes once it turns inland, the level of meticulousness does not. As was mentioned above, Eddie has some experience with courses set in pine forests, and it shows. The textures here are generally a little smoother, the colors a little less saturated than those used in Southern Pines, and they are exceptionally well chosen. Ground level planting is also, appropriately, sparser here. The bunkers are uniformly well done, among the best in Links.
How well has Eddie captured Spyglass Hill? Having never been there, I am not the best source on that subject. But comparison to the course web page shows that the hole layouts are just right, and all the distances are either exact or within a few yards. And certainly the APCD version looks the part, being just a touch more manicured than it appears in some photographs of the real course. But a big problem that always must be faced when recreating a real course, especially a famous one, is the expectations of those people who know it well (or, more problematically, think they do). On that score, I think it is instructive to note that many of the people who assisted in the design process are both intimately familiar with this course and truly invested in its accuracy. That is enough of a guarantee for me.
A second problem in re-creating a real course is the fact that Links, at least at the pro-click level at which I and a majority of the community play, is a heck of a lot easier than real golf, so a course that is a real life tiger can easily become something of a kitten in the translation. The hazards here are of three types, the least prevalent of which is water, which appears only on #7, #12, #14, and #15, and then only in the form of small ponds near the greens. But do not let appearances fool you, as the slopes of the fairways and greens keep them in play by making balls tend to run toward them, limiting you to the options of playing over them or laying up. The par-5 #14, in particular, is especially treacherous in this regard. But while you will probably be able to keep your ball out of the water on this course, keeping it out of the sand is another matter. Not only will you have to keep your ball off the beach on #2 through #5, but you will also find the majority of the other greens heavily bunkered in exactly the spots your ball wants to go; the large bunker to the left of the green on the par-5 #1 is a particular problem because you have to hit over it if you set up your second shot on the left side of the fairway, which you must do to be able to reach the green in two. And finally, there are the trees, which will affect your shot on #1 and on virtually every non-par-3 after you head inland. You will sometimes have to use a fade or draw, but you will almost always have to figure out what part of the fairway to hit to set up your next shot. The hole previews are very helpful in this regard. If you do find yourself in the woods, the relatively sparse under planting works to your benefit, as you will usually be able to play out, but you can pretty much forget about beating par under those circumstances.
All of the par-5's are reachable from the back tees - even the 595-yard #1 - as long as you are not playing into the wind, but unless you put your tee shot in the right part of the fairway, going for the green may not be the best option. This is especially true on #1 and#14.
A variety of challenges, then, but after all, this is supposed to be one of the toughest golf courses in the world. Still, I began to wonder when, playing pro-click B/M/M/D, my first three rounds were, in order, -7, -9, and -12 (all better than normal for me); on the last round, I had 12 birdies and 6 pars, 93% FIR, and 100% GIR. And I had heard reports of other really low scores as well. Was it possible that Spyglass Hill was too easy? Not necessarily. When I reset conditions to W/M/M/M, everything changed. I could no longer put my tee shot where I wanted it, and this is one course where everything pretty much sets up off the tee. My score was -4 (10 pars, 6 birdies, 2 bogeys), 71% FIR, 61% GIR; I think I had almost as many chips as putts. But the amazing thing is that I cannot tell you which round I enjoyed more - this course is as much fun as you can have in this game! For those of you who play powerstroke or champ-click, it should be challenging enough under moderate conditions, and I think you will also find it to be quite fair.
The bottom line: A real masterpiece, and a lot of course for your investment of download time at the 38.7MB file size. While it may just miss the ultra-realistic appearance of Gut Kaden or the ground-breaking artistry of Pacific Breaks (the only two courses that I would rate any higher, and only by a whisker), it also comes in at 20-30MB smaller than either of those two (140MB smaller than Gut Kaden if you get all three of its courses!). It is also tremendously fun to play at any difficulty level. The rave reviews it has received from those who have played it are fully justified, and I would not be surprised if this course were to become the most popular course yet created for Links. If you don't already have it, what are you waiting for?
Course Statistics :
Par 72; 4 sets of tees; 6862 yards from back tees; holes handicapped |
This course is available as a FREE download.
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