|
The Springs at Radium Resort
by Kyle Ostermann
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 755 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2002-01-27 |
45,135,267 bytes |
72 |
6765 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
REAL |
MOUNTAIN |
springs.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| b0d88637a0714c5b853a5e0d973a1481 |
ecbf1434ab50c57b558a126f7d9e83a7 |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by
Joe Turner `Loner'
February 2002
Additional Review by James Wood
This course being a recreation of a real course has to be exact, therefore the designer cannot change anything to make it easier or more difficult to play.
First let me say that the idea of including a recorded round is an excellent one and I for one found it most enjoyable not only to play against the designer but to learn from him where the best places are for placing your shots. This has been done a few times before and I hope that it catches on and more designers decide to include one. This is a very beautiful course with its tees, mowed fairways, deeply colored rough and green all complementing each other. The pano gives you the feeling of a very spacious setting. The dense planting of trees with their thick undergrowth, the scattered shots of deeply colored flowers and the water surrounded by sand with floating plants and fantastic fountains is a pleasure to behold. His bunkers that ran up into the hillsides at the rear of some of the greens had a wooded planking above to act as a retaining wall, most effective looking. The holes all have elevation changes, many of them very extreme changes that make you stop and think about how this shot should really be played. After you drive only then do you find out that the undulating and or sloped fairways give you extra yardage. Many of the holes can be cut across because of the height of the tees and the terrain below. The primary hazard on this course is the course itself but there are many bunkers, waste areas, dry grass and water hazards to keep you on your toes.
The elevation and the caddie are excellent; if they weren't the course would be a disaster. The undulations and the slopes on the fairways always have to be watched. The fairways are very generous as are the greens. The putting is difficult, the slopes are unusually extreme at times, not ridiculously unreasonable but difficult. Even with this putting, there are birdie opportunities.
#1 hole, par 4, 413y, 31y down, to get the most 'bang for the buck' at this dogleg left, look at the two bunkers to the left of the green, just before them is a tree on the rough. Place your aiming stick just a little to the right of the tree and cut loose. Your drive will go at least 309y, I had 51y left to the pin, a good lw and you have a birdie.
# 9 hole, par 5, 552y, this hole starts off with a dogleg to the right, followed by a long straight fairway and a fairly well guarded green with bunkers on the right and rear and on the left there is a pond with three spectacular fountains. Aiming at the first right fairway bunker I had a 285y drive with 267y to go. Watch out, your standing on a slope. A long 3w took me to the green, 27ft from the cup; the rest is up to you.
#10 hole, par 5, 504y, a drive right down the throat of this fairway towards the water will give you the best approach shot to this eagle hole. My drive was 286y and I had 160y to the pin, a 7ft putt and an eagle. This hole is the best possibility for an albatross that I can remember.
My favorite hole on this course is the #14, 3 par, 196y, I hit my fourth ace here while doing this review.J
This being a 'real' course design doesn't give the designer a chance to make it the most challenging course possible. Besides being beautiful it was most enjoyable to play. The constant elevation changes and the generous fairways were most enjoyable. The sloped and slanted greens were more difficult than necessary. If Kyle could have designed it with breaks and tiers instead of slopes the course would have been much more fun. As it is it is a gem of a course and his design work is above average, way above. I know you will enjoy this course, play the recorded round. I wholeheartedly recommend it for download.
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James Wood's thoughts..
Course History
Currently rated #17 in Canada among public access courses, The Springs Course sets the standards for excellence among area courses. Set high on the banks of the Columbia River, The Springs Course, designed by Les Furber, follows the natural contours of the land offering challenges for the low handicapper and novice alike. Featuring four tee boxes per hole, The Springs Course allows play from 5,163 to 6,767 yards. More than 75 white silica bunkers and four lakes dot the par 72 layout.
This comes from the readme included with the course. The readme file is well worth looking through as Kyle has done an excellent job with it.
Course Overview
This is a nicely wooded course with some severe elevation changes, in particular the front nine has many drastic elevations. Along with the elevation changes from tees to fairways, and fairways to greens come some severe slopes on the greens themselves. The course does settle down on the back nine and becomes much flatter. Set in pine trees with a very pretty panorama in the background the scenery couldn't be better. There are few objects on the course and this fits in well with the natural setting. The hole previews that were done here are excellent. Textures were well done and fit in with the mountian setting.
Tips for Playing the Course
The course is well suited for all types of players.
Don't trust the caddy on the front nine. It's difficult to make the proper club selections and the putting is difficult on the front nine. Fairway slopes can also be difficult to handle.
Take advantage of the par 5's. Birdie or even possible eagles are available here.
Favorite Hole
The par three 17th is very picturesque and it's also a good birdie opportunity.
Overall
This is another nice addition to your real course collection. The layout has good balance and is well executed with a good challenge while still offering good scoring opportunities. The selection of the course was a good one and it would be an excellent online course for those who want a good competitive round. I can certainly recommend the course for download and it won't disappoint you. Good job Kyle I'm looking forward, as always, to your next course.
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, hole preview, signs and numbers, custom flag, cart path, ball washers, buildings, tournament and other objects and a recorded round.
Not Included: custom tees.
Statistical Information: par 72, 6765y, 4 sets of tees, 4-3 pars, 10-4 pars, 4-5 pars. |
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CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Real, mountain course |
Location
TBA |
Conditions
TBA |
Concept 8/10
Radium Resort may well be difficult to credit as a genuine course. The
huge elevations and audacious hole design certainly appear to be the
stuff of fantasy. But the course really exists, and - even if it is a little
less extreme than this version - is very much a mountainous course.
The holes run heavily on dog-legs and huge, deep hazards, but fit well
together and rarely get repetitive. There is also a refreshing feel of
originality in these holes, which are derivative of little and beholden to
no other inspiration. |
Appearance 4/10
A beautiful panorama heralds great things on this course, and there's plenty of vibrant colour. But they are really minor highlights in
course which runs heavy on clones and tiling. Even the dynamic views can't disguise the slightly cartoony nature of the visuals and the
hideously inappropriate yellow rough. |
Playability 6/10
All courses with elevations such as this offer plenty of thrills, albeit cheap ones (if you'll excuse the expression), but you might have
less fun with greens that prove tricky to hold, and the ultimate nightmare awaits in the form of a few unplayable lies - a combination of
the landscape and the sheer-walled hazards. |
Challenge 4/10
The greens are really beyond the pale, and wouldn't be welcomed by anyone on challenging settings. Thankfully, the course is
incredibly short, the Par 5s eminently reachable. The balance of challenges just doesn't add up in any shape or form, though. |
Technical 5/10
Apart from the horrible yellows, there's nothing done truly badly here. A few hasty elevations may raise eyebrows as to whether this
course has been authentically duplicated, but it's unlikely to hold a place on many tournament rotas, so lack of authenticity should
bother too many. |
| Overall |
A fun and rollicking round of golf. Not always bang-on with the visuals, but
sufficiently enjoyable and atmospheric to merit a round. |
27/50 |
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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