|
Xilver Lagoon 2002
by Rick Weathers
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 756 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2002-01-30 |
39,001,609 bytes |
72 |
7214 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
FICTIONAL |
TROPICAL |
XLagoon2.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| 7227201c3000496eab8e4ce4b43e32b7 |
6b766d9c73be2e71e624c6e6f2181292 |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by
Joe Turner `Loner'
February 2002
A typical Rick Weathers course, beautiful, and when it's a fantasy course the utmost in eye candy. Besides the brightly colored trees and bushes scattered amongst the palms and other trees, his assortment of wild life wondering around, sounds and objects to delight and amuse you, he amazingly enough had holes with imagination that were very playable. This is an updated version of a very popular first edition that shouldn't be ignored with the release of this one. From the unusual tee boxes, to the semi narrow, but hittable mowed fairways, to the textured greens this is a marvellous course. Missing, which surprised me were not only a custom flag but also a first cut. The undergrowth made the course look extra finished and the decorations around the water was magnificently done. Take a quick look at the bunkers and the care he exercised in 'texturing' them. The hole previews were very well done and gave you a clear and well done layout. The hole names both on the hole previews and at the tee areas themselves were mostly dedicated to friends and fellow players.
The greens: they were nice sized not overly large and had very mild breaks. If you were close you were in 'fat city', they were easy but if your shot went a rye you will find that they are not only undulating but in most cases tiered. The fairways: they were as I said before were semi narrow but very hittable even though they had the usual unusual shapes that fantasy courses have. The only advantage here is that they weren't so 'far out' that playing would be difficult, each was enjoyable. Unnatural if it were a 'real' course but enjoyable. The 4 par 5's: the first, second and fourth were unusually easy to play and the third one had a pleasing difficulty to it. The fairway bunkers were placed where they could do the most harm but never seemed to be in the way and the greens bunkers were just there, not a problem. Both the fairways and the greens would be more of a challenge if you played under adverse conditions, then the bunkers and water hazards would come into play. Even though there wasn't any radical elevation changes the elevation and the caddie were good.
#5 hole, par 4, 416y, the large island green with its own fairway can be hit off the tee without a problem, for me it was 281y and then only 69y to the pin, an easy pw. And I had a birdie hole.
#7-427y, #9-420y, holes, both par 4's, these dogleg left holes were very similar in layout and in the way they can be played. On both holes I was able to shave the corners to get a shorter approach shot to the pin. Interesting, the same yet different.
To take an already successful course and make it better is an accomplishment not to be over looked; I certainly hope you won't let that happen with this course. Even though the courses colors and general layout was fantasy it was more towards the fiction side of fantasy that makes it so intriguing, you can play this course as you would any other and also enjoy the unusual, not garish look of it. A pleasure to play and a keeper, make certain that this is on your download list.
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 previews, hole name signs, ball washer, cartpath, carts, and many other assorted objects.
Not included: custom flag, custom tees, or hole signs and numbers.
Statistical Information: par 72, 7214y, an 'F' type tropical course, 5 sets of tees, 4-4 pars, 10-4 pars, 4-5 pars, played bck/nw/m/m, pro, clicker and a 32.5mb download. |
|
CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Imaginary, tropical/lakeside course. |
Location
TBA |
Conditions
TBA |
Concept 4/10
As the name promises, 18 holes surround an inshore lagoon. Water plays
a big part on this course, and you'll need a good game to keep your ball
dry, because the hole design tends towards the sadistic. The course
doesn't quite ring true for me: perhaps it's the overkill of palm trees,
perhaps it's the bizarre assortment of colours. More likely, it's the fact that
the course wasn't designed with fair golf in mind and ultimately becomes a
frustration. |
Appearance 4/10
The garish looks didn't particularly do it for me. The riot of textures used around each tee box was distracting and completely
unnecessary, and I don't think the pink planting was in keeping with the tone of the course. Add this to the awful, repetitive lakeside
grass planting (looked like a shaving brush!) and some iffy elevation work, and there's not much to see, to be brutally honest. |
Playability 3/10
Problems, problems, problems. Not only is landing in the water a continual annoyance, but you're unlikely to get a drop in a decent
playable lie. Tee shots are frequently throttled back, artificially, because you're keen not to miss the tight fairways. There is little
convincing risk/reward, and the hole lengths do not appear to be sufficiently varied. It's not a total drag, but Xilver Lagoon is not a
course that you will enjoy playing a four-round tournament on. |
Challenge 4/10
s you can imagine, hitting the water is inevitable, and the unnecessary rolling elevations (shouldn't this be a flattish landscape?)
mean a distinct lack of good fairway lies. The greens are similar, many being ramped up to the point of inconvenience, and you should
not automatically expect to be able to two-putt. The few birdie opportunities will come with sensible play on the Par 5s, but overall
scores will probably tend towards the 80 mark. |
Technical 6/10
With some tidier elevations and planting, this would get a high mark. The technical ability holds this course up, to some extent. The
track as a whole is pleading for the same design but with better golf. And at the end of the day, it's the round of golf that should count
for the most. |
| Overall |
omething of a disappointment, given the designer's strong reputation. Too difficult,
too garish and not enough thought applied to the game of golf. |
21/50 |
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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