|
T.P.C. at Red Forrest Lakes
by Gareth Wilkins
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 801 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2002-03-01 |
34,100,874 bytes |
72 |
7622 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
IMAGINARY |
MOUNTAIN |
TPC at Red Forrest Lakes.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| f7074be02d5c11d6bc28444553540000 |
24aa1052bf112d05f5b3d4b71757b552 |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by Chuck Clark
Background: As far as I know this is the first course released by Mr. Wilkins. If this is his first course, then he is very talented indeed. He states in the read-me that he built this course for himself and his buddies to play skins games on. They like to have lots of risky and demanding shots, so disaster is always looming its ugly head. That is why this course is classified as imaginary. There are some slightly unrealistic places you can hit a ball. But all in all it is really well constructed and a lot of fun to play. As for the misspelling of the name (Forrest instead of Forest) the designer said this was done on purpose. As for the reasons, you would have to ask him.
Overall Impression: This is a really nicely done mountain course with a custom pano that is pretty interesting (see above). I am not quite sure if it fits in with the course, but anything other than the Whistler pano is a plus for me. Red Forrest Lakes looks like a well done fictional course with fantasy type holes. It is great fun to play and shouldn't be missed. The designer really did a good job of building a course for risk/reward type rounds (like skins). The planting, hazards and elevation work were all well done.
Playability: Well (obviously) the one area that imaginary courses usually fail is on playability. This course is (generally) an exception to this rule. It is quite playable with a few exceptions. There are some severe elevations, some extreme bunkers and such, but once you understand that these areas exist, then you can plan your way around them. The course is so well done that you forget that this supposed to be a fantasy course after awhile. There was one par 3 (I can't remember which) that has a really deep bunker right in front of the green. Let me give you some advice, if you go in there, just hit out sideways. Don't even think about aiming at the pin!
Shot Values: This is a great course for testing all of your shot making abilities. Up, down, across you name it; it has it. There is lots of water and a bunch of great risk-reward holes. This course really keeps you on our toes.
Visuals: As you can see from the photos, this is a really pretty golf course. The pano is a bit unusual, but it is interesting to say the least. The planting is really well done and the course is visually interesting as well. What I mean by that is that the fairways and hazards have lots of interesting shapes and undulations. The course is very interesting to look at as well as to play.
Technique: The APCD technique displayed here is outstanding. I really didn't see any glaring errors. Some of the textures used for some areas kind of raised an eyebrow or two, but this is pretty small potatoes.
Summary: This is a very interesting imaginary type golf course. I would recommend it to just about everyone except for those with slow connections who don't like fantasy courses. I think it is a kick to play and makes a great course for match play and alternative type MOP's. If you just like real courses or fictional ones that really look like they are real, then you should probably stay away. But I honestly think you should give it a try, you won't be disappointed.
Course Info :
Cameo Screen? Yes
Splash Screen? Yes
Text file? Yes
Hole Previews? Yes
32mb
Reviewed March 2002 |
|
CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Imaginary, lakeside course |
Location
TBA |
Conditions
TBA |
Concept 6/10
A designers' dream or a players' nightmare? Red Forrest Lakes is a little
bit of both as it combines stunning hole concepts with a sadistic line in
elevations and hazard positioning. Dense, impenetrable woodland
surrounds the course and its surprisingly bare lakes. But you get the
feeling you're being pushed rather than pulled in, which is a severe minus
against the course. |
Appearance 5/10
While elevation work can be used to impress and make spectacular views, used injudiciously it will just irritate. Such is the case at Red
Forrest Lakes. The planting is uneven, being too concentrated in the forests and non-existent at ground level. Some poor extrusions
mark the tee boxes and some of the textures are somewhat iffy. Only a good panorama saves this from being an average effort, at
best. |
Playability 5/10
With an emphasis very much on hitting targets, and punishing those that don't, Red Forrest Lakes is not a welcoming course by any
means. The thrill of hitting precise targets is more than matched by the frustration of being bundled off fairways and facing gargantuan
putts. The Par 5s are enormous, impossible to reach in two, and are frankly quite soulless. As an occasional test of skill this course
suffices, but as an enjoyable round of golf it could easily be bettered. |
Challenge 2/10
Some of the hazarding is nigh on impossible to escape, and the rough is deceptively harsh on distance. With hole lengths stretched to
the point of ridiculousness (the course is over 7600 yards), there is no challenge here for the part time golfer, and nothing but misery
for those playing on the advanced swing types. While the effort to create a novel challenge is no unnoticed, a more thorough testing
would reveal it to be hardly a fair test. |
Technical 5/10
There is something to be desired here. The elevation work is untidy and the bunker extrusions are not polished and have hard edges.
There is a touch of desperation in the mangled shapes that the designer feels necessary to use for fairways and greens. But credit
must be given for the panorama and at least the attempt to provide us with something original. |
| Overall |
An impressive course which sometimes belies its rating but won't always be
everyone's cup of tea. Bring a strong heart and a steady snap if you want to
succeed. |
23/50 |
Please remember that Clipnote reviews are the opinion of one person and do not constitute an 'Official' Links Corner review of the course. |
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