|
Sixwood Creek
by Pete Frydrak
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 888 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2002-05-02 |
27,742,691 bytes |
72 |
7182 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
FICTIONAL |
PARKLAND |
6w_creek.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| baad29d265174ec3990a502934e7e2c0 |
b20354e5ed1ba189f35ba4a8cdc753dd |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by Chuck Clark May 2002
Background: This is the first golf course released to Links Corner by Mr. Frydrak. The read-me has some good information so we will let Mr. Frydrak speak for himself:
'My name is Pete Frydrak, a.k.a. Sixwood. I live in Wilmington, Ohio, USA, which is located about midway between Columbus and Cincinnati. I am an avid golfer IRL with a 13 handicap.
Playing the Links Golf Sim, I started playing PowerStroke in 1999 and never went back to clicking.
For the past 26 years I worked mainly as a Draftsman/Detailer in Mechanical Engineering. After the attacks on the USA on September 11th, 2001, business became real slow and I lost my job in December. So during my time off, I decided that it would be a good time for me to make an attempt at doing a golf course.
Sixwood Creek is a fictional, parkland type course. The Creek can come in to play on holes 1, 3, 5, 11, 14 & 16. There is also a small lake, which can come in to play on holes 4, 6, 7, 8 & 9. Hole number 8 is on an island. There are also 2 ponds that could come in to play on holes 2 and 12. The signature hole is #16. The creek runs down the right side of the fairway then turns out in front of the green and there are bunkers in the shapes of 'S' and 'C' for Sixwood Creek.
The fairways are generous. There is approximately 8 feet of rough around the fairways and greens; the rough plays like standard rough. Outside of that, you are in the deep rough, which plays like deep rough. The 'Players Path' plays like you are in the standard rough. You can take a free drop from the cart paths. The black spots that you see around the greens in the rough are sprinkler heads. If your ball comes to rest on a sprinkler head you should be able to take a free drop if you choose to.
You should hear the water running down the creek whenever you are near it. On the tee at hole 15, there is a bell sound to signal that the fairway is clear as the landing area is in a valley. With the way that the sound is set up, it's difficult to get it to play just once, so you may hear the bell more than once, but I believe that I have the sound at a level that would not be distracting if you hear it more than once. I have also added some bird sounds on some holes. Two sounds which are most noticeable, there is a Woodpecker that hangs out behind the 17th green, you may also hear him while you are on the 10th green, and there is a Bobwhite that hangs out around the 18th tee.
There are hole previews.
I did not add any tournament objects or crowds for the reason that I'm not sure that the course is tournament worthy. It may be too easy, especially for the clickers. If the course turns out to be liked and I get enough requests, I may do another version with tournament objects and crowds.'
Overall Impression: This is a very nice golf course. It does not make a strong impression on me either in a good way or any bad way. It is well constructed and is pretty interesting to play, but nothing about it made me want to play it again and again. The pano was a bit perplexing; it appears to be some sort of compilation of the Aviara pano and something else. Don't get me wrong it looked good and I liked it, I just couldn't figure it out. Everything else about the course was nicely done, but nothing was extraordinary. It is fairly level, not much elevation change; the shapes tended to be simplistic; and the planting was pretty good, but not great. All and all a nice course, but unfortunately one I will probably not play many times more.
Playability: This course is very playable. The fairways and greens were just the right size for most players. This course should be just fine for Champ players, but may be a bit too mundane for Pro players. The greens were nice and subtle, just the way I like them. Nothing about the course was over the top or too severe.
Shot Values: This is probably the one area where this course slips a bit in my book. There were not many shots that really got me to thinking or got my blood pumping. There is a lot of water on this course, but it can be avoided with decent shots. There wasn't many side hill or severe up and down hill shots either. I didn't feel like I was tested much on shaping any shots or having to play a certain type of shot.
Visuals: This course is very pretty. The textures were very nice. I liked some of the ideas used here like mowing strips (walkways) from tee to fairway and some of the first cut and fringe shaping. The planting was nicely done as well but was a bit skimpy in under-planting. As mentioned above the pano was different looking and seemed to fit the course pretty well.
Technique: The APCD technical skills displayed here were very good. I didn't see any errors at all. The bunkers edges were a bit simple in their construction but they played just fine in the game. Many of the course shapes (fairways, greens, bunkers) were very simple in shape; and most of the bunkers were small and uninteresting. They were all very well built, but simple nonetheless.
Summary: A nice and fun golf course. Nothing about it was especially memorable, but I enjoyed playing it anyway. I recommend it to just about everyone and it is a pretty small download too. It is a fictional design which doesn't really make you jump up and say wow, but that is ok in my book. If this was a real course, we would all be abuzz about it for sure. But since it is fictional it is probably going to get overlooked I am afraid.
Included/Not Included:
Cameo: Yes
Splash Screen: Yes
Hole Previews: Yes
Tee Signs: No
Custom Tee Markers: No
Custom Flags: Yes
Read-Me: Yes
Handicaps: Yes
Custom or added Sounds: Yes |
|
CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Fictional, estate course |
Location
TBA |
Conditions
TBA |
Concept 6/10
A strong feel-right factor is the bonus at Sixwood Creek and one that
defies the fact that this course should be better known. Admittedly, it is
appallingly flat, but there is a strong atmosphere here that really shouts
'Real Course'. The hole design is nicely underplayed without being too
easy: subtle doglegs and carefully guarded pins are the watchword here.
Inasmuch that simple, inoffensive courses like this always appreciated, it
deserves to be better known. |
Appearance 5/10
While there are a couple of difficulties to contend with here in the guise of some naff stock textures and the lack of almost any
elevation work on the grid, there are some tasty moments to be had visually. The planting is sparse but apt, there's a nice panorama
and the attention to such little features as grass paths, the monogrammed bunkers, and a 'dogleg bell' is credit-worthy. It's good
enough that you don't notice the absence of blends and other such modern refinements. |
Playability 6/10
There's a certain aura around Sixwood Creek that subtly draws you in. Perhaps it's the sheer uncomplicated presentation and the
authentic country-club design. Perhaps it's the occasional visual treat or the nice variety of hole designs. Perhaps it's the inherent
balance which can be created by a meticulous designer with the freedom to work on a fictional course. |
Challenge 6/10
To all intents and purposes, it would appear that Sixwood would be something of a pushover, but there are a trap or two waiting, and
not just in the form of sand. While the bunkers are indeed well placed greenside, you also need to watch out for lurking heavy rough
and the dogleg structure common throughout the course won't let you just grip-and-rip. Save your birdie efforts for when you hit the
luxurious flat fairways. |
Technical 6/10
It's a pity about the stock textures and the flatness of the course (although I'm willing to accept that this could be deliberate), because
there has been real care taken here, with design and small touches both graphical and oral. Sixwood Creek is a complete package and
doesn't deserve to be ignored for its age. |
| Overall |
Clearly the work of an experienced golfer, Sixwood has plenty of appeal. |
29/50 |
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.
|
|
Download course
|
Please support Links Corner
|
|
|
