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Pine National
by Mat Leclair
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 890 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2002-05-04 |
23,418,469 bytes |
71 |
7139 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
FICTIONAL |
WOODLAND |
Pine National.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| bd1295560cb44737918956e77f7f1c1e |
3f4e251ad9a40a379a021beda5ad75e7 |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by Joe Turner `Loner' May 2002
Part of the readme:
Originally designed as Carolina Pines.
I have made many changes for the better in this course. I have re-planted everything and I have added some fences. I have designed a new hole for the par 3 11th. It is a new par 3 that has many more challenges that accompany it. It is also the signature hole here. It is a beautiful downhill par 3 with the mountains in the background.
The shades of green used for the tee boxes, mowed fairway, rough, greens and fringe give this course a soft look about it. There wasn't a first cut but those colors along with the assorted pine trees, bushes and brown sand added to the look. The floating plants and rocks in the often stone lined water hazards and the stream that ran throughout the course certainly added to the overall beauty. The deep grass or 'marsh land' gave it a distinct look also. The bunkers were very well made and to these untrained eyes were excellent. The stream that ran through the course wasn't only decorative but also served on many occasions as an effective hazard. I wasn't exactly enthralled with the look of the rock formations or outcroppings; they just didn't seem to fit into the general look of the course, as did the extra large bridge on hole # 5.
There were some nice elevation changes and both the elevation readout and the caddie seemed to work very well. The fairways were never on the large side, I would call them adequate except on the holes that he decided to make them a little narrow for a more interesting challenge. The greens were simply small and fairly easy if you landed close to the cup or on the fringe for a short chip. If you missed the chance to get near the flag you found yourself either on a slope or on another tier. With some of the greens being elevated you had to be certain that your approach shots were long enough. The bunker placements on the fairways and greens were just where I didn't want them to be.in my way, excellent placement.
Hole # 9, par 5, 601y, a long slight dogleg right medium narrow fairway with 3 bunkers and 1 green bunker. My drive was to the left for a better second shot to the green, 293y. This left me 309y, I had to land in a bottleneck in the fairway with a bunker on one side, 244y. Now with 70y left to the elevated green there is a chance for a birdie.
Hole # 17, par 5, 548y, a dogleg left with 5 bunkers. 3 are near the small green. His hole preview said stay to the right, since I always listen to Mat I stayed to the right 286y. I had 250y to an elevated green, my 3w fell 26ft short of the pin and I was still in the fairway, great chance for a successful chip.
This was one of his better efforts; the course was loaded with imaginative holes, hazards at every stopping point and those small but fair greens. He has come a long way in a short time because he is willing to ask questions and opinions of others. The course wasn't overly challenging the way I play it but under harsher conditions this will be a very enjoyable time. The download of 18.5mb is a ridiculously small especially for a good course such as this is. I recommend it highly for download and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
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, custom flag and hole previews.
Not Included: hole signs, number ball washers, custom tees or a recorded round.
Statistical Information: par 71, 7139y, 4 sets of tees, 5-3 pars, 9-4 pars, 4-5 pars. |
|
CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Fictional, marshland course |
Location
TBA |
Conditions
TBA |
Concept 4/10
Somewhat disjointed as it wends its way between pine trees and lowland
marshes (shouldn't these two be mutually exclusive, by the way?), Pine
National is - to all intents and purposes - Pinehurst with an added twist or
two. It's not helped by some iffy execution and a seen-it-before type of
feeling on quite a few holes. Some shot asks are unfair and the course
reduces you to playing safely around the fairways. A bit of a
disappointment, all told. |
Appearance 5/10
There are quite a few mesh folds visible, and the water features and bunkers are mostly in need of better work. Unsurprisingly, given
the planting style, there are quite a few clones visible too. The marshes, surprisingly, are the saving grace, being dense and hinting at
trouble, but there's a lot here that could have been done just that bit better. |
Playability 4/10
Two identikit Par 3s really put the seal on this round and the promised climax along the back nine never really materialises. There are
one or two good trademark holes that bring the water into play, but too much of your round will be spent negotiating poor lies
(sometimes caused by technical errors) and correcting for the unconvincing risk/reward. |
Challenge 6/10
A pretty tough 'un, this, with long holes and some severe green slopes. One or two pin positions reek of designer naïveté. Par 5s are
rarely reachable if you miss the fairway, and the hazards come very close to the field of play on at least a third of the holes. I escaped
with a level-par round, thanks to some lucky putts and uncommonly being able to hit a few snaps. Others, you suspect, might not be so
lucky. |
Technical 3/10
When technical flaws result in an imperfect appearance, that is forgivable. When, like at Pine National, they start interfering with play, it
becomes somewhat unacceptable. Lack of good work around the bunkers led me to more than one near-impossible position. Plus, I
suspect the appearance of steel weeds might have cost me more than one stroke. When you add this to the mesh folds and clones,
there is an awful lot of ironing out that could be done here. |
| Overall |
Somewhat underwhelming amid the technical problems and lack of continuity.
Feels like each hole has been designed in isolation, and some overtly copycat
ideas have not been incorporated well enough. |
22/50 |
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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