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Alberta South
by Bob Barry
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 952 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2002-06-30 |
33,465,834 bytes |
72 |
7125 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
FICTIONAL |
PARKLAND |
AlbertaS2.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| 588731fd502341d3874e2d536bb78a1d |
ba5279201a7d8fda8477c2bd691a8f2e |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by
Joe Turner `Loner'
July 2002
A portion of his readme:
"Carved out of the rugged landscape of Southern Alberta, Canada, this course is one of simple beauty and challenge. While the course is fictitious, its design was inspired by the real land shapes and elevations in that part of Canada. Having flown over the area many times, each time I would look down over it, I would think: 'What an incredible place for a golf course'. So, I made one."
"This 18-hole, Par 72 course is carved through the rugged parklands in the southern Alberta area. Unlike further north (i.e. Cold Lake), there are more varied trees and bushes than the standard evergreen. The rolling hills are a precursor to the Rockies further west and present some gorgeous elevations. If you look closely enough, you may even see some dinosaur bones, or oil pools throughout. I tried to capture the simple beauty of the land with a conservative use of colour and plantings, while incorporating the (sometimes) dramatic elevations that would make the various holes a little more challenging. Additionally, I experimented with using a particular style of bunker throughout the course."
A very attractive course but at times all the colors and shapes made me think fantasy not fiction as the designer intended the course to be. The tee boxes, mowed fairways rough, greens and fringe were all very pleasant but the first cut kept changing names as did the majestic walls surrounding some of the larger water hazards. Surrounding some of the other water hazards he had clumps of tall grass, it looks nicer than it sounds, and there were the occasional rocks and floating plants to make this a very nice looking course especially for the small download size. His tree selection was superb and they had their bases buried in deep rough and dry grass, both were used as undergrowth. At times he used bushes instead of trees, an example can be seen at the tee area of hole # 15, very nice. The cart path had a 'rim' of some kind bordering it and it wasn't very attractive looking, plus it made the cart path stand out instead of blending into the natural look of the course. The fence that was used at time mostly in the beginning was too much for the course; it made some areas crowded looking and can be seen on hole # 2. The potted plants on hole # 12 where a bit overwhelming and could certainly be called an eyesore. It sounds like a lot but there were just these few exceptions that prevented the course from looking more realistic than it did. But I (we) have to remember that these items don't interfere with game play, fortunately.
He varied his elevations quite often and to tell you the truth the ups and downs if the course, the figuring out of which club to use where was more fun than a human should be allowed to have. The caddie was excellent where it was needed. Hole # 1 was a wonderful choice to start off the round, it was a terrific risk/reward hole, I had to cross the patch of rough with a large body of water on the right and pot holes on the left, after that I had high hopes for the rest of the course. The fairways were never large but they all seemed to be quite hittable even though you had to make decisions more oft than not about how to place your drive and even the second shot because of the bunkers that dotted the fairways. The greens were nicely guarded but once you hit them you will find that they are not that large and the putting always seemed to be slopped. Even with the slopes on the greens the putting was fair, a nice accomplishment by the designer. Hole # 4 a par 5 with its lay-up bunkers and island green was enjoyable. Hole # 12 even with the potted plants was a great risk/reward hole.
As you get further into the course the more imaginative the holes seemed to get and the more they began to resemble fantasy hole shapes. They were not impossible to play, just the opposite, they were challenging but my feelings are that they would appeal to the members more if they didn't wind in and out. Believe me they were very playable especially with all of the hazards; this was more evident on the par 5's than anywhere else. He built a very nice playable and challenging course with interesting greens, something that most courses don't have. With the unbelievably small download this course can be a very nice download and if you don't mind a bit, just a bit of fantasy try it, you won't be sorry.
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, custom flag, ball washers, cart path, cart, buildings and many other objects.
Not Included: custom tees, recorded round and hole signs or numbers.
Statistical Information: par 72, 7125y, 3 sets of tees, 5-3 pars, 8-4 pars, 5-5 pars. |
This course is available as a FREE download.
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