Three Horseshoes
Designed by Robert A. Hurst
Designer: This is Robert A. Hurst’s second course, having previously released a fictional woodland design, Tilly Lakes.
Course: When you initially hit off from the first tee, you’ll immediately think of this course as being realistic in both its design and look, which thankfully is something that stays consistent throughout the entire round. Each hole design really offers up something unique, as often you are unable to immediately aim and hit the driver off the tee, with strategy in where the ball needs to be placed becoming an important factor on many of the holes. With excellent bunker designs, such as those around the green on the Par 5 on Hole 12, and a subtle use of water in the layout, the hazards are both pleasing to the eye, and a great challenge.
The design of this course was obviously thought out well, with the Par 4 on Hole 2 offering up a great blind tee shot, while the Par 4 on Hole 13 provides players with an excellent double fairway option off the tee. Three Horseshoes is really a great surprise, as with great aesthetics and a tough contest for players of all skill levels, once you see the signature bunker finish near the tee on the Par 5 on Hole 18, you will hit off the last knowing you’ve just played a great course.
Favourite Hole: The Par 5 on Hole 6 was definitely my favourite hole on the course, as with wonderful visuals off the tees, great bunker designs and a very interesting second shot choice, it is a hole that offers both brilliant scenery and a tough challenge.
Playability: For those who like variety in the lengths of each hole, it’s important to note that you won’t find a Par 3 less than 176 yards, or a Par 4 less than 405 yards on this course. Usually that may be a disappointment in regard to the enjoyment of the round, but considering each of the five tees is quite different in its angle and length to the hole, like the Par 3 on Hole 7, playing off the back tees the first time around will hopefully encourage people to play the course again, as each tee really offers up something different.
The Par 5’s on Holes 6, 9 and 12 are all reachable, but the one on Hole 18 isn’t due to it being over 600 yards in length. The driver is really crucial around this layout, as considering Three Horseshoes is quite long, if you manage to stay out of the many well designed and positioned bunkers, as well as studying the fairway undulations correctly, you should be able to hit into the pin reasonably well. The only downside to the playability of this course would have to be the greens, as even though overall they are quite fair, they are sometimes inconsistent and depending on where your ball ends up, the putting difficulty can vary quite a lot. Three Horseshoes is not a difficult course as such, but if you don’t stay in regulation enough off the tee, breaking par for the round could become quite tough.
AI Performance: The AI Golfer ‘Simon’ shot a +1 (73), with 64% Fairways and 55% Greens in Regulation, with a total of 27 putts.
Difficulty Index: N/A
Technically: Looking back at the designer’s first release, he has certainly come a long way in terms of his APCD ability. Three Horseshoes is a course that has been presented exceptionally well, with a superb choice of textures, great planting of flowers, grasses and trees, while the panorama that was selected matched the course well. The bunkers are certainly a major feature of the course, and thankfully they were created really well, with each one being constructed and lipped skillfully, while the sand texture that was chosen made them look even better. The seam blending was impressive, while all of the water areas, including the edging and planting, looked first-class. One of the best parts of the technical application on this course was not near the playing areas, but rather the attention to detail off the course, where if you looked and explored to the left on the Par 4 on Hole 3, you would really see how much work the designer has put in to every area in the design. With an excellent use of elevation, a superb path that winds its way throughout the course, great bridges and very well made tee areas, Three Horseshoes is a design that was produced with the APCD really well and it’s great to see a designer improve so much from their last design.
Other: The course includes a cameo, custom flag, handicaps, hole previews and a splash screen. The hole previews are especially good, as they include tips on how to play the hole, while visually, they are very well made.
Download Value: At 42.5mb, the course is an average size download, while with three great splash screens and a read-me, users of any speed shouldn’t be disappointed. Even if you didn’t like the designer’s previous release, Three Horseshoes is a remarkable step up in quality and is well worth the download, as it is something that I will be keeping on my hard drive for a while to come.
Information:
Course Statistics:
2003 - Fictional Woodland - Par 72 - 5 Tees
7440yds (Back) - 6968yds (Forward)
Par 3’s: 4 - Par 4’s: 10 - Par 5’s: 4
File Statistics:
Zip: 42.5mb - Crz: 40.6mb - Sha: 7.97mb
Round Statistics:
AI Skill: 79 - Settings: Champ/Classic/Back Tees/Breezy/Moderate/Medium/Moderate
Other:
Designer: Robert A. Hurst
Design: 2
Reviewer: Simon Kent - Simon@linkscorner.com
Review: 76
(This review is based on the playability for users of Links Golf. It is only my opinion, but comes from a thorough analysis of the course. Disregarding my opinion, I know the difficulty involved in designing a course and I congratulate the designer on a job well done. My comments are objective, are based on a number of criteria, and any comments are from a players stand point and not from a designers).
Screenshots |
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