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Crouching Beast (Forest) Version 2
by Mark Franzoia
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 1125 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2002-11-05 |
35,676,724 bytes |
72 |
7727 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
FICTIONAL |
WOODLAND |
Copy of Crouching Beast (Forest).crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| c02a0de207fa43f491c507c59ca88155 |
26177d3a704e8e2d8fbfdb9bde5651d8 |
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LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by Mike Nifong
November 2002
Course type: Mark Franzoia describes Crouching Beast (Forest) as 'a fantasy course located in an area of undeveloped pine forest and barranca along the northern California coast. and primarily influenced by renowned golf course architect Dr. Alister MacKenzie[,] whose Cypress Point Club and Pasatiempo Golf Club have made lasting impressions on this designer.' But for the lack of such amenities as cart paths and restrooms, however, CBF looks convincingly natural and would probably be considered by most observers to have more in common with the fictional courses than with the more typical fantasy course.
Historical perspective: Crouching Beast (Forest) Version 2 is the Links 2003 remake of Mark's first course - called, unsurprisingly, Crouching Beast (Forest). You may recall that the original version was the winner of Microsoft's Armchair Architect contest. Version 2, released just over a year after the original version, became the sixth Links 2003 course received and the second (after München Nord - Eichenried) Links 2001 course refurbished for the new game. (Presumably at least part of the reason for the new version was the fact that the original could not be opened in Links 2003 without first opening it in the APCD and then validating and saving, a process that rendered the course unplayable online.) It is also only Mark's second completed course, as Wyntoon Club remains in beta and the other announced members of the Crouching Beast 'family' are not yet to that stage.
I was the official reviewer of the original Crouching Beast, to which I gave a score of 81, and I would refer you to that review for additional perspective on the course.
What is included: The read-me file contains a few descriptive notes, acknowledgements, and a list of changes from the original. The customary cameo and splash screen are here, and the latter impresses me as much improved over the original version. It also provides a glimpse of the tournament option, included here for the first time, consisting of large and very well placed crowds and a few tournament objects (a scoreboard and camera tower on #18). Regrettably, hole previews are still not part of the package, so you will probably want to use the top view to help you negotiate your way around the course.
Not that there was much wrong with the original version, but Version 2 pretty much fixes anything that could have been complained about. The texture blending option with Links 2003 was not implemented, Mark having elected to continue with the extruded textures. But the extrusions have been calmed down and smoothed out, so Version 2 looks both cleaner and more natural. The mesh shadows - not a big problem in the original - have been almost completely eliminated. I found two tiny ones, both where the fairway narrowed into a little point between the first cut and the green fringe (one on #2 and one on #13), and both imperceptible unless you are right on top of them. There has been a lot of new texture mapping, and that bizarre rock face behind the green on #14 has been reworked. The reshaping and softening of the bunker edges is more subtle in its effect: an improvement, to be sure, but I would have much preferred texture blending.
In sum, all the changes in this area were for the better.
If you liked the way the original Crouching Beast looked, you should be quite happy with Version 2. Mark has remained true to his original vision while incorporating some enhancements of his own, such as the crowds, and taking advantage of at least some of those made possible by the new game engine, such as the shadows. Actually, the new shadows make less of a difference than one might expect on a course with so many trees, primarily because just about all of those trees are restricted to the forested areas, which do not intrude all that closely upon the areas where you are likely to hit the ball. Still, they look very attractive here. They also make such features as those clumps of grass that I complained about in the original (and which I assume were placed there so the ground under the trees would not look so barren in the absence of shadows) even less necessary, but they are still here. [The 6.90MB shadow file (20.9% as large as the course file), by the way, is very close to the medians in both actual size and percentage of course file size.]
Water treatments appear to be unchanged from the original. For the most part, that is good, although I would have liked a little sprucing up of that rather plain stream on #18.
I generally find the use of crowds in Links 2003 to be something of a mixed blessing: their inability to cast shadows places them a little disharmoniously in contrast to their surroundings. I would have to say, however, that they have been used to excellent effect here, especially where the course forms sort of a natural amphitheatre behind the greens on #9 and #18.
I think the thing that struck me most when I played Version 2, however, was how much more I appreciate it now than I did when I first played the original version. And this is probably less the function of Mark's changes than it is of my own greater respect for the underlying design. The fact is that this is a unique and distinctive course with its own very individual personality, one that seems to be holding up quite well with the passage of time.
Not only has this course undergone a transformation, but so has my style of play. I have been converted from a pro clicker who normally shot about -8 to a champ RTS struggler who has yet to break par (although I am improving). This was most definitely not the course on which that was going to change.
Version 2 does play nearly 250 yards shorter from the back tees than did the original. Of course they are not really the back tees, since the ladies tees play, at 8011 yards, some 40 yards longer than the original course. But since they are the tees to which most of us default, it appears that Mark has improved the playability of the course by a little bit of shortening (it is still pretty long at 7727 yards) while leaving an option for those who preferred the length of the original.
One thing that has not changed - or at least has not diminished - is the quantity of sand. Virtually every fairway is protected on both sides, virtually every green on three sides. And while the fairways are not particularly narrow, I find them a little tougher to land now that I am no longer a clicker. On the other hand, the computer foursome had little difficulty in avoiding the bunkers: they hit the fairways every single time playing b/m/m/m conditions and 83% of the time (71-92%) under w/f/f/d conditions. I guess that's why they are pros. If you do find the sand, the bunkers seem deeper than I remembered; you will be able to get out, but you may not be in much of a position to be aggressive. In RTS, the presence of the barranca areas provided further incentive for conservative play.
The other thing that has not changed is the greens. They remain the most difficult part of the course. Usually elevated, and well protected by frontside bunkers, they will encourage you to aim for the safer center. But because they are often tiered and invariably sloped from front to back (usually left back to right front or right back to left front), that strategy can leave you with long and torturous putts. It did not help to watch the computer foursome (who reached the greens in regulation 100% of the time in b/m/m/m conditions and 77% of the time in w/f/f/d conditions) sink long breaking putt after long breaking putt, often aiming at nearly a 90° angle from the direct line to the hole and rarely missing by more than a few inches. My strategy was usually to try to get my first putt to stop close enough to the hole to have some chance of making the second one, but three putts will not be a rarity here. Not for the faint of heart.
Of the four par-5 holes, only #2 is absolutely unreachable (although it is actually one of the easier birdie holes). Two of the par-5's, #14 and #18, have two greens (one of which is reachable, the other of which is probably not), and none of them are among the more difficult holes. That distinction goes to three of the longer par-4's: #1, #5, and #10. The front nine and back nine are well balanced in terms of difficulty. Under any circumstances, you will have to putt well to score well. As I said earlier, the computer foursome did just that, and they were -58 (-13 to -17) in b/m/m/m conditions, -40 (-6 to -12) in w/f/f/d conditions. To the extent that those numbers might suggest that this course is not very difficult, my experience would suggest they are misleading.
The bottom line: A course that tended to be a little underrated by many people, including me, in its first incarnation gets a welcome remake to enable its use in on-line tournaments. It also retains much of its distinctive original appearance, which should especially appeal to those who are not sold on texture blending. Not a walk in the park, but recommended to anyone who likes a course with some bite.
Course Statistics :
Course Statistics: Par 72; 5 sets of tees - 7727/7440/7143/6658/8011 yards [note that the ladies (red) tees play longer than the back (black) tees]; holes are handicapped
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CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Fictional, woodland course |
Location
TBC |
Conditions
TBC |
Concept 9/10
Interestingly reminiscent of Crooked Creek in the twinning of dense forest and scrubland, Crouching Beast certainly doesn't shy away. The big-impact hole designs are a running feature through this designer's courses, and the stylish landscaping and planting complement this ambitious project very well. Generous helpings of customisation help bring the convincing atmosphere to life. |
Appearance 8/10
Reasonably clone free, given the trees are pretty much the same set used at Wyntoon, the course's main let-down are the bright colours and some awkward extrusion marks around most greens. But there are a lot of positives in a track of this age; flair and inventiveness account for a flaw or two sometimes. |
Playability 6/10
Edison-levels of inventiveness have resulted in some delightful hole shapes, and once you play through the first six holes there's a world of fascination awaiting. Sadly, it's all a little over-contrived at the same time, and it's a bit easy to feel put down by the stretches of sand and required accuracy. |
Challenge 5/10
Mark's designs both suffer from excessive expectations on the golfer in terms of accuracy, along with stretches of sand and OB and some ridiculous green elevations. It's often quite depressing work, and certainly not a course you'd want to take on competitively. |
Technical 6/10
The older courses are often the most difficult to assess, particularly when one puts this one alongside Crooked Creek, for which it clearly provided some inspiration. By today's standards, it's old-fashioned in part, but there is still envy to be spared for the golfing brain behind the concept. Nothing forgives those extrusion marks, though. |
| Overall |
A remarkable twin course to Wyntoon. Own them both and tear your hair out with frustration… |
34/50 |
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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