Links Corner for all fans of Links 2003 Golf Welcome to Links Corner
The leading site for the Links series of golf sims




Other Links related sites.

Links Country Club
 
AniMasters
 
Links Sports Network
 
Tigercats
 





Saxon Vale Golf Club
by David Meader

Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 1277
Release Date CRZ Filesize Par Course Length
2003-05-08  33,612,124  bytes 71  6817 yards
Type Style CRZ Filename
FICTIONAL  WOODLAND  Saxon Vale Golf Club.crz 
Course ID Course Key
   

COURSE SCREENSHOTS

LINKS CORNER REVIEW

Reviewed by Joe Turner `Loner' June 2003

The read-me zip file contained 6 objects, a word doc, recorded round, EULA, 2 very cool looking jpg's and of course the CRZ.

This is a portion of his very Interesting and extensive read-me:

Set in the Middle English countryside, Saxon Vale G.C is situated on the site of the old ruined township of Sax Munden, an ancient and historic dwelling of the early Saxon people of England. Evidence of the past is still present today in the form of the hand built wall that originally skirted the old village as a boundary and defensive position from Norman invaders. Although the sands of time have taken their toll on the grassy wall, it is most evident today on the first fairway and eleventh green of the Vale course, as it is known locally.

Another feature of earlier times that the designer of the course utilised in construction was the incorporation of the old wells and springs where the village folk drew their water and today provides many a bogie opportunity for the luckless golfer.

By modern day standards the course itself can by no means be considered long, measuring just over 6,800 yards from the back tees with par set at 71. That being said, the make up of the course along with the unpredictable nature of the British weather can often provide a stern test for pro and club golfers alike.


His course had the very nice textures we now associate with courses made with the APCD 1.5. The tee boxes were nicely done, the fairways, mowed with a first cut. There was a short amount of rough before it leads us into a 'thicket' which when hit into I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. The greens were faintly mowed with a nice sized fringe, a help because of they're size. This wasn't a heavily forested course but the brown-deep red-green trees along with the thicket undergrowth made for an attractive and deadly mix. The fields of thicket and the water hazards seem to be the main line of defense on this attractive course. The ample sized fairways weren't very well guarded by bunkers but they had the occasional tree, water hazard or 'soil mix' in them set in the landing location to impede your drives, yes he did allow an out even with the driver if you wished to take the risk, more fun that way. About those greens, I was going to say besides their occasional odd shape the were less than medium but a few were small and were quite well guarded by hazards of bunkers, water and thickets fields, sometimes one, two or all three, sounds like fun huh...well it was. The bunkers were well made, as was the rest of the course. The larger water hazards were lined with stone (carved) and had tall grass in them and plants around them, the water filled 'ditches' could cause a problem if with an over swing you didn't hit the 6 o'clock hash mark. A most attractive clubhouse greets you on the final hole, unusual in the fact that it's a par 3.

His elevations weren't great but they did make you rethink many clubs and the caddie couldn't have been better. I enjoyed the fact that practically all of the fairways were sloped which made the approach shots all the more interesting. I cannot overlook the waterfall, it can be seen in the distance from a number of holes but it's at the tee area on hole # 10. I must give him an 'A' for effort and risk-taking, a 'bad' looking design would have been disastrous for the entire experience, no it's not perfect but it's not that bad. It's a little too blue for my tastes and it just doesn't give out the feeling that it could be real. It looks like the ones you see in a cheap oil painting but with sound. Sorry but the course would have been better off without it.

How is this course to play, very nice indeed. It wasn't a very challenging course on many of the holes but enough to give a good game. The holes showed some imagination but not everyone was a blowout. It's beautiful course, a nice amount of shadows to give the 'natural' touch and an extremely small download for all that was included here. The course does make for a very enjoyable round of golf, much better than the average course and I would say to download it and give it a chance, I think that you will find that it is worth your time.

Reviewer Note

I am a player not a designer and therefore rate a course as a player for other players.

Summary :

Included: read-me, cameo, splash, recorded round, custom tees, custom flags, crowds, ball washers, cart path, hole previews, tournament objects, other objects and a clubhouse.

Not Included: hole signs or hole numbers.

Statistical Information: par 71, 6817y, 5 sets of tee markers, 5-3 pars, 9-4 pars, 4-5 pars.

CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg)

Description
Fictional, parkland course
Location
English Midlands
Conditions
Pick pins carefully and M*/M* is playable.
Concept  8/10
This course bears all the hallmarks of a David Meader course: a variety of intricate shapes and different textures; an off-the-wall approach with walls and rockwork, and some novel ideas in hole design. It is the latter that makes Saxon Vale: this is risk/reward golf at its best, despite the deceptively gentle outward appearance of quite a few hole. It's a little fantastical to be to everyone's tastes, and realistic it certainly isn't, but Saxon Vale proves yet again that David knows an awful lot about putting together a diverse round of golf.
Appearance  5/10
To be honest, it doesn't look as if this has had as much time spent on it as David's other creations. Extrusion marks are glaringly obvious around tee boxes and paths, and there are some elevation problems which led to at least one blocked view. The thicket regions are under-planted and really should be toughened up as the major hazard on the course. The water features - one of the course's selling points - are superbly done, but the stone walls - the other one - just look out of place.
Playability  9/10
Enormous fun at first, and the use of the landscaping along the front nine will leaving you shaking your head in wonder. It calms down a little on the second half, but there's ripe golf for the taking here, and the course still demands advance planning even on the tamerlooking holes. Saxon Vale yields very few pars, which is the ultimate pay-off on a risk-reward course.
Challenge  5/10
I was quite surprised to find myself six-over after eight holes, and it goes to show that, despite this course's open appearance, Saxon Vale is no pushover. It has some devilishly-placed water hazards to trip you up, some horrendous 'Thicket' deep rough and greens that will not concede putts easily. Birdies are possible, particularly on the Par 5s, but by no means a given, thanks to length and yet more water. Course knowledge pays off on future rounds, but it's still not easy.
Technical  6/10
While this has the niceties such as careful texture choices and seam blends, you can't help feeling that it lacks the finesse of some of this designer's other courses. The extrusion marks, for one, look distinctly hurried, and the paths form a bizarre unconnected network that I assume is intentional but doesn't really come off. Planting is artfully, but minimally done. We're used to a bit more in this department, and Saxon Vale - for all its brilliance in layout - looks somewhat rushed.
Overall A brilliantly laid-out course, but slightly cartoonish and unconvincing. 33/50
Please remember that Clipnote reviews are the opinion of one person and do not constitute an 'Official' Links Corner review of the course.

USER RATINGS

 Votes cast
Ace5 %2
Eagle44 %17
Birdie41 %16
Par8 %3
Bogey or worse3 %1

The User Course Reviews and polls have been removed from the forum due to the low numbers of members. The information above is presented merely for historical interest.

This course is available as a FREE download.


Download course


Please support Links Corner





Website Security Test
Copyright © 2024 | Links Corner