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The Country Club
by Eddie Schmidt
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 1287 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2003-05-26 |
66,537,904 bytes |
71 |
7011 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
REAL |
PARKLAND |
TheCountryClub_locked.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| |
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|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by Joe Turner `Loner' June 2003
A portion of his read-me:
Why I chose The Country Club....
I have always liked and admired the old classic US Open courses, the pictures I saw of TCC I thought it would be fun to try and re-create using APCD.Once I purchased some Items via ebay I knew this was the course I wanted to build, Just edging out Baltusrol, and to a lesser extent TPC at Avenel.
Course Issues some my have.....
The Country Club the members play and the Championship course are 2 different courses.
The Country Club is a 27 hole facility,and the Championship course used for the Ryder Cup and US Open is a layout made up of the 27 holes in some cases Par 4's shortened to Par 3's, Par 5's made into Par 4's and in one case two holes merged together to make one[11th.called "Palmer and the stump",because Arnies ball went into a rotted tree stump there pretty much costing him a US Open].So therefore unless you have a US open/ryder cup yardage book the tees or even some cases,pars may not match up with what you'll see on a course scorecard.I have the Ryder Cup Program and ALL,I'll repeat ALL Championship tees are set to the correct distance.
A few facts before we start complementing his work: The zip file contains 2 jpgs, 1 read-me, 1 EULA, a recorded round and the CRZ. When I asked Ed about custom tees he told me that these were actually the tee markers that are on the course and there aren't any hole signs or numbers, he didn't change any of that to remain true to the design and our definition of 'real'. He released the course exclusively at http://www.apcd-courses.com/, after being up for a short time it was pulled and replaced because of a sound loop gone wrong. If you have the original copy it won't play against the copy that was put up 2 weeks later at all other sites. The ID and Key numbers for the finished course is:
Now lets cut to the chase, The first thing to greet you are the perfect looking tee boxes, neat, clean and lightly mowed. The fairways, also mowed, have a beautiful texture; they lead into a light rough, heavy rough and finally into either the dry rough that we will see throughout the course or the trees. The fairways are heavily lined with an excellent assortment of trees. We end up with the mildly textured and patterned greens with a fringe, this completes the grassed in areas of this magnificent re-creation. For a real course the bunkers seem to be well positioned to cause the most harm, both at the greens and along the fairways. The construction of the bunkers are typical of his talents also, amazingly realistic. The greens are almost medium sized and are very hittable; they also have a slight slope to them that results In some very interesting approach shots if not taken into consideration when planting the aiming stick. The approach; the greens are, well sort of less than medium sized and usually elongated with a fairly nice throat, not small like we see on many fictional courses. The greens have a slight slope to them and also have more than a few interesting breaks, yes they are a challenge but not impossible, that coming from a poor putter could mean that they aren't that difficult but take some planning.
We get enough minor elevation changes on this course to keep us on out toes as to the trajectory setting and club selection. Are there a few major elevation changes. yes there are, fun ones at that. Just as an afterthought, the caddie is 'right-on'. Ah my favorite, water, we now run into some major water on the back nine at hole # 11, par 4, 456y, Just before the green are the water hazards which can always be difficult but here we are also facing a small green, a very nice hole, well laid out. Hole # 3, par 4, 447y, I love the drive on this hole, yes you can land in the fairway with a driver or you can play it safe with a 3w.try the driver, you only live once.
I was fortunate to be a beta tester on this course and being so I have played it and have seen its progression from the very beginning. I've seen some of the photos and know about the yardage book he mentions in his read-me, this was truly a labor of love, in fact all of his works have been, I was one of the testers for his first course Southern Pines and know of his dedication to perfection. If you want to 'drink' in Eddie's talents as one of if not the top designer we have today take the time and explore hole # 14 in the practice mode. Here you will find as you have seen with the clubhouse on the eighteenth hole an entire complex, not imported but built by him from terrain, an astounding feat. There are not only buildings but also a pool (yes I tried to and succeeded in hitting a ball into the water and it works, he didn't just make a blue surface). You'll see the tennis course, fenced in of course, and hit a ball onto it, fun, explore it and you'll see how a course can be rated so much higher than it's competitors.detail, detail, detail.perfection. Download it and enjoy it, try the recorded round, I did.I know you will also. Good golfing!
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, hole previews, recorded round, custom flag, crowds, cart path, buildings, assorted objects and tournament objects.
Not Included: hole signs, numbers or custom tee markers.
Statistical Information: par 71, 7011y, 4 sets of tee markers, 3-3 pars, 13-4 pars, 2-5 pars. |
|
CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Real, parkland course |
Location
Massachusetts |
Conditions
M*/M* will provide a stiff challenge |
Concept 6/10
A lush and famous championship course should, ideally, make an excellent Links conversion. The Country Club exudes a regal,
exclusive air while still maintaining the rural wildness which comes with being one of the oldest courses in the US. As challenging as it
is in real life, it falls rather flat on the computer screen: holes look barren rather than intimidating, and frankly the boredom factor sets in
early. |
Appearance 7/10
One immediate problem which strikes the eye is the garish colours. It's sad to report that one of America's most prestigious courses
has turned out looking more than a little like a child's painting. If you can overlook the bizarre texture choices, there's some awesome
3D work and first-class planting to occupy your eye. The elevation work is very sound and adds a lot to the playability of the course.
Sadly, on the whole, the bottom line is that the course does look a little artificial. |
Playability 5/10
I seem to remember this course had the bore factor when it hosted major championships. It favoured the long hitters mercilessly and
shots of genuine strategy were almost unheard of. It seems the same is true in Links, and The Country Club can be really quite hard
work to battle around, especially given that deep rough is included universally. Best of it is the range of approaches dictate by fairways
that are never anything as obvious as level. |
Challenge 7/10
Brookline Country Club is renowned as being a stiff test, and much of that comes across even on the PC. The length is hard work,
greens are small, and the rough punishing. Missing the fairway by a foot will invariably result in a deep rough lie and a failure to reach
the green in two. But this is a staple for the course, and it's never unfair; birdie opportunities are possible and makeable. |
Technical 8/10
Texture choices aside, this course has been immaculately laid down, and genuinely resembles the real thing. The sense of environment is
uncannily good, but my opinion is that less time might have been spent on the trimmings and more on the course that is central to them. |
| Overall |
A good course, and worthy of addition to any collection of real-life famous courses,
but lacking that punch and sparkle which marks other big-name releases. |
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. |
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