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Stonebridge
by Dan (Kilroy) Kilbank
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 1369 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2003-11-24 |
46,465,900 bytes |
71 |
6567 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
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REAL |
PARKLAND |
Stonebridge2003.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
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LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by Bill Bradley
Stonebridge is a rendition of a real course in Ottawa, Canada. It is Dan's second course for Links Corner and is a Links 2003 course.
Technical Stuff
Length 6567 yards Par 71
5 par 3's (2 front, 3 back), 9 par 4's (5 and 4), 4 par 5's (2 and 2)
Longest hole 579 yards, shortest hole 159 yards
4 tees
45 Mb download
Included: Cameo, splash screen, read me, hole previews, custom flags and textures.
Not included: Pano, crowds and tournament objects.
Difficulty: Moderately difficult - mainly because of the greens.
The course is not locked.
General Impressions
When you stand on the first tee with the fairway rolling out before you, you can see that this is a very well made course (see photo 1). It is unfortunate, then, that the course doesn't really grip the imagination. I'm afraid that Stonebridge looks fairly ordinary and that this impression doesn't change as you go round the course.
Don't get me wrong - the course is beautifully made, Dan is certainly a master of the APCD, and whilst I have never been to the real course I can well believe that it is a very accurate rendition. The textures, for which Dan credits Mike Jones, are superbly made. The planting is excellent. But, rather like a beautifully presented Christmas or Thanksgiving turkey with all the trimmings, it doesn't quite do it for me. Maybe it is the lack of a pano, maybe it is simply because this is what the real course is like - I don't know. And, of course, who's to say I'm right - you may think differently, so download it and try it for yourself.
Textures and Planting
The textures on Stonebridge are beautiful and really have to be seen. The 'fescue' (I had to look the word up in a dictionary) is horrible if you get into it - thankfully it is not so close to the places you hope to land that every slightly errant shot goes into it. The bunkers are excellent - with both wet and dry sand in them. The vast majority of bunkers have a dirt lip with superb seam blending on each side of it - one or two simply have the seam blending with no dirt lip. I have no reason to believe that that is an error, I think it is because of their placing on the course. The fairways and greens are all fringed and everything that can be seam blended has been - and seam blended very well!
The greens have a plain texture with no mow lines - this will probably not endear the course to the no-gridders, but more of that later - which does make them seem a little underdone. The cart path is nothing short of brilliant - some sort of tarmac, it has been extruded down from the rough but a roll across the cart path does not lead to the bad bounce that so often happens when one texture has been extruded down from another, the ball reacts as you would expect IRL, very well done there Dan - I shall be checking out your technique to get some tips.
The planting is not overdone but is extremely good. Every fairway has distance markers on it with different colours for 100, 150 and 200 yards (see photo 2) - very nice touch Dan, superb attention to detail. The lakes have rocks round the edges - but not simply all round, they have been placed. There are reeds and other pond flowers between the rocks and all the lakes have hazard markers (see photo 3).
Further round the course comes the housing 'estate' (for want of a better word), and the houses fit the course perfectly.
Hole Layouts and Elevations
This is a rendition of a real course and Dan is constrained by that. The hole layouts are very good but lack the risk/reward situations that occur on many other courses. Generally a reasonable drive down the fairway leads to a reasonable second shot to the green.
The greens are incredible - this is where the difficulty of Stonebridge lies. I didn't find a single flat spot on any of the greens, the elevations are fabulous and lead to some very difficult putts. No-gridders are going to find these greens extremely difficult because of the plain surface I referred to earlier, even with a grid to help these greens are not easy (see photo's 4 and 5). If they are a true rendition of the real course then I feel sorry for the members! And please understand, this is not a criticism of the course, there is not one place that I found where I could say the slope was unrealistic, hard yes, but definitely possible on a real course and definitely fitting in with the surrounds - it isn't as if the surrounding land is flat and then the greens start undulating, not at all, these greens are part of the surrounding scenery and are all the better for being so.
Ambient Sound
If I could have one wish it would be that Dan had not put the sound of the waterfall in the course. Maybe it is my sound card at fault but the waterfall started sounding quite nice but by the third tee had turned into white noise as far as I was concerned and, sadly, it was with me throughout the entire course. The birds are good - at least they change a little, but the waterfall - the less said about that the better. The other part of the sound script - Dan, what is that on the 18th? I think it is a fountain but to be honest it sounds like a toilet constantly flushing. Be thankful for small mercies though - it's only on the 18th.
General Comments
Dan is a very good APCD designer and has shown his skills admirably with Stonebridge. I don't want to add any fuel to the ongoing RTS versus Pro-Click debate but I do think that Stonebridge will be much better received by the RTS players. I think many pro-clickers, particularly the good ones are going to find this course a little too easy for their liking (except for the greens). That said, Dan has produced a fabulous course which has earned a Links Corner Recommended award for him and I congratulate him on that. I will certainly play the course again and am sure this will be a 'keeper' for a lot of players. From a designers point of view I am going to look at it and see what I can learn from it - the fact that Dan has not locked the course is to his credit, it gives up and coming designers something to aspire to and to learn from.
Well done on a very good course Dan.
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CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Real, parkland course. |
Location
TBA |
Conditions
TBA |
Concept 7/10
Stonebridge is an open and accessible course, which has been loving recreated
by one of the APCD's best exponents. While it hardly has the
stand-out features of a championship course, it radiates loving care and
attention, from the distance markers in the fairways to the ring of houses
overlooking the course. It's an immersive environment even if the course
is unlikely to remain in your memory. |
Appearance 8/10
Although Stonebridge isn't a course of stunning views and spectacular extras it does look very special. Textures are immaculately
blended together and the low-level planting, especially around the water, is both comprehensive and immaculate. Those customised
extras that do exist are marginal to the play but lovingly created all the same. Not a visually stunning course, by any means, but a very
very competent one for al that. |
Playability 6/10
Stonebridge is unlikely to be a course that sticks in the memory. It's quite easy to cruise round without being particularly challenged.
Few holes offer you a genuine alternative line of play, but there are Eagle chances to keep you interested and keep the adrenalin
flowing. When you find all the Par 5s are easily reachable in two, though, the thrill fades a little and you find yourself hungry for
something a little more. |
Challenge 4/10
With wide open fairways and little to challenge you in the deep rough, most of the challenge comes from the testing green shapes.
Although several holes bring water into play, it's easy to avoid with prudent golf, and bunkers are almost marginal on quite a few holes.
The course is largely flat parkland, so club alterations for elevation are not often required. None of this helps the course become
memorable, and frankly it's more than a touch too easy. |
Technical 10/10
The course is technically flawless, and more than makes up for the disappointments elsewhere. The seam blends are neat and not
overdone, and the bunkers are little works of art. The planting is brilliant and a tribute to the designer's meticulousness. |
| Overall |
Stonebridge lacks nothing in the design and execution, but it's sadly all too easy to
overlook as an insufficient test of golf. |
35/50 |
Please remember that Clipnote reviews are the opinion of one person and do not constitute an 'Official' Links Corner review of the course. |
This course is available as a FREE download.
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