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Crater's of the Moon
by Zea Miller
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 1405 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2004-02-22 |
47,219,776 bytes |
73 |
8616 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
IMAGINARY |
UNCLASSIFIED |
Craters of the Moon.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| 6859cba0651a11d89508b0cbcb57890f |
1727df70e81138090d22952fc971b3e2 |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
My Day at the Office:
As I uploaded the game and sat down with a glass of milk, I began to ponder what playing golf on the moon would be like. On the first tee, I was awestruck by the panorama. I thought it fit the course very well. The texture used to simulate the surface of the moon was nice. Even though it was a default MS texture. I don't think any of us will hit a golf shot toward the planet Saturn in our lifetime.
However, the complements stop there. The shot into the first green is simply unfair. Run through this green and you are in sand. The second hole is probably the most unfair thing I have ever seen in Links. I thought this course could have used more grass and designed more like a normal golf course. I can understand the mind set of the designer, but honestly, could you see yourself walking a course full of sand? No cart path, just sand, and magic fairway grass? I love the 3d objects, but sometimes they get in the way of the task at hand. The hole layouts tend to look alike so I found myself yawning hoping for something new. I found myself getting angry at the long par 4's and 5's where well struck shots hit slopes and ran off the greens and fairways to the sand. Making it impossible to make par.
I hit about 10 or 12 shots were the ANI was giving me the signal that the ball was going to be close and somehow the shot managed to find the sand. I don't believe I ever played out of that much sand in my life. The 9th green is what most would call ridiculous. All you can see from the tee is the flagstick and once you run through this green, you leave yourself a severe downhill bunker shot that not even the likes of Nicklaus or Woods would like. After taking a 5 minute break after playing the first nine, I resumed my game. Starting at the 10th. Where I immediately threw my hands up in disgust. The 10th is a 763 yard par 5. The tee shot is uphill and once again, there are huge gaps between fairways. Needless to say, I had to take an aspirin to get through this hole. After my tee shot, I had 487 yards to the hole. Smacking the heck out of a 3 wood. I tried to place the ball on the 2nd stretch of fairway, only to find myself in the 3 feet of rough on the edge of the fairway with 245 long yards to go. After a half topped 3 wood, I had 35 yards for my fourth shot. A downhill pitch where I could not even see the flag. And after a decent pitch I had a 10 footer with a left to right swing which I missed by 6 inches. A six on that par 5 felt like an eagle to me.
A few more holes that I scrambled to make pars on and I come to 15. Another long par 5, 639 yards in length. After just accepting the fact that it would make 3 shots to make it to the hole, I stuffed my approach to 3 feet on the flat green and made a birdie. Then I come to 16, a 504 yard par 4. And I think to myself, "Not again!" After placing my tee shot in the fairway, I then hit a 1 iron to the green. That's right, a 1 iron. I then proceeded to make par. Finally, I make it to 18. Looking at the top view, I knew there was no way I could reach the green in two shots. Another long par 5. Though I did like the view of the Space Station on your right hand side as you pitch onto the green. From 25 yards, I holed my chip. Not a bad way to end the round, but even with that eagle, I shot a pathetic round of 2 under par 71. I can't describe the feeling of relief I had when finished with this course. I just wanted to blow some steam like the PGA players blew steam when playing the Open Championship at Carnoustie in 1999.
Overall Impression:
I loved the panorama as I stated earlier. Although I wish that the designer would have designed it like a regular golf course. I tried not to use the top view as a guide, but with so many blind tee shots and approaches, I really had no choice. Elevation was done very nicely. Although from the top view, it looks the designer had one heck of a time with the terrain painter. A little more effort to make the course look a little more smoother would have been nice.This course is not staying on my hard drive, or being burnt to a CD. Some people might find this course to be a fun one, but as for myself, I rather wait for a course with the same idea but with a greater effort.
Playability:
Not hard because of strategy. It's just really hard due to the lack of fairway and the length of the holes. I would like to see a LinksTour event here and see what they shoot.
Technically:
Fundamentally not sound, although from the playing persepective, it's not all that bad.
Files found in folder:
Crz file
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CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Imaginary, concept course |
Location
TBC |
Conditions
TBC |
Concept 6/10
In the words of the immortal (UK-centric) TV advert, it does exactly what it says on the tin. A reasonable attempt at something different throws you in among the eponymous craters and a sandy moon surface with a suitably huge, sprawling course. It's been passed off reasonably well, but sadly without much thought to the golf, which is stilted and dull. Extra deductions for putting an apostrophe into the word 'Craters', something which I couldn't bear to repeat. |
Appearance 2/10
While the background is suitably awesome, and the 3D structures that dot the course are nicely extra-planetary, there is a lot of disappointment on the plot. Firstly, textures, and surely this is a course - if any - that cries out for a complete absence of grass and a range of greys and browns - not beige bunkers and green fairways! The moulding of the craters is rough in parts, although that is a tolerable fault given the shortage of photo evidence to the contrary… |
Playability 1/10
It's difficult to overstate the frustration caused by this cause. It's pure one-way golf with no option but to make the under-sized fairways. Missing will cost you a chip-out of the moonrock; there's absolutely no way to hit the green in two from the sand. An impossible lie or two is the final insult - a badly mis-hit shot might cause the end of the round. A credit for the experience, but emphatically not for the golf. |
Challenge 0/10
I doubt anyone would ever be minded to play this course competitively: needless to say, anyone would be well-warned not to. If the constant slog of the bunkered regions wasn't bad enough, the poorly-sculpted greens and their slopes certainly are. Plus the not inconsiderable fact that the course is well over 8500 yards, of course. |
Technical 3/10
This could have been so much more. A full set of customised textures and perhaps assigning something a bit more playable to the moon's surface would go a long way towards allaying the course's frustrations. The golfing design is shallow and ill-thought-through, and the heavy hand with the plot doesn't do any favours. I'm inclined to be generous for the lovely panorama and the moon buildings. |
| Overall |
A cracking idea, and one that should have been made more of. With an overhaul, might achieve the rank of a genuine novelty. Apostrophe abuse is unforgivable. |
12/50 |
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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