| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 1441 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2004-05-14 |
38,196,430 bytes |
73 |
6932 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
FICTIONAL |
WOODLAND |
Timberlands.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
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LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Timberlands Golf Club - Designed by Peter Gemmill
Reviewed by Chris Gormley
Background Info:
This is 1st course released by Mr. Gemmill and is a 2001 design so there will not be any of the usual 2003 enhancements but I am still looking forward to reviewing this course having since beta tested it for Mr. Gemmill when the beta was available at LC. Here is a little bit from the readme that was included:
'My name is Peter Gemmill. My online name is rabyman0. Timberlands started as a real course but they would not let me use images of their course or their name. It is a course situated on the East Coast of Australia about halfway between Sydney and Melbourne..'
Overall Impressions:
I was impressed with Mr. Gemmill's design when I beta tested it for him and I am still impressed with his final release of the course. Timberlands G.C. is a very well thought out golf course from the very 1st tee. The course has plenty of well done elevation changes as well as pretty good placement of the various hazards that are used throughout the course. The APCD technical work is not perfect, but it is very good for a first design and it shows that Mr. Gemmill has followed some of the tutorials written by other designers that can be found online. There is plenty of risk/reward in this design and it should provide for some very enjoyable rounds of golf.
The planting of the course is very well done. The trees are planted a little thick, so you will want to stay out of there but other than that it is very well done. I like the planting under the trees especially as it makes the design look very natural looking without going overboard. The textures are also pretty well done and blend well together although I do find the greens a little 'blue' for my taste but they are nothing that should keep someone from downloading this course.
There are a couple of areas where the terrain should have been smoothed out a little more but these are not very common and are usually located in places that people don't normally play into. There are also a few issues with shadows appearing in the Top Cam but when you look in the normal view these are not there and are probably caused by verts being placed on top of each other and not of the same height therefore the top cam creates the shadow. The designer would probably not even know these shadows were there unless they used the top cam in the game while testing. Another area that the designer needs a little improvement on is how to treat the creek that meanders throughout the course. The textures and planting in this area are not as well done as the rest of the course. But with more experience in planting Mr. Gemmill will I am sure get better at this. There is also a problem with the water hazard on the left side of Hole 15. Although from a distance it looks fine if you happen to end up in it there water texture disappears in spots.
Various Hole by Hole comments:
Hole 1: This is a Par 4 hole that starts with a great use of a hazard with a creek bed running across the fairway. This will not be in play for the drive unless your it goes errant but does make you think about driver placement, especially in Windy rounds. The approach shot to the green is a simple one with 2 bunkers behind the green and 1 in front. The green is pretty large and well contoured to make a player go for the pin and not hit a shot on the fringes.
Hole 2: This is a Par 4 hole that shows the great use of elevation changes after your drive. The green is located about 50 feet below the tee and the change of elevation is located about where your 1st shot would land therefore creating the chance for some very long drives if the ball is placed correctly. The approach to the green is very simple with only one greenside bunker to worry about. The green is smooth for the most part but does have 2 tiers so make sure to go for the pin on this hole.
Hole 3: This is a Par 4 hole that gives the player a choice of which shot to make off of the tee. The player can play smart and lay up the drive at about 250 yards or force them to take the corner and go for the 270 yard drive. There are some fairway bunkers here but most will not be in play unless your shots get away from the player. The approach to the green is a difficult one here with a couple of bunkers as well as a mound at the front of the green. This is one of the more difficult greens in that it is contoured quite a bit.
Hole 5: This is a Par 5 hole that dares the player to go for the long drive with a dry creek bed placed just after the landing area. If you have any wind behind you at all on this hole you will want to lay up with a 3W to avoid getting into trouble. The approach to the green is guarded by bunkers both in the fairway as well as around the green. Once you are on the green things are not much easier as this is a tough green with some difficult although not impossible contours.
Hole 7: This Par 4 is a grip and rip it type of hole. The fairway is plenty wide to tempt a player to put that little extra into their drive and still be safe if the shot is not perfect. This is also the first hole where that 'vert placed over vert' problem is obvious and be aware that there are a couple of shadows in the top cam but there are no problems in the main view so I am going to ignore these throughout the review as there is really not a problem with the design, just a carelessness by the designer with the verts here. There are some bunkers that guard the green quite well here and will cause the player to be careful on where the approach shot is placed.
Hole 11: This is the typical par 5 type of hole with a couple different hazards for the player to think about during the course of play. The drive is bothered by both water and sand hazards while the green is protected by not only water and sand hazards but by a tell tree as well that will especially cause problems if the wind is blowing and the drive was not placed correctly. The green is large and flat for the most part making this an easy hole to obtain eagle or birdie on in the shots are placed correctly.
Hole 16: Is another Par 4 hole that has plenty for the player to take into account when playing. The water hazard that dissects the fairway will force a player to lay but the green is protected also by water on the left side therefore making the player choose their shots carefully in order to stay out of trouble.
Closing comments:
This is a great first design by Mr. Gemmill and it shows that he thought out each hole before designing. This course is very playable and should provide for many enjoyable rounds. This is not a perfectly designed course from the technical APCD view but there are just to many other positive things going on for them to bring this course down. I look forward to seeing more designs from Mr. Gemmill as I am sure he will become a top designer in the Links Community in the future.
Chris Gormley
"I am writing this review from the viewpoint of not only a player but as a Tour Director. Although I am not a designer I understand the work that goes into a design as I have beta tested many courses and my review is simply how I as a player/Tour Director would view this course."
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