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Whitewebbs.GC
by David Meader
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 1512 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2004-11-18 |
28,545,024 bytes |
72 |
7107 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
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FICTIONAL |
WOODLAND |
Whitewebbs G.C..crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
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| COURSE NOTES |
Whitewebbs is my first attempt at a woodland / parkland style course.
Being a sad old 56k dial up user I wanted to try and make an enjoyable course for everyone whist keeping the download size as manageable as possible for those in the same position as myself. Hopefully, I didn't do too bad a job.
Set somewhere in the hills and valleys of the English countryside, Whitewebbs is my 4th course made freely available to the Links community. I hope you have fun with it.
The course itself measures 7107 yards from the back tees and can provide a fair test for golfers of all levels and abilities, especially when the wind howls across the hills.
Water abounds on many holes and is obviously to be avoided at all cost if a sub par round is to be obtained. Aggressive play is well rewarded but a more cautious approach can sometimes reap it own rewards.
Anyway, have fun on the course, I hope you enjoy it.
Dave |
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LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by Chris Gormley
Background Info:
This is the 4th course released by David Meader with his previous courses being: Saxon Vale Golf Club, Vista Verde Golf Resort, and Hawksmoor Heath. All of these courses have been accepted and well liked by the Links Community with Hawksmoor Heath having the most success with its being designated as a LC Recommended Course. David has taken Whitewebbs though to a new level with the course already being designated a LC Recommended Course as well as a Players Choice Course. Here is a little bit from the readme:
[quote]'Whitewebbs is my first attempt at a woodland / parkland style course.
Being a sad old 56k dial up user I wanted to try and make an enjoyable course for everyone whist keeping the download size as manageable as possible for those in the same position as myself. Hopefully, I didn't do too bad a job. J
Set somewhere in the hills and valleys of the English countryside, Whitewebbs is my 4th course made freely available to the Links community. I hope you have fun with it.
.
The course itself measures 7107 yards from the back tees and can provide a fair test for golfers of all levels and abilities, especially when the wind howls across the hills.
Water abounds on many holes and is obviously to be avoided at all cost if a sub par round is to be obtained. Aggressive play is well rewarded but a more cautious approach can sometimes reap it own rewards.'[/quote]
Overall Impressions:
I have enjoyed all of David's previous courses and Whitewebb's has carried on that pattern. This is a wonderful course that is very pleasing to the eye with everything looking very natural; which is surprising in that the course is under 30 MB in size, as it looks like it should be 70 MB in size. The layout of the course is very interesting and will force a player to think about shots and not just 'grip it and rip it' like some other courses. Because of the layout there is plenty of risk and reward spread all throughout the course with 2 holes in particular(#6 and #11) just tempting a player to drive the green and go for that low score, but this would require the correct wind direction and a good shot, but it is so tempting.
The course looks and feels like it really could exist, which is one of the most important things I feel. The elevation changes that are built into the course are very natural feeling and have been created very well. The fairways are roomy and challenging in their design. They do allow a player to use many different shots though and in only a couple of places is the player dictated to use a particular club because of the hole design. The greens are also done pretty well, although a couple of them are very challenging because of where the pins are cut but this should not deter someone from trying the course as you just have to be careful of what conditions you use with these tougher pin positions.
The technical APCD work is very well done. There are no visual problems anywhere that I could see. All advanced techniques for the APCD have also been used in this design as well. It shows that David has taken the time to perfect his style of APCD work and done the research/practice necessary to create a top-notch design.
The planting is very lifelike throughout the course and has been done very, very well. The under planting has also been done very well and adds to the overall look and feel of the course. There were only a couple of repeated trees, but to be honest unless you are looking for them you will never notice them. The trees do sometimes effect how a player is able to approach a hole but this is fine as it does not occur to often.
The hazards are also done pretty well throughout the course. The bunkers and water features are placed in spots to challenge the players shot making ability. The greens and fairways are guarded very well by the hazards. The bunkers are especially pleasing in that they are of various shapes and sizes and varying depths throughout the course.
The textures that were used create a very IRL look to the course. They compliment each other and blend well together to create the course atmosphere. Add the excellent planting and the natural contour of the land and this is a very real looking course.
The only thing that I did not like about the course(and this is rather minor and leans more to personal preference than anything else) is that there is a bunker on the 15th green. If the wind blows a player off track and their approach shot lands on the other side of the bunker/tree then they are forced to either 3 putt around the obstacle or chip on the green. Like I said this is personal preference thing, and should not be used as a reason to not download the course.
Now let's walk through some holes on the course:
Hole 6: This is a short par 4 hole on the course that measures in at around 294 yards from the back tees. It just begs a player to drive the green and go for that really low score but the green is protected by a water hazard on the front side and bunkers and trees on the other sides. This green can be reached in 1 if you are capable of making the shot to get it there but you better have the wind at your back to make sure you carry the water otherwise it could be a very long day at this hole.
Hole 11: This is another short par 4 hole that is slightly longer than hole #6 but it has more of a drop from the tee than #6. This green can also be reached in one but is far more difficult that hole #6 in that the distance from tee to green is deceiving because of the drop in height. There is still water guarding the front of the green and if the player has the wind at their back with a good shot can carry this water and reach the green.
Closing comments:
This is a top notch course by David. Everything about the design is solid. From the technical APCD work to the planting of grasses everything has been done very well. I highly recommend this course to all Linksters.
"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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CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Fictional, woodland course |
Location
The readme doesn’t get any more specific that ‘somewhere in England’. I can
see this in maybe Warwickshire or Gloucestershire. |
Conditions
Some ambitious greens here, and I wouldn't take it faster than M*/S* |
Concept 7/10
Despite the questionable name, there's a course well worth playing here. Whitewebbs is one of David's more down-played and believable
courses, but still has a terrific line in innovative hole design, tempered slightly with some slightly more ordinary designs around the turn. In
fact, it's the more normal holes that provide the best advertisement, showing that hole design can be clever but still restrained and
convincing. Those who have found David's courses ill-suited for tournament strokeplay might just find solace here. |
Appearance 8/10
There's not much to fault, that's for sure. Nice textures, discrete planting and a sure hand with 3D work are all good selling points at
Whitewebbs. The few flaws occur around the labyrinth of paths and the distortions where they are bent to the whim of the elevations,
which themselves are a little lumpy in places. |
Playability 9/10
A hugely fun and extremely well-balanced round, complemented by all the little touches like quality sound and hole previews.
Plenty of variety in the hole lengths, and the need for careful planning of approach angles are all indicative of a round with its feet on
the ground, as opposed to the wild target golf at the likes of Saxon Vale or Vista Verde. Highly enjoyable. |
Challenge 8/10
The greens aren't the greatest or most realistic, with lots of intricate gradients, but there is some tolerance for faster conditions if you're
careful. This is unlikely to be a problem given the swathe of Eagle chances you are presented with: most are carefully hazarded, of
course, but there\\\'s not much tolerance for traditional golfing challenge here. An unusual balance, but oddly it works more often than
not. |
Technical 9/10
Largely a very coherent effort, even withstanding some mixed elevation work. There's a terrific coherence and atmosphere to this
course, aided by first-rate planting and texture use, and even in the days of hi-res it looks as crystal clear as could be wished for. |
| Overall |
Earns its mantle as David's best course through a touch more realism than the rest
of the collection. Still an opportunity to show off tremendous golfing values, though. |
41/50 |
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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