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Cutty Sark
by Kennet Larsson
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 1643 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2006-01-17 |
21,098,496 bytes |
72 |
7380 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
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FICTIONAL |
WOODLAND |
Cutty Sark.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
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LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Designer: Kennet Larsson is not a newcomer to the world of designing, having previously released four fictional courses in the styles of Mountain, Woodland and Unclassified, but this is his first release for quite a while, so hopefully he hasn't lost the touch.
Course: Off the first tee, Cutty Sark may give an impression to players that a challenge lies ahead, but unfortunately, this is not something that eventuates. The layout of the course is enjoyable and challenging at times, but player's will soon realise there aren't many differences between each hole, with each design being generally straight and only being broken up by bunkers and water, something that saved the course from complete repetition. The panorama matched the course well, but there were many occasions where the hole design was too close to the end of the plot, which is something that can affect playability and looks quite bad when no trees have been planted to break up the visuals.
The Par 4's and 5's were too long and tight, something which ruined the enjoyment of the design, while the fairway undulations and rolling effect that was implemented were totally unrealistic. Bunkers seemed to be placed for the sake of doing so, rather than positioned according to the hole design, while the design of the green's overall was inconsistent. There was an area in the upper part of the fairway on the Par 4 on Hole 18 that wasn't ever going to get used, so having so much of it was highly impractical. All of the small bushes, rocks and trees were nice, in addition to the water which was used well in both the design and aesthetics of the course, but with no real stand out hole design's or visual features, Cutty Sark was a disappointment in place of something that could have been much better.
Favourite Hole: My favouritle hole on the course would have been the Par 3 on Hole 14, as even though it was very difficult with water surrounding such a tiny green, it at least was a challenge, which is something the course didn't provide enough of throughout the whole layout.
Playability: Cutty Sark is a design that lacks a challenge in many ways, but is certainly a course that can prove to be quite tough to play because of many factors. The greens will definitely determine how well you score on this course, not because of their curve or sloping, but because of an inconsistency in their design and size, as well as some poor pin placements. If you manage a high percentage of greens in regulation, then count yourself fortunate, as putting can be near impossible on occasions, with the Par 4 on Hole 12 having a valley in it.
For the adventurous player's, the Par 4 on Hole 8 is reachable in the right conditions, but is very risky with a tiny green and water, while Hole 15's Par 4 is also reachable in high winds, but bunkers and trees will really test the ability of the player for this hole to give up an eagle opportunity. In terms of the design affecting playability, the Par 3 on Hole 6 has a blind pin because of tree placements, while there are trees near the back tee on the Hole 17 Par 5 that are much too close to the player's shot range. For those deciding whether or not to attempt a drive over the creek on the Par 5 on Hole 17, it is possible, but is a high risk, while even though the Par 4 on Hole 18 looks safe enough, with water behind the green, it's important to not be too aggressive with your last shot, or else you will pay the price. If you stay within regulation on most occasions for both the fairway and green, then Cutty Sark will be a manageable course to play, but if you spray the ball too much off the tee, making birdies will become really tough, and par will become more of a regular occurrence.
Technically: In addition to the course design, the real disappointment of Cutty Sark was the lack of APCD execution within the layout, with so many parts lacking a polished finish. Because the textures were so different in their composition, the lack of seam blending really stood out, while even though the course was generally clean visually, there were many areas where this was not the case. A lot of the bunkers seemed to be half completed, with the application and look of each bunker changing. The elevation work was unrealistic, while many of the tee boxes and tee placements seemed to be sloppy in their execution. There was an area on Hole 10 where trees just off the fairway were actually fenced off, which meant if a player just missed the fairway, their next shot could quite well be interfered with by the fence. In terms of positive additions, the textures were nice, while the bridges, hole signs, paths and tee divots were all welcome touches. Lastly, the splash screen makes players think that the course is based on a real life design, which it may well have been, but without a read-me, this is an unknown fact. Considering the designer has released courses in the past with better APCD work, it is a shame to see Cutty Sark as it appeared, as it truly could have been of a higher quality.
Other: The course contains a cameo, custom flag, handicaps and a splash screen, but doesn't include any hole previews. The zip file's only relevant inclusion is the course file, with a read-me being an unfortunate absence. Considering this is the designer's first release in quite some time, it may take him a while to rediscover a touch for the APCD, but with some nice design's having been released in the past, hopefully Cutty Sark will be the first course in a wave of new releases from this designer in the future.
Download Value: At just under 20mb in size, the course is a quick download for any user, but don't expect anything else, as there aren't any extras included within the zip file. If you enjoyed any of the designer's previous releases, then perhaps you should check out his latest design, but with poor APCD execution and repetitive hole design's, this course wasn't as good as it could have been, and won't be something I will be keeping on my HD or burning to CD.
Information:
Course Statistics:
2003 - Fictional Woodland - Par 72 - 3 Tees
7380yds (Back) - 6829yds (Forward)
Par 3's: 4 - Par 4's: 10 - Par 5's: 4
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