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Esker Field ...
by John Aherne
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 1650 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2006-02-19 |
53,526,528 bytes |
70 |
6920 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
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FICTIONAL |
HEATHLAND |
Esker Field Final._locked.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
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| COURSE NOTES |
Well second time around, the first release had a couple of problems with Tourney Objects not behaving properly, so they've been fixed. I have also added some insect loops and tidied up here and there. Oh! and thanks to Tim H for handicapping the holes.
So enjoy again!! |
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LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Designer: This is John Aherne's second design, having previously released Hell Fire Golf Club, a fictional course set in the mountains.
Course: Even though Esker Field is a fictional design, it is partially based on a real course. Because of this, the course has a realistic feel to it, and when playing, it is very much like a course that you would see being used in a tournament in real life. The bunkers were positioned well, but it seemed that there was an over reliance of small bunkers near the greens, while on the other hand, there was unfortunately a lack of fairway bunkers, which is supposed to be a common hindrance to player's on design's of this type. Long Par 5's are never a bad feature in a course design when used correctly, but having three long Par 4's after the long Par 5 on Hole 4 was perhaps a bit too much. The subtle elevation changes and fairway undulations in each hole design was really nice, while the pin placements was definitely one of the masterstrokes in regard to the overall course strategy. With wide open fairways, a wonderful double green that both Hole 9 and 18 share, and a very nice clubhouse to finish, Esker Field is a true tournament style design that many people will love to play.
Favourite Hole: The Par 3 on Hole 13 was my favourite hole on the course, as with the panorama in the background providing great scenery in addition to the bunkers proving to be quite a challenge, the hole had a great balance of difficulty and visuals.
Playability: For a Par 70 design, the course is quite long, but with great variation in the angle and placement of each tee, the course can immediately play quite differently depending on which tee you wish to play off. If you choose to play the course as it should be played in windy conditions, getting the ball onto the relatively tiny greens can be quite tough, but even more so considering the amount of bunkers that surround each green and that you often have to navigate your ball over. In windy conditions, maintaining a high percentage of fairways in regulation should be easy enough, but getting your ball to stop on the greens may prove to be quite tough.
The greens are really very birdie friendly, with each one not having much curve to it, which means that once you get used to the slope levels, sinking putts should become quite easy. The construction of the greens is not a negative as such for those putting on them, but with many greens being very similar in their design, it almost seems like one putt is the same as the last on particular occasions. For those after eagle opportunities, the first two Par 5's are not reachable, but depending on the drive off the tee, the one on Hole 18 can be, while the Par 4 on Hole 9 is reachable, but only in the right conditions for the players who don't mind taking a big swing.
Technically: From the first tee onwards, everything is very well presented around the layout of Esker Field. The tee areas are immaculate in their appearance, while the seam blending throughout the layout of the design is great. The textures and panorama make the course look truly realistic, with the panorama blending in with the course exceptionally well, while the planting of bushes, flowers and grasses sets the tone for the overall visual style of the design. Additional extras such as bridges, fences, roads, and running water are all outstanding inclusions, while the textures used were a great selection. The bunkers seemed to be constructed well, with each one looking very nice, although on some occasions in the top view, straight edges in particular bunkers are easily spotted. Even though it's a tiny negative in what is a positive course, the decision behind placing three dots at the end of the course name is quite weird, considering that no course in real life would do so, while even though it may seem insignificant, it really is something that is off-putting and that could have been easily avoided. By the time the player is finishing up their round though, they should really appreciate the effort put into this design technically, as Esker Field is yet another step forward in the portfolio of this designer.
Other: The course comes with a cameo, crowds, handicaps, hole previews, tournament objects, and two great splash screens. The graphical part of the hole previews was quite different, but the impact of them was lessened because of the plain borders. Esker Field is a nice course that really immerses the player within a tournament atmosphere, but unlike many other similarly styled courses, the design itself is not overtly difficult.
A course like this in real life will quite often have naturally strong winds testing out the player's ability, but when conditions are less confronting, other areas of the course usually make up for the lack of wind to still provide a tough challenge, but in many ways, that's what Esker Field seems to be missing. Regardless of the fact this course is loosely based on a real life design, the course is stated as being fictional, and therefore, the designer could have taken more liberties in the type of challenges each hole had in its design.
Download Value: Sized at just under 49mb, Esker Field is an average sized download for most users, while even though it only includes a read-me within the zip file, it comes with some great extras within the course itself. If you enjoyed the designer's previous release, then this is a must download, but for myself, it doesn't offer anything truly unique, so therefore it's not something I will be keeping on my hard drive, but it's definitely a course that I will be burning to CD.
Information:
Course Statistics:
2003 - Fictional Heathland - Par 70 - 5 Tees
6920yds (Back) - 6136yds (Forward)
Par 3's: 5 - Par 4's: 10 - Par 5's: 3
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