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Dullatur Antonine 2005
by Paul Seaman
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 1652 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2006-03-06 |
78,172,160 bytes |
69 |
5916 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
REAL |
WOODLAND |
Dullatur Antonine 2005.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| 714c6ea7f2f64ddaa71047d507ec6b14 |
a48bd9ac75ef3cf053f42aad5e974a45 |
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LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by: Chuck Clark
Background: This is fourth course done for Links by Mr. Seaman. I couldn't tell you much about the previous three other than they were released a long time ago and probably weren't that popular. However, Mr. Seaman is well known about the Links community. He is one of the reviewers here at Links Corner and frequents the boards; and his son (Leigh) has designed a couple of very fine courses.
Dullatur Antonine is a real course in Scotland. The read-me document attached as part of the zip file has a very fine description of the course and the history of the area. I recommend you read it; it will add to your enjoyment of the course. This is obviously a very fun and quirky golf course; that I would love to play in real life. Maybe I'll get over the Scotland some day and take Stewart Parker up on his offer (see the read-me).
Although Mr. Seaman is listed as the designer; it is apparent from the read-me that Stewart Parker also played a big part in the design and construction of this course. Dullatur Antonine was originally done by Mr. Parker as a Links 2001 course. Frankly it wasn't very well done and wasn't exactly embraced by the members at Links Corner. To his credit Mr. Parker didn't give up and asked Mr. Seaman for help. I won't completely re-write the read-me here; but this version of Dullatur is a completely new version from the ground up.
Overall Impression: My overall impression of this course is very favorable. This course is a joy! It's a joy to play and it's a joy to look at. Dullatur is a very short and hilly golf course with lots of quirky holes and funky little dog-legs. I really enjoy playing this course and plan on keeping it on my hard drive (which is very rare for me). It is very well built and the textures and colors chosen work beautifully together. The custom pano (done by Daniel Watson) is fantastic as well and adds a big note of authenticity to the overall impression. The view of the 3D clubhouse as you're coming up the 18th hole also completes your round and tops off your experience here perfectly.
Playability/Shot Values: What a fun course to play. It is very playable and I'm sure most people can score pretty well here. It is short and quirky. Driver is rarely the right club to use off the tee; although you can really go low if you use the driver and hit it long and straight. There are also some fun and interesting dog-legs which require some careful planning. This course is also very hilly. You will have lots of up, down and side hill lies. I don't think there is a flat hole on the course. I love this type of course! To me there is nothing more boring than a long and flat course where the holes run back and forth parallel to each other. This course is anything but boring.
Just for your information this course plays to a par of 69. It is only 5,916 yards from the back tee's and has only two par 5's (both on the back nine).
Visuals: In a word, Beautiful. The textures, planting, pano, objects and clubhouse are all very well done; and work beautifully together. If you haven't already downloaded this course then check out the screenshots below; I think you'll agree with me.
Technique: Beautiful technique here in every way. I didn't see a single error. Mr. Parker and Mr. Seaman should really be commended here. They have worked hard and really learned how to use the program (APCD). They didn't give up when they could have and the result is an absolute masterpiece! In particular the seam blending, the elevations, the planting and the 3D work are all very well done. One thing that is very hard to make realistic looking in the APCD are small creek beds and/or ditches. There are a few small ditch's here which the designers have done a pretty good job of replicating. They may not look perfectly realistic; but I thought they were fun to look at anyway. One other note is the 3D tee blocks that Paul painstakingly made. They look great and I'm sure they were a bunch of work to make.
Favorite Hole: I actually like most of the holes here. One of the par fives has a cape style green complex perched above a veritable jungle; which I found out (to my disgust) is out of bounds. There is one par 4 where you have to punch a long iron under a tree branch. There are also a number of very fun and reachable par 4's which offer some awesome risk-reward types of choices. However, when you make a slam-dunk hole-in-one on your first round at a course; it's hard not to pick that hole as your favorite. I actually did that on the 13th hole; so it gets my vote, even though there is nothing remarkable about it.
Summary: A completely fun and beautiful golf course! An absolute joy to play and very well constructed. I love this course and plan on playing it for a very long time. I heartily recommend it! Well done gentlemen; you are to be commended!
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CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Real, links course |
Location
TBC |
Conditions
TBC |
Concept 9/10
This is a brilliant, rolling links course which rewards shotmakers and punishes those who miss the fairways. Most holes deliberately provoke an attempt at breaking par, but are well guarded. Several par 4s and all the Par 5s are reachable under regulation, but miss and you will be left with a testing putt or a deep extraction from one of the course's fabulous bunkers. In many ways, it's a target course disguised as a links. |
Appearance 9/10
The best thing about this course is the bunkers, which have been beautifully blended in using a muddy texture which looks wholly, beautifully natural. Close behind are the smashing balding textures used for fairways and greens. This course doesn't have computer-game presentation, it genuinely looks played. On the flipside, the planting of the deep rough looks a bit careless, and the ditches are over-extruded and look unnatural. But it's still a very good-looking course. |
Playability 7/10
I found Antonine quite fun to play, due to its intellectual demands. With tough conditions, it would be completely unenjoyable, and you'd be well-advised to play it while the sun is shining and you can go for your shots. Whatever the conditions, you are forced to think all the way round and it's not a course which you can play with one eye on the TV. |
Challenge 5/10
Antonine has a lot of greens reachable under regulation, and without severe hazarding players will want to go for the eagles when possible. It's too easy unless played off the back tees; even the greens are forgiving and playable. My test round of -8 (B/F/M) was testimony to this. |
Technical 8/10
There is a lot of very good technical work on this course, marred by only one or two errors in presentation. If a second version is released, I would expect the planting to be tidied up, and the creek and mud tracks to look more natural (perhaps a better seam blend). There's not a lot wrong with this course, but it's still a step away from being really great. |
| Overall |
A good course, good fun to play, but still requiring some final polishing to make it into the top tier. |
38/50 |
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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