|
Chateau Bourrache
by Mitch Sirk
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 1670 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2006-06-12 |
83,448,379 bytes |
71 |
7142 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
FICTIONAL |
PARKLAND |
Chateau Bourrache Golf Club_locked.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| 0ec1dae1e63242c78f78a8d574bd9dc6 |
4dbbe335f70a3b83ead373541a76515a |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewer - Michael Hubbard
INTRODUCTION
With some of the most atmospheric golf designs under his belt, Mitch has turned his attention to the creation of a stylish French course.
Extract from the Readme
'Bourrache is a course that rewards precision thus I advise all players to take advantage of the previews and PDF format players' guide. '*
'The great boulevards of mature trees mostly remain and are probably the most distinguishing feature of the golf course.
The course does not merely follow the parallel lines of the trees, however . . . , ensuring that the mature trees themselves have often to be considered as part of play strategy. The sometimes dense undergrowth makes hitting through the trees a very risky business indeed.
'Bourrache is an effort by me to create a more manicured, pristine type of course. Arguably more in the American style but set in mainland Europe - the French countryside to be exact'
'With the 'MOD' at f/f setting putting will be trickier, but no pins at Bourrache rest on unrealistic slopes'
* Extract Players Guide
This guide is intended to assist the tournament player by revealing some of the strategies and nuances of this little known course. The advice herein is helpful to all players but specifically those playing from the back or tournament tees. . . . Although apparently illogical in layout, the document is set up so that you can print out, fold and staple together your own.
COURSE
With its French provincial setting, this course is immediately set apart from many others. It has the flavour of French Wine all around from the Vineyards, to the surrounding buildings, to the Chateau and its rather plain wall - Screenshots 3, 8 & 11. The course is beautifully crafted in a parkland style that has both realism and atmospheric character.
At first glance the corridors created by the trees may appear to make the venue a little repetitive in nature. However, as stated above, the course is engrafted into the valley most ingeniously so as not to spoil the natural ambiance whilst providing the added challenge of trees in and around the fairway playing areas. Notable amongst such examples is the par 5, 13th where ones second shot must traverse a dense copse of trees to reach the green in two from a blind lie. This makes for great character and thoughtful shot selection throughout. The mauve borage plants from which the vineyard gets its name provides some refreshing blushes of colour around an otherwise very green track. There are very moderate crowds available added to a small amount of tournament objects - Screenshot 5.
The panorama here is seamless to the course providing unlimited depth to the views. On the fairways there are occasional patches of discolouration, one or two stone distant markers and sufficient contouring to make the whole thing captivating in its realism. Mitch has used the French Tricolour for the flags, plastic spheres for the tee markers along with Wine hoardings, Roman Statues, hole preview boards, 3D structures and numerous stone bridges to cross the many waterways situated here. There is an Ornamental Pond fronting an inspiring clubhouse that dominates over the 9th and 18th greens - Screenshots 1, 8 & 10. The bird sounds Mitch has used blend in superbly and remind me of the skylark's I used to hear growing up.
On the surface all seems resplendent, however as is often lamented, 'the devil is in the detail'. The tall grasses both in the rough and especially around the many water canals appear to be sparse and poorly planted. Such planting is very evident in play, such as at the 15th - Screenshot 7 and as such detracts from an otherwise competent vista.
The French flag on a good many holes has a dark green border to it that looks out of place. In addition the old divots that Mitch has used on the tees detract from the feel of the course for me, in there being a lime green colour for the most part and rather chaotically placed. The fairway transition to the fringe is unusual in being feathered and not straight, as is the norm. This seemed a little out of step with the intention of a more manicured course, but many may prefer the alternative look - Screenshot 2.
In regards to the bunkers, they have some variations that may not suit all. There is no consistency to the traps around the course. There are various types of bunker lips used in addition to different textures of sand including an unusual washed texture - Screenshot 4. This is found on some steep sides although most predominantly in the shallower bunkers. I remain mystified by the selection and variation of the textures, giving me reason to ask Mitch about it in his interview - see below. For me personally such variation does not add to the course but rather creates a rather haphazard look to the course. Such is evident from the very first fairway where the three bunkers down the left side manifest three diverse variations despite being just a few feet apart. In addition some of the bunker lips appear to be poorly mapped, not at all what one would expect from a P2P course.
PLAYABILITY
Chateau Bourrache plays 7142 from the tournament tees with 4 par fours over 450 yards and just two reachable par fives. In addition the 14th hole is a beautiful downhill par 4 hole with a three tiered green that is reachable from the tee - Screenshot 6, though not without risk. Interestingly the outward nine is some 450 yards longer than the homeward journey. Yet with tougher greens approaching the finish a birdie spree is unlikely.
Each hole presents a different challenge whether it is the negotiating of fairway traps, avoiding trees for the approach or steering well clear of the man made waterways that traverse the odd fairway. As such Chateau Bourrache puts a premium on accurate driving and course management which is a refreshing change from the 'grip it and rip it' tracks that abound. As such the players guide/hole previews are of great value in selecting the safest route.
Water poses a problem here especially around the turn from the meandering waterway running up the par 5, 7th fairway - Screenshot 9, on through holes 9, 10 & 11. In fact it is only fair to warn all visitors to the Chateau that there are no gimmie drives on this course!
The greens are of good size and delightfully contoured to bring the best out of the mod. That's not to say that the greens are easy. Greens 1, 12 & 14 all contain stepped levels - Screenshots 5, 6, with the 18th green being comprised of some especially challenging humps and mounds. The green at 9 is split by water just in front of the Chateau - Screenshots 3 & 10. All in all the greens provide added teeth at the sharp end of this course and ensure that every par is earned and every birdie is arduously acquired.
The elevations too add much to the fortitude of the surroundings. Whilst not overdone they beautifully compliment the venue such as at the 14th hole mentioned above, which falls some 42 feet thereby increasing the difficulty of the approach.
DESIGNER INTERVIEW - MITCH SIRK
1. How long did it take you to complete the comprehensive material in the readme file & the players guide?
'The background material, pdf guide etc grew along with the course. Sometimes when I get downtime at work I use graphics programmes to to add elements to the package. The basic concept and story were there from the start though.'
2. What was the intention behind creating the differing bunker and sand types for the course?'The different bunker types are there because that's what I've often encountered in real life. Unless you're playing a top class championship course, there are usually various types of bunker dependent on the surrounding soil or terrain, the state of repair etc. At Bourrache the bunkers with 'white' gravel lips are meant to look like they have been reinforced to maintain the edge, so that it doesn't crumble away.
The sand types represent what unfortunately is the case even on top rate courses - where sand has been lazily raked by a previous visitor, and footmarks or scattered sand or dirt are present. They all play the same but I was keen to get a realistic look. Similarly in the build file there are something like 14 different types of rough - all playing the same but looking a little different.'
3. What has pleased you most about the completion of the course?
'What pleased me most about finishing the course is the fact that I got thje damn thing done!
APCD is such a complex buggy programme that often it feels like you're going backwards - make a small change somewhere and unexpected side effects crop up elsewhere - like the texture problem I encountered on first release - infuriating!
In terms of personal satisfaction, there was a point about 9 months ago where I thought that Bourrache was pretty much what I wanted it to be. That was a good moment. Since then it's been beta testing and fiddling!'
4. Have you got any future courses underway or planned?
I've no plans to release another course at the moment, it takes too much time and I need a break, or maybe that's it for me. There are a couple of courses in early development but I seriously doubt right now whether I'll be in a position to invest the time and heartache in them.
CONCLUSION
Chateau Bourrache is a masterful course of both design and character. It provides choices off the tee and penalizes the wayward shot. Its greens are an unyielding test with the mod, ensuring that low scores will be hard to come by on the faster settings. It captures the very essence of provincial golf in France from the sights to the sounds and the most comprehensive of readme and player guides I have read to date.
For me, much of the detailed work around the course is mediocre and certainly falls short of what we have come to expect of the many P2P courses available. However, if you overlook the diversity of sand traps and ordinary planting then you cannot fail to be impressed by the overall setting and game play.
IN A WORD
Vintage Stratagem |
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CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Fictional, estate course |
Location
TBC |
Conditions
TBC |
Concept 10/10
There are few practitioners of the APCD as skilled at creating new and utterly convincing environments as Mitch Sirk. Chateau Bourrache is yet another sparkling concept, set in the former vineyards of a French manor house. Arrow-straight rows of trees show the old furrows of the vineyard, and water winds treacherously through the course. Brilliantly, the hole routes pay no heed to these and cut wantonly across the landscape at their own angles. Although the hole design is more restrained than in many of Mitch's other designs, there are a lot of well-mapped challenges and one or two surprises thrown in. Brilliant. |
Appearance 9/10
To be honest, there's not a huge amount to see here compared to other courses. The textures look just a little bit artificial, and one water feature hasn't quite been extruded properly. But there are fantastic views of the Chateau itself, and the planting - as ever - has been lovingly and amazingly well carried out. |
Playability 8/10
A suitable amount of variation in hole design and length, as well as an unexpected twist or two, keep you moving on apace. It's a slow-grower of a course, and you'll find more hidden treasures when you shift the pin positions and conditions. Best of all, what starts out as a stroll in the French countryside has a nasty and unexpected habit of biting back, and you'll be constantly desperate to pull back shots. Perhaps it doesn't have the full-on immediacy of Brydestone or the Kanaal New Course, but there's more than enough to keep you busy. |
Challenge 10/10
Brilliantly, the mish-mash of tree files and the spider-like streams all combine to make one hell of a good test. For a country estate, the deep grass is punishing and the planting constantly runs across the line of play, unless you are very accurate. Even on the easiest conditions, this course is no walkover; on the hardest, it's thankfully not unplayable. Perfect stuff. |
Technical 10/10
As one would expect, this is nearly flawless and very, very impressive. Nuff said? |
| Overall |
A stunner of a course. Atmospheric, deceptively playable and consistently testing, no matter how many times you go back. |
47/50 |
Please remember that Clipnote reviews are the opinion of one person and do not constitute an 'Official' Links Corner review of the course. |
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