|
OttawaGolf Great 18
by Dan (Kilroy) Kilbank
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 192 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2001-03-09 |
47,558,892 bytes |
72 |
6887 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
REAL |
PARKLAND |
OttawaGolfGreat18a.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| e416634b32524d8792ef2f63f7dc794b |
ad34969dcc931f433808a5b6d2ea3bb6 |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by James Wood
Course History:
This is a tough one to get right since I would need to run down the history of not one but eighteen golf courses. The real purist may want to call this a fictional course based on the fact you can't actually play the course as it is laid out. If this bothers some people than so be it but they are the ones who would be missing out.
First Impressions:
The splash screen lists all of the holes and where they were taken from is very well done and unfortunately goes by too quickly. The next thing you see is a beautiful panorama that greets you on the first tee box. Taken at Edelweiss golf course, in the Gatineau Hills, at the peak of the fall season, it blends in very well with the planting that has been done here. Extruded tee boxes were done well and shouldn't cause any bad bounces here. Cart paths are flat and well laid out. The under planting here is sparse but that doesn't really detract from the scenery and probably will be greatly appreciated since this file is already large without unnecessarily adding to it. Custom signs for each hole, custom tee markers, numerous bridges, buildings, fences, and other objects dot the course. The sand bunkers are well done with good depth but are missing the latest trend, which is to have a second extrusion with a lip of some sort of dirt. There is quite a bit of water on the course. This water, which includes lakes and creeks, has not been done as well as the bunkers. It has been flattened properly but no lip has been created. If the water had had the same treatment as the bunkers than this would not have been worth mentioning.
Strategy:
Good changes in elevation throughout the course make for some interesting club selections. Putting here is difficult. Some of the holes have very contoured greens and a few are severely sloped. Three of the par 5's are reachable and all of these offer great risk reward shots. The 5th hole is a real sleeper. The expected trouble is the water in front of the green but there is a line of trees that are just as capable of knocking down your second shot. The 6th hole requires a power drive and a solid second shot to an elevated green. The 11th hole is a dogleg left with a 3W second shot that is all carry over water. On the 13th you must aim towards the corner of the bunker in front of you while hitting a draw around the trees guarding the tee box. The second shot leaves you with a 200-yard carry over the water to the green. The 18th is not reachable and this green is severely sloped from back to front leaving you with little opportunity to get the ball close if the pin is located in the back.
Favorite Hole:
The par 3 #8 has been taken from Packenham Canyon #2. This is a beautiful par 3 with a couple of bridges clearly visible. Almost any hole here could have been picked as a favorite and 18 different players will have 18 opinions.
Overall:
A great job of taking 18 holes from 18 different courses and weaving them into a very cohesive golf course.
Excellent effort and should be in everyone's course library as a permanent addition.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lacy Gearheart's thoughts...
A brand new concept that you may see more of in the future. 18 real holes on a fictional layout makes this a keeper for the ages. The addition of the colorful panorama just adds to its long term appeal. No flaws noted.
Course Info :
Cameo Screen? Yes
Splash Screen? Yes
Text file?
Hole Previews?
16mb
Reviewed March 2001 |
|
CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Real, mountain compilation course. |
Location
TBA |
Conditions
TBA |
Concept 9/10
The idea of a 'compilation' course is not a new one, but Ottawa really has
stretched the limits by choosing eighteen ultra-appealing, amazinglooking,
and brilliantly-challenging holes to really set your teeth a-jangle.
Every hole, nay - every shot, requires the utmost in concentration and
skilfulness, because every one of these is a different course's trademark
hole. It will invariably prove too much for some: too strenuous or
complicated, but for the devoted target golfer and lover of good views,
Ottawa is a rare gem. Truly a great 18, as the title promises! |
Appearance 7/10
I am very impressed with the way these holes look individually, but as a whole they don't really join on from one another and there's
little if any continuity. Parts of the design are starting to look old fashioned now; there are some really quite bad hard edges and
extrusions that would be considered bad form today. The panorama is stunning, though, and might cause you to overlook some of the
little flaws in construction. |
Playability 9/10
Because of the nature of this course - in other words, the fact that the designer has specifically picked 18 excellent golf holes - there
is a lot to keep you busy here, and in many ways it's a golfing experience like no other. However, and this is a big injunction, it's fairly
nerve wracking to have to play at your best for a whole round, so Ottawa demands exclusive concentration. |
Challenge 6/10
These holes are chosen not just from an appearance and playability angle, but also because they are a stern test of the golfer. In this
sense, the course is too hard: you'll do well to break par (I failed, and I shot a hole in one about 10 seconds after taking this
screenshot) because of the acute hazarding and the difficult greens. Anyone playing with fast greens should definitely beware! |
Technical 6/10
Obviously, a lot of effort has gone into recreating these holes as accurately as possible, and the designer is to be commended for this,
particularly with regard to some excellent planting. In this day of smooth extrusions and texture blends, though, the course has a lot to
be desired, and hard edges abound and multiply the more you look for them. Not bad, but not good either. |
| Overall |
An excellent and fun set of golf holes: best treated as a 'theme' course and not as a
round of 18 at all. |
37/50 |
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.
|
|
Download course
|
Please support Links Corner
|
|
|
