| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 2004 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2011-04-29 |
0 bytes |
72 |
7013 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
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REAL |
PARKLAND |
.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
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| COURSE NOTES |
This is purely an update of Mark Austin's original (c. 2005) Hever Castle Beta version with added seam blends and planting which probably weren't available at the time. Mark did all the donkey work but I haven't been able to get in contact with him. Anyway, I felt that it was a great track and have tried to keep true to what Mark did.
John Brooks |
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CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Real, parkland course |
Location
Kent |
Conditions
M*/M* is probably the limit. |
Concept 7/10
The castle's not particularly in evidence, but what we do have here is a pleasant, open and occasionally visually excellent course which has been knocked gently into shape over the course of a half-dozen years. There are some surprisingly testing uses of water on the way round which betray Hever Castle's small-club appearance, some picturesque Par 3s and a devilishly long Par 5 penultimate hole. It all hangs together pretty well, complimented by good course presentation. |
Appearance 6/10
With the planting tidied up, de-cloned for the most part, and increased in density, there's a lot more coherence to this course than in earlier incarnations. It's supported by a subtle panorama and an intriguing clubhouse design. Unfortunately, there are still niggles: the elevations are lumpy in points, the textures at mid- and long-distances are mismatched, and there are still a few clones lurking around the plot. It's very much worth it for some pretty holes, but the flaws still remain. |
Playability 8/10
I found Hever Castle to be an excellent work-out, requiring imagination, guile and good course knowledge, or alternatively good use of the hole previews. The use of streams as hazards mean you often have to feel your way around carefully, and there is a lot of base satisfaction in playing the short Par 3s. |
Challenge 5/10
Not as easy a pushover as some of John's courses from the south of England, you will need to play very well to avoid all the water, and mixing with the trees is likely to cause problems, too. A sharp eye for bunkering means a regulation green is no guarantee at all. But, on the flipside, there are some shortish Par 5s which virtually ask to be eagled, and a run of holes around the turn where the imagination seems to have run dry. |
Technical 7/10
Congratulations are definitely due to John for taking a previously mediocre and barely-playable course and making it worthy of our attention again. It's not totally perfect, and some work on the plot wouldn't hurt, but it has brought new life to a course that deserves to be seen. |
| Overall |
A course with a few surprises and a couple of really pretty holes. Very much worth having just for those. |
33/50 |
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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