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Innisbrook-Copperhead
by Glenn Braden Note: This course contains 1024x1024 textures and can only be played in version 1.07 or later of Links 2003
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 2123 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2013-02-04 |
116,381,914 bytes |
71 |
7290 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
REAL |
PARKLAND |
Innisbrook 2013_locked.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| 7ab897fdc86644d5bf8dca130540f689 |
c8dd7c1c7478e6ec120f7792866da53a |
| COURSE NOTES |
Ernie Els said the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club is "the best golf course the PGA Tour plays in Florida." The notion was seconded by Stewart Cink.
Curtis Strange said, "I could play this course for the rest of my life and enjoy it - it has that much character."
With the pros gushing like this, who needs public relations people? Not that the PR folks at Innisbrook don't do a fine job, but a course like this makes their lives a lot easier.
The Copperhead is indeed one of the better courses in Florida, which is why the pros visit every fall for the Chrysler Championship. But, is it better than Doral, the TPC at Sawgrass or even World Woods? That probably depends on your perspective, but there's no denying Copperhead is one of the top resort courses in the state and even the country.
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CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Real, woodland course |
Location
Florida |
Conditions
Plays well, and recommended, on F*/F* |
Concept 7/10
A fair few plays on Innisbrook reveals some of the course's charm: the good use of green complexes and bunkering, the way no particular hazarding is emphasised to the detriment of the others, and the excellent Par 3 holes. There are a lot of very creative challenges here on a course that - in other hands - might be flat and uninteresting. The conversion is somewhat inconsistent, and it's difficult to believe you're really in Florida, but the original course has enough highlights that this won't be an issue to many players. |
Appearance 7/10
One aspect that should be highlighted, in case it's otherwise missed, is the excellent tree planting. Ranging from dense to sparse, it immediately feels natural and authentic, and clearly a great deal of effort has been expended on this area. Elsewhere, although the fountains and flowers look rather garish, the course has largely been cleaned of the sharp edges and presented much more believably. The textures are individually nice (particularly the pine straw and the bunkers), but as a whole are very strongly-coloured and artificial. But it's a great stride forward on previous incarnations. |
Playability 6/10
This is a course that really takes a couple of rounds to appreciate, but the openness and accessibility is apparent from the very first. Good shot-shaping is offered as a viable, and often preferable, alternative to throttling down off the tee, and the lengthy Par 5s make considering that 2-Wood a very viable option. It might not hit you at first, but there is some clever golf here. Unfortunately, the constant pushing back of hole lengths and boundaries replaces some of the cleverness with brute force. |
Challenge 6/10
A little bit of everything: bunkers are well-placed but easily escaped; rough is easy to hit and easy to escape; and the trees are used well, closing down to a worrying thickness on occasions. The greens are accessible and very playable, and they alone might be the reason you'd expect to score in the 60s. |
Technical 7/10
Although the colours are a bit overpowering, the course's environments have been lifted above the dull and uninspiring, thanks to excellent layered planting. There are very good aspects to the course environs and just about enough to knit them together into a convincing course. This is a track that could really shine if only it had enough to make players feel at home. |
| Overall |
A real grower of a course, one which was unfairly overlooked in its Microsoft incarnation. The APCD version isn't perfect, but it is a lot more playable. |
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. |
This course is available as a FREE download.
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