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Devils Lake
by Mick Prendergast
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 508 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2001-08-07 |
12,453,157 bytes |
36 |
3776 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
FICTIONAL |
WOODLAND |
Devils Lake.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| 25221709f7244f0e89479cf28f29f764 |
7a09598472b1ee1176f5d228014bbcf4 |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by Mick Lenton
Thoughts from the 1st: Mick's short read-me about the course explains that it is the first 9 of a 27 hole complex based at Devil's Lake, Montana. I will say before I go any further. A very difficult course for an iffy PS'er. Very!!
The Course: These 9 holes are set on the diagonal of a large, very heavily wooded piece of land. There is a custom pano. But most of the skyline is the course itself. I wonder if the unused land will be used in the future?? Mostly custom textures are used and all look good apart from one I am not too keen on and that is the green fringe. It does glare at you a bit!! The pale tees sit in the dark rough. Only 3 are available. Back, middle and forward. I actually had to check in APCD to see if they were extruded and they aren't. But they look as if they are, slightly. The crosscut fairway has a nice 1st cut which leads to the rough. Most of the planting, of which there is a lot, is done in the stock forest texture. Not that you can see much of it. The greens have that rather vivid fringe. IMO it would have looked better with a fringe of a similar colour to the 1st cut. The bunkers have a pale custom sand and are very well constructed, fitting in exceptionally well. They do not have a dirt edge but are none the worse for that, as the slight undercut works very well. The planting is very thick, mainly of 'Christmas tree' type pines, (Sorry I am no good at botany) and can be a bit claustrophobic in places. It has been very well done though, with the odd tree dotted on the course itself, to get in the way. If you do go off line though.... The underplanting of flowers, bushes and grasses is good and brightens the course up without being garish. The lakes are not planted but have a nice stone edge. I really want to know how Mick got them looking so good without any mapping on the course. So all in all a very attractive course to play. Apart from that fringe. But very, very difficult.
Playability: The 1st is a dogleg right par 5. The drive is downhill to a quite narrow fairway. Single trees tight left and right and a bunker at the bottom right. The fairway is split by a large bunker with a large island of rough in the center. The 2nd is uphill to a wider fairway, with a bunker halfway down on the right. The green is, I would say, maybe reachable, but unlikely, so a wedge to the smallish, roundish green will probably leave you a rather sloping putt as I don't think there is a level spot on this course once you leave the tees.
The 2nd is another downhill drive to a bit wider fairway. Lake right and a bunker left. Over the lake most of the way. You are left with a short iron or wedge, over the lake, to the quite small, kidney shaped green, well protected by sand on 3 sides. Quite an undulating green again. Nice flower garden and lodge.
Number 3 is a very difficult par 3. Your uphill tee shot is over sand all the way, in the shape of a huge bunker. It is to a figure-of-8 green, bunker left, with an extreme slope on it. The green is roughly 9 feet higher at the back than the front and putting on it is a nightmare, placing this course almost in the fantasy category. My first putt of 4 feet, which was actually very close to going in, ended up 16 feet away and 31' below the hole. The only way to avoid this was to sink the putt!!! When I putted up the hill the ball came to a rest 6' from the hole and then proceeded to roll 3 feet back. Something needs to be done with this green IMHO.
The 4th is a fairly long, slightly uphill, par 4. The fairway widens and narrows as it goes and there is a bunker on the right, at the top. You will be left with a slightly uphill long iron, to the mid sized, undulating green, sand front and back. Quite a difficult 2nd shot. Don't be short!!
The 5th is a split fairway, par 4. The 2nd part of the fairway looks quite large. That is until you try to hit it. You could lay up short of the strip of rough, missing the bunker on the left. Or go for the 2nd part, which has sand both sides. Either way you will only be left with a wedge of some sort. The green is quite large and has sand front and back. Sloping as usual.
The 6th has a wide, but severely sloping fairway, bunkers both sides. You will be left with a side hill, short iron or wedge, downhill to the light bulb shaped green, sand front and back. Uphill slope front to back.
7 is another long par 4 with a slight dogleg right. You drive towards the end of the fairly generous fairway, bunker on the left, which will leave you a fairway wood or long iron to the quite small, for this length of shot, raised green. 3 bunkers surround this green and to stick it will take a very good shot. Another green with a general slope front to back, fairly steep.
The 8th is a very unusual par 5. You drive downhill to the end of the 1st fairway, bunkers right and left. When you get to your drive which will be on the corner of the dogleg left, you will be presented with a very long carry over a lake and only a bunker awaits you there as I think the green is out of reach. The alternative, or real shot is to the island fairway in the lake. It is quite narrow and as you will probably be hitting from a sloping lie, it is not the easiest of shots. Although as you will probably be using an iron it should be makeable. The flying saucer shaped green is quite large and has bunkers front and left. Again a steep slope front to back.
The last hole is a long par 3, over a lake to another of those flying saucers. Bunkers are very much in evidence with three covering all the angles. Stick the green and you will be fine, but it could be a difficult target. When you get there the green is probably the most level of them all.
Good Points: Very picturesque and well constructed course. Well planted and mostly fun to play.
Bad Points: That 3rd green and some of the lies I got on the fairways. A bit too sloping for me. Also as the rest of the course was so well done the stock tees in a line were a bit disappointing.
Favourite Hole: I loved that picturesque shot over the lake on the 2nd.
Least Favourite Hole: That sloping 3rd
Final thoughts: This is Mick's 6th course and a very nice contribution to the board. Clickers should have no real problems, apart from that 3rd green, but PSer's need to be wary of this course as it can pose real difficulties if you are a bit off line. So a nice course but with at least one very difficult green that may put people off and those stock tees that needed work on to make them fit the rest of the course. I would have liked to have seen the playing area ironed just a little bit as I got some very sloping lies on the fairways too. It does deserve a good score though as the good points do outweigh that one green.
Course Info :
Cameo Screen? Yes
Splash Screen? Yes
Text file? Yes
Hole Previews? No
12mb
Reviewed August 2001 |
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