|
Talon Course at Grayhawk
by John (SouthFla) Andersen
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 546 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2001-08-26 |
26,869,057 bytes |
72 |
7017 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
REAL |
DESERT |
Talon.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| d8efd38299f911d5bcae00045a46af58 |
6e0e075df50d21f7249055390a669f75 |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by Mick Lenton
Thoughts from the 1st: This is John's 5th contribution. Unfortunately I have not yet had the pleasure of playing any of John's other courses, mostly real. Looking at the other reviews it looks as if this one has a lot to live up to. If it does I should be heading for a very enjoyable round. From the view I am getting from here it looks as though I might!
The Course: This is a real, Arizona desert course, with the usual arrangement of fairways and rough, placed in a desert landscape. I am not usually a fan of desert courses personally, but this one seems a notch or two above the average. For a start the pano looks very good and blends with the course perfectly. Custom textures are used pretty much throughout and sit very well together. The crosshatch tee texture has a surround of fringe and is then extruded slightly up. The effect is very pleasing. There is one glaring error here though. There are 5 tee positions, but only 4 used. There are no ladies tees, although there is provision for them!!!! The tees then sit on the heavily planted desert texture. This texture has been set as rock so you can get some interesting bounces, but it also means that if you do get a clear lie you can play a good shot from it. The fairways have a VERY narrow strip of 1st cut. This is not too bad however, as the fairways are quite generous. The then wide strip of thick grass does seem to punish you though, so try and stay out! There is some planting in this, but not much. The 1st cut does blend in to the thick stuff and cannot be seen from any sort of distance. The greens have a slightly yellow caste to them, which looks good and are surrounded by a slightly greener fringe. The bunkers are very well done, if slightly unusual. They are filled with a pale gold sand with a narrow, quite sharp, dirt edge and then a fairly wide band of a very yellow, dormant grass. It takes a bit of getting used to, bit it certainly means the bunkers stand out!! As I have said, this all sits in a desert texture set up as rock. I first thought this may cause problems, but the ball seems to settle fairly quickly and if you are lucky enough to find a clear space in the rock, cacti and shrub strewn landscape, you will be able to play a fairly normal shot. I still cannot decide whether that is a good or bad thing. That's one for discussion!! All of this has a concrete cart path running through it and several objects dotted about. All in all, this course is a very pleasurable site to the eyes.
Playability: the 1st is a straightaway par 4 with a generous fairway. The fairways throughout the course are nice and wide and I will not keep mentioning it, ok! There is a single tree, roughly at drive distance and if you pull slightly you can guarantee to be behind it! If not you should be left with a mid iron to the fairly large green. Just a single bunker on the right. The green has a mixture of tricky borrows and steep slopes that take some reading. Quite a bit of lagging up for me then!!
The 2nd is a cracking, short par 4. If the wind is against you have a lot of room. If not you need to play carefully. There is a huge bunker down the right of the fairway and a smallish one in front of the large green. Steep, but fair slope, front to back.
The 3rd is a fairly short par 5 with a bit of a kink in the fairway. If you can keep your ball well left on the fairway, it will give you a better view and a slightly easier shot, over the group of 3 bunkers in front of the smaller green. A couple of good shots will see you onto the steep putting surface. Or into a bunker. Whatever!!
The 4th is a straightaway par 4 with a single bunker there to catch the pushed shot. The small green is quite a tricky target with the mid iron and there is a bunker on the left to catch the stray one. Not as steep as some. But still a tricky green.
The 5th is our 1st par 3. Quite a short one to a mid sized green, sand all the way down the right and a small bunker left of the green. Very steep slopes on this one.
The 6th is a fairly long par 4, where a long drive will be met with a very narrowing fairway. With a bit of help from the wind, a mid iron should get you to the fairly large and relatively flat green.
7 is a windy par 4 where the drive must be kept left to avoid being blocked by the couple of well placed trees on the right. A good drive however should leave an easy shot to the quite large, elongated green, protected by a large bunker on the left. Get up to the pin to avoid that steep putt.
The 8th is a long par 4. No bunkers, no trees really close. This one is a bit bland for me. Quite a ridge on the green if you leave a long one.
Halfway and I'm looking for the clubhouse. No change there then!! It is hot out here though. I have a fair way to go though as I am faced with a par 5. A good drive over a couple of bunkers well short of drive distance should leave you with a good chance of making the small green. There is a small bunker about 50 yards short and left and a very long, thin one that wind around the right side and back of the green. A very accurate 2nd should set you up for a birdie, or maybe an eagle.
Stocked up with a few bottles and a tub on ice cream, off we go again.
The 10th is a curving par 4 with a lake curving on the right to in front of the tee. I'm in there!! Quite an uneven fairway on this one, so you could be left with a tricky 2nd. Quite a long one too. There are a couple of bunkers on the right to catch the push. The green is fairly large with 2 bunkers, left and back. Fairly level apart from a ridge at the back.
The 11 this is a nice, medium length par 3. Some nice woodwork around here, holding up the course. There is a very large bunker in front and 3 others left and right of the large, virtually 2 tier, green.
12 is a par 4 with a nice wide fairway, as usual, split just short of the green. Bit of a shadow on the back edge of the green. Noticeable as it is so unexpected as you go round the otherwise virtually perfect course.
The 13th is a lovely, short par 4. I have to admit I haven't manage to stick the not over large green yet. But it is definitely possible. There is a big bit of fairway well short of the green you can aim for. Watch out for the cluster of bunkers placed to catch the overhit shot. There is also a small area of fairway just short of the green you could go for. A lot of sand on the right side to catch the pushed or short shot to the green.
The 14th is a quite short par 5. Very wide fairway gives you the chance to have a go for a big drive. There are some bunkers around the fairway, but hopefully they will not come into play. It is quite a small green, but well reachable. There are a couple of bunkers on the left. The green is fairly level except for towards the back.
15 is a very tricky par 4. A tree on the fairway, just past drive range can cause real problems, as you will be left with a long iron and may not be able to lift it over easily. Back to the normal steep green conditions.
The 16th is a shortish par 4 with a huge bunker short left of the green that has a little baby with it. Get close to the pin as there is a very nasty slope towards the back of the mid sized green.
17. Water. Loads of it. A short par 3 to a large green over a lake. Very nice hole. Quite a tricky green. I do like this hole.
18. The finishing hole is a difficult par 5. Long with a very tight 2nd and a slight chance of reaching the smallish green. Sand on the right at drive length and sand and water left of the green and a bunker at the back. Hard hole to finish this cracking course.
Good Points: Super course, well designed and constructed. A real pleasure to play. Great for Pser's.
Bad Points: Shame about that error with the tee placements. Doesn't affect the play though. Nothing much else apart from the very occasional slight shadow.
Favourite Hole: It has to be that lovely par 3 17th.
Least Favourite Hole: That rather bland 8th.
Final thoughts: Well John had a lot to live up to and he certainly has done so. A super course that should please everyone except real desert haters. Especially good for the Pser's with the generous fairways, but difficult greens to balance things up.. Sure to become a real favourite. Excellent job John.
Course Info :
Cameo Screen? Yes
Splash Screen? Yes
Text file? Yes
Hole Previews? Yes
27mb
Reviewed September 2001 |
|
CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Real, desert course |
Location
TBA |
Conditions
TBA |
Concept 6/10
One of the more accessible and unthreatening of desert courses, the
Talon neatly avoids some pitfalls of the genre by incorporating tiered
desert sands and having wide open play areas that mean the desert is
more scenery than hazard. With this in mind, it's impressive how close you
feel to the dryness. Hole design tends towards the conservative: there are
no real trademark holes, but the gently rolling fairways will keep you
thinking about your approach shots. The only big letdowns for me were the
Par 5s, which are too short and too easy. |
Appearance 5/10
With a richly planted desert such as this, clones become almost inevitable unless a large amount of customisation is used. Frankly, I
don't mind a clone or two if they keep the game speed ticking over nicely. More problematic, though, are the extrusion marks, the poor
choice of texture for lining the bunkers, and the confusing reflections from the few water hazards: both seriously detract from the
enjoyment of the round. |
Playability 6/10
Unusually for a desert course, this is a gentle, laid-back round. The fairways are easy to hit and approach shots offer the right degree
of challenge. There is a moderate amount of strategy, but most holes are one-route only. Something to play when you're down and
don't want to be threatened. |
Challenge 6/10
While the first couple of shots will rarely become a problem at Grayhawk, the greens are likely to provide palpitations. The gradients
are far too extreme: set in the older days of course design and unplayable on any newer conditions. If, by some miracle, you make
your flat shots then you'll score really low. Even despite the greens, the approaches are easy enough to pick up a few strokes. |
Technical 6/10
A solid effort, with a clear attention obviously paid to the environment and its fringe impact on the game of golf. Nice little touches
include the elevations and tiers and lift the course ahead of the disappointing standard where desert courses are concerned. |
| Overall |
Inoffensiveness in a golf course doesn't always make for an exciting round.
Grayhawk drops a little short of the mark without ever being unlikeable. |
29/50 |
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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