|
The Crusoe Course
by Ross Anthony
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 782 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2002-02-18 |
24,546,854 bytes |
72 |
7649 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
IMAGINARY |
TROPICAL |
TheCrusoeCourse.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| 5cbae69e8a91460bbc8d241f73c2176f |
c0fe2bf5dff9d440969cc45ed5595855 |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by
Mike Nifong
March 2002
Course type: The title should certainly give you a hint. A tropical island course, The Crusoe Course falls squarely into the fantasy/imaginary category; appropriately, that means that here you will have an opportunity to see things you will see nowhere else (the hallmark, in my opinion, of the good fantasy course).
Historical perspective: Released on February 18, 2002, The Crusoe Course is Ross Anthony's third APCD offering (following Eagle Canyon on 6/21/01 and Anglewood on 7/24/01). While I am not familiar with Ross's debut course, I have always been a fan of Anglewood, which is one of those relatively rare courses that fares better with the users (4 stars based on 22 responses) than with the official reviewer (73%). In my heady younger days (before I was co-opted by the establishment), I even took the radical step of responding on the web board that the official score was at least ten points too low, but that was another course at another time.
At any rate, those of us who had wondered whatever became of Ross now know: in a file size of only 23.9MB, he has prepared for us a journey that no one should miss. And early indications are that nearly everyone comes back quite pleased to have gone: 4 stars (80-89%) based on 16 reviews at the time of this writing.
What is included: The read-me file contains philosophy, humour, caveats, and acknowledgments, along with a course description that is sometimes helpful. Oddly, it comes in a notepad file that also (at least on the one I got) contained a lot of gibberish; copying and pasting the text parts to a Word file left me a serviceable document. There are the usual cameo and splash screen, both nicely done. Unfortunately, there are no hole previews (presumably lost in a shipwreck).
First impressions: As the first hole begins to render, you hear rhythmic music throbbing in the background. From the tee box, you see the narrow, serpentine fairway winding uphill. Amid the colorful tropical planting, you notice a carved wooden totem pole and a 'PLAY AT YER OWN RISK' sign. A course, you think, that does not take itself too seriously. That could be a good thing. or a very bad one. Which will it be?
What comes next: Relax. You are in for a treat. It will take you three shots to reach the green on this 589-yard par-5 opener, which also plays 54 yards uphill, but you will not mind. Standing on the fairway preparing to hit your second shot, you will catch your first glimpse of the volcano. By the time you are ready to hit your third shot, you will hear its roar and practically feel its rumble. And while we are on the subject, I would have to say that the use of sound on this course is as imaginative and effective as you will find anywhere - astonishingly well done.
The course also offers a tremendous variety of terrains (many more than could be found in any real course, but perfectly acceptable in a fantasy course) - you will see lush tropical holes, island-hopping ocean holes, even desert holes. The natural bridge that appears in several holes is particularly noteworthy, both in terms of conceptual originality and success of execution. Generally speaking, all the textures are well chosen, and the planting is very good. I have made passing reference to the use of numerous custom objects that pay extra dividends to the careful observer, but there are other such objects that would be hard to miss. Unfortunately, some of the more enticing, umm. 'objects' are in 2D (so they look the same regardless of your angle); I took special pains to approach them from differing points of view in the hope that they might be 3D, but no such luck. Rather than spoil things for you, I will leave it to you to discover these little bonuses on your own. Suffice it to say that some surprises await you.
The only thing that could really be said to be something of a disappointment would be the treatment of the ocean and beach areas, which are perfectly serviceable but lack the finesse of the best designs. If this course had the ocean treatment of, say, Pacific Breaks, it would really be a stunner. Presumably the decision to go with more basic execution was based on Ross's desire to keep the file size compact - a perfectly defensible tradeoff, but one can only wonder what might have been. I would also note the phenomenon of fairway mow lines extending all the way to the edge of the bunkers, a pet peeve of mine in real/fictional courses, but of negligible consequence in a fantasy design.
In relatively benign conditions, you should find the play not too difficult - even surprisingly easy for a fantasy course. (It is altogether a different story if you choose to play in windy conditions.) Every hole can be considered to offer a legitimate opportunity for a birdie, although your chances for doing better than that are pretty much restricted to #2 and #3. #2 is a drivable 444-yard par-4. No, that is not a misprint; it is, rather, the consequence of a 138-yard elevation drop off the tee. #3 is, at 560 yards, the only par-5 reachable from the back tees, and that will require a really good tee shot (watch out, by the way, for that palm tree to the left of the tee - it is definitely in play). The 291-yard par-4 #9 is at least potentially reachable from the back tees, but the green is extremely well protected in the front, so you will need luck in addition to a tailwind. The majority of the holes play somewhere between a little bit shorter and a lot shorter than their nominal length, so The Crusoe Course does not seem unreasonably long.
On many holes, especially the ocean ones, you will have several approaches to choose from. Even in easy conditions, the more conservative options are the ones most likely to be rewarded; if you choose to play in windy conditions, they are the only sensible choice. The fairways are generally pretty easy to hold. The greens are an absolute pleasure - nothing tricked up or artificial. The breaks are gentle and readable, and you can probably sink some pretty long putts - what a feeling! You may want to be extra careful on #17, however; the green is U-shaped, with water in the middle, so you have to avoid both the water and ending up on the opposite arm of the U from the pin (this hole earns the #1 handicap).
I guess this is all just a long way of saying that the setting may be pure fantasy, but it plays like a golf course.
The bottom line: It was only a few months ago that I would have told you I did not care too much for fantasy courses. But that was before the likes of Piazza Metallica, and Midnight Golf Club, and Rivendell. Well, now you can add The Crusoe Course to your short list. Whatever it lacks in the utmost degree of polish and graphical artistry is more than made up for in its exuberant sense of fun. This is the real Links2001 successor to Devil's Island: a tropical island fantasy course with colorful planting, a treasure trove of planted objects awaiting your discovery, a lot of uncomfortable positions you can actually play out of (everything but the water, insofar as I could determine), and a sense of humour - all without the contrived and frustrating difficulty-for-difficulty's-sake of its predecessor. I would bet that you will have a smile on your face when you end your round here, and that you, like me, will wonder why anyone would ever want to leave.
Course Statistics :
Par 72; 4 sets of tees, from which 5 different yardages may be selected; 7649 yards from back tees; holes are handicapped. |
|
CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Imginary, tropical course |
Location
TBA |
Conditions
TBA |
Concept 10/10
While the idea of setting a course in the restricted setting of tropical
islands is not a new one, The Crusoe Course takes it to new levels,
allowing you to play around a lagoon, over and under a massive stone
bridge, and in a variety of styles. Hole design is far-out but never
impossible, and you always feel totally immersed in the island
environment. This is one course that has not let its designer's fertile
imagination stand in the way of good golf. |
Appearance 9/10
Certain facets of this course look fantastic, not least the massive piece of stone architecture, and the naked ladies taking a stroll in the
surf! The planting has sufficient variety, although I think certain areas could have been more densely planted. Textures are aptly
chosen and actually work quite well, given that this environment is often hard to make look real. Perhaps a little more work could have
gone into the ocean and one or two hard edges, but on the whole this is great eye candy. |
Playability 10/10
Even those who loathe fantasy courses will melt a little. It offers up great golf, and not just with booming 450-yard drives off the second
tee. There's a good line in risk-reward; the target aspect doesn't tire, and some well-planted sound effects guide you around. The fact
that there is a marked contrast between the two halves helps you to change focus around the turn. Quite simply, this is about as
enjoyable as they come. |
Challenge 6/10
Although it is likely you will shoot level-par at Crusoe, the challenge is to a large extent artificially created. The front nine yield birdies
almost pathetically easily with their flat greens, but the back nine and associated water hazards will screw you over time and again. I'm
quite happy to accept that this is deliberate and for the good of the course, but it isn't a meaningful challenge once you realise this. |
Technical 9/10
For an early course, this looks pretty good, with a great deal of customisation and attractive scenery. Some of the elevation work
strains credibility a little bit, and just occasionally you encounter a dodgy extrusion, but any course with a custom texture called The
Spinach can't be all bad. A 2003 re-rendering could elevate this course into truly great realms. |
| Overall |
A worthy fantasy inclusion in the elite group of courses. A magnificent and
spectacular creation that never sacrifices good golf for whimsical design. |
44/50 |
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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