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Castaway Island Golf Club
by Ed Balaun
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 905 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2002-05-07 |
33,049,031 bytes |
71 |
7347 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
FICTIONAL |
TROPICAL |
CastawayII.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| 3e5f084d66da42888d1a5bd1c09a80e3 |
f339c78c312a6f02ace2df7ae7907823 |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by
Joe Turner `Loner'
June 2002
The course comes very close in my estimation to a fantasy course because of the very colorful pano but the hole shapes are definitely not fantasy shapes. The tee areas are mostly decorated, pale mowed fairways with light rough, heavy rough and 'casta' rough topped of by lightly textured greens with a light fringe. The sounds throughout the course were entertaining tropical sounds and the roar of the ocean. He used a very attractive under-planting of assorted tropical plants set in a 'scrub' that looked more like a dark much and it succeeded to set off the many palm trees and the occasional unusually colored tree. The decorative deep grass and rocks that surrounded the many ponds and streams were very well done. Look around and you'll occasionally see some wildlife looking back at you. The hazards, and there were many and varied, bunkers, water, streams, lava and rock fields were all well placed and very well made as only a well seasoned top designer can do.
This island paradise had holes that were very imaginative and with the varying elevations his elevation and caddie settings had to be perfection and they were. If they were off by a slight margin this course wouldn't have been the challenge and the joy that it was. The fairways were moderate in size giving me a chance to haul off and belt the ball, pure joy, and the greens were medium in size without the ridiculous slopes that some courses stoop to for 'a challenge', these were not easy but all had gentle breaks that made you think about the putt not just putt away on a flat area. For a mediocre golfer like me it was very interesting to try to sink it on the first try and not always succeeding.
This course is not the usual type of course that I would expect from this designer. His work has always been more conservative, such as Firestone North, in my opinion one of the finest courses ever made with he apcd. He shows the depths of his talents by building a course that has color, humor, imagination a variety of hazards and bundles them together into a challenging course without resorting to the ridiculous measures that others have when trying to build a course such as this, all this while keeping it very economical in size. I'm not describing how I played any holes because his comments on the hole previews gave excellent playing information on each. On the # 7 hole go for the green, its fun and a very good chance at an eagle. If you cant tell by now I liked the course and I feel that it is a very good choice for a download.
Reviewer Note:
I am a player not a designer and therefore rate a course as a player for other players.
Summary :
Included: readme, cameo, splash, custom flags, recorded round, cart path, hole previews, ball washers, crowds and other assorted objects.
Not Included: hole numbers, signs or custom tees.
Statistical Information: par 71, 7347y, 5 sets of tees, 5-3 pars, 9-4 pars, 4-5 pars. |
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CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Fictional, tropical course. |
Location
TBC |
Conditions
TBC |
Concept 9/10
With an array of jungle animals screeching at you off the first tee, and the roar of the breakers accompanying you along the first few holes, the sound does an important job as anything else in creating a convincing atmosphere. As the title promises, the course is set on a mysterious desert island (there must be dozens of little islands somewhere in the Pacific with golf courses on them), but unlike many of its peers, Castaway Island never fails to be tangible all the way round. Holes are created with understated moderation, and two or three superb designs are evident, particularly on the holes around the turn. A first-class effort! |
Appearance 6/10
Generally OK. There are a nice line in customisation, and the planting of both plant life and rocks is very believable. The first-cut rough is a little odd-looking, though, and there are times when the otherwise impressive panorama just doesn't fit. The whole thing looks just a little bit too well manicured to be tropical, as well. |
Playability 6/10
The good, immersive environment is conducive to gameplay, and a wide variety of holes helps to ease you on your way. The course is cleverly mixed-up, scoring 37 out and 34 in, and combining hole designs from heathland, woodland and ocean styles. Just a little too often, though, you're stuck with a near-impossible lie or chip-out. The bunkers are particularly responsible for this, and do not appear to be very well mapped. |
Challenge 7/10
This probably plays a little easier than the designer's intention, thanks to some pretty flat fairway lies. The course is very well hazarded, though, and the Par 5s are deliberately no pushover. If you have a good judge of distance, expect to score a few under par. |
Technical 7/10
Some of the bunkers and elevations need a gentle tweak to make them less unfair. One or two textures need swapping out, and the beach looks distinctly jagged and straight-edged. On the whole, though, credit has to be given to the designer on combining such a good atmosphere and great golf. |
| Overall |
On of more believable of the many 'tropical island' courses. Not quite up to Crusoe standards, but far from a modest effort nevertheless. |
36/50 |
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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