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The Gallows v2
by John Borycheski
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 945 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2002-06-21 |
34,582,035 bytes |
72 |
7069 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
FICTIONAL |
WOODLAND |
The Gallows v2.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| 0e2c6f7a2f444be2a5dbeabf299bd4bc |
6b48e95b9e572ca60d634a26b7f032ff |
| COURSE NOTES |
| The zip file contains both the original The Gallows course and the new The Gallows V2 course. |
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LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by
Joe Turner `Loner'
June 2002
This is a very nice course, separate tee boxes, mowed fairways, a first cut, nicely textured rough and the fringe blends smoothly into the greens. As an undergrowth that enhances the heavy look of the excellent selection of trees along the fairways he used wild grass, just low and full enough to look good but not thick enough to build up the download size of the course or to slow up the rendering time. The bunkers were not only well placed, more later, but well made adding to the overall look to this course. The only part of this very beautiful course that I didn't care for were the streams that ran throughout the course, both as a decoration and as a hazard. The color, sort of a deep blue with a very deep purple caste to them did not look good at all but they were narrow and lined with a tall grass that mostly kept the color from jumping out at you. The fairways were ample and a joy to play in spite of the well placed but small bunkers. The greens although leaning heavily to the small side had gentle breaks and slight slopes for an overall easy to medium feel. The greens were slightly sloped towards the rear so you did get quite a bit of roll when you first hit them putting you farther back from the cup than planned, frustrating but fun. Birdies and the occasional eagle for the exceptional putter are not out of the question. The bunkers at the greens and there were many, helped with the feeling that you better take care with that approach shot or it's sand shot time.
The course while not that long at 7069y gave me a chance for long drives and at the end I found that I averaged a little over 8y longer per hole than my usual drives. This obviously was because of the varying elevation changes on practically every hole. Both the elevations and the caddie were very accurate. This is an experienced designer and on the many doglegs that he had here the driver was not taken from me once, the holes and distance were laid out beautifully and all the holes showed more imagination than I expected. The entry to the majority of greens was narrow and at times slightly elevated or guarded by bunkers. The par 5's were not as long as you find at many other fictional courses but they were laid out in a way that made them very enjoyable to play and even had a little risk/reward to a few if your drive was placed properly.
The designer had a few problems, first with 'steel weeds' then with a bad water texture but to his credit he pulled the course and repaired it. After playing it I for one am pleased that he saw fit to do this 'patching job', the course is well worth it. His first two courses Falcon Ridge and The Scorpion were both well received and I know that this one will be also. I review under rather 'benign' playing conditions and haven't had the opportunity to try the course out with random conditions but after playing it I can see where it will hold its own and give you a fair fight under harsh settings. At the small size of the download and the excellent look and exceptional play of this course I urge you to download and enjoy it as much as I did, it's an enjoyable course. This although not of the design quality of a Spyglass or Sawgrass is definitely a keeper.
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, hole previews, custom flag, ball washers and a cart path.
Not Included: custom tees, a recorded round or hole signs and numbers.
Statistical Information: par 72, 7069y, 4 sets of tees, 4-3 pars, 10-4 pars, 4-5 pars. |
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CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Fictional, woodland course |
Location
TBA |
Conditions
TBA |
Concept 6/10
Making a big thing of its rollicking elevations and hilly layout, The
Gallows certainly cannot be accused of shying away. It's in-your-face,
determinedly fun, and dramatic. Undoubtedly, it's overblown, though:
the course often takes liberties with reality and the elevations for effect
without any real consideration of whether such an impact was
necessary. Normally, a fantasy course would float my boat, but you can
have too much of a good thing. |
Appearance 6/10
When The Gallows stays away from the absurdities, it is neatly presented, if hardly outstanding. Some decent textures and planting
are helpful: the colour set perhaps less so. In other places, though, there is an awful lot of slope where perhaps it wasn't justified, and
your brain has hard work making it all belong together. |
Playability 7/10
There are certainly enough thrills to be had here. The hole design is heavily influenced by some of the PGA Tour regulars, and while
the underlying subtlety might be missing, the basic premise of many holes is more than enough to have mouths watering. Yet again,
though, the pushing of plausibility proves to be a silly addition and one that drags the gameplay down. |
Challenge 5/10
Tough stuff, indeed. The fairways are not always easy to hit, and the deeply-sunk bunkers tend towards an unfair test. There is a
sense that the designer is throwing tests at you to see what will stick, which makes for some relentless target golf and hard work. |
Technical 6/10
The impression is that a course has been inexpertly bent around a pre-existing terrain. While, in the right hands (cf. Prairie Dog), such
a design can be a joy, in this case it just hasn't all pulled together. There's also the problems of the colour scheme to consider. While,
on pure technical merit, The Gallows can easily hold its own, the fundamental principles behind course design have transpired to trip it
up. |
| Overall |
Undoubtedly a great course to play, but equally a course uneasy with its
surroundings and drifting once too often towards absurdity. |
30/50 |
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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