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Hopes Nose
by Rob Moates
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 974 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2002-07-20 |
39,783,698 bytes |
71 |
6620 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
FICTIONAL |
WOODLAND |
Hopes Nose.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| 4db258f2087b4e028cd2bcb5c64dc8c1 |
10d62a981a765ae1493bae0c7f3bf2cc |
|
LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by
Joe Turner `Loner'
August 2002
He used nicely planted tee areas on many holes, a faintly patterned fairway without a first cut, well textured rough and a smooth green with a generous fringe. The tall grass around some of the water hazards and the meandering creek that occasionally served as a hazard made them look extremely attractive. He had an unusual but attractive assortment of trees with heavy looking brush and bushes that served as his undergrowth. It made this woodland course look much more full than it was. Nestled in the trees there were houses that added to the homey atmosphere that this course seemed to put forward. I know that I would like to live in one of those hidden homes in not on a golf course. I don't want to call it a cart path because I can't see that it was but he had a 'soil path' that blended in beautifully with the course in many of the areas, a foot or maintenance path perhaps, it's there and it is a nice addition. The trees just forward of many of the tee areas look like your going to have to hit them but never once did it happen to me. If I would miss the snap the trees would have caught me. The fairways and the greens were a minefield of bunkers and it was a pure joy for once to have to play interesting hole shapes with obstacles thrown in my path.
The fairways were less than medium but never overly narrow, he just gave me a fair chance to avoid the many bunkers in, by and around them. The greens had slight or medium heavy slopes, again they were fair in their play but they leaned to the small side without being small, a nice combination. The elevations were not overly done and the caddie took care of me when any changes came about. Hole 5 a 5 par had a heavily bunkered fairway that started to go to the narrow side but never quite made it and led to a green that was guarded by 3 bunkers and water, top it off.the green was not that large. A very nice hole. Hole 8 seemed to me to be the hole to beat, when you looked at these heavily bunkered 2 fairways and green you will be certain that it is impossible. When you start to play it you will not only find out that it is possible but also that it is fairly easy.
Hopes nose isn't the most attractive name for a course but the course makes up for the name. It is a bunker strewn course with very imaginative holes and you will find that it is a course that becomes more enjoyable the more often that you play it. The first time I played it was for consideration for the monthly 'com' and I liked it enough to have it included. When I received it for this review I found that I enjoyed it more the second time around. I'm keeping it and will see if it continues to get better with every play it gets, it cannot get worse. Do I recommend this reasonably sized download to you, definitely, download it and let it grow on you as it has on me.
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, recorded round, hole previews, custom flag, ball washers, and buildings.
Not Included: hole signs, numbers or custom tees.
Statistical Information: par 71, 6620y, 5 sets of tees, 5-3 pars, 9-4 pars, 4-5 pars. |
|
CLIPNOTES by Ben Bateson (ousgg) |
Description
Fictional, parkland course. |
Location
TBA |
Conditions
TBA |
Concept 7/10
Hopes Nose is a tight and coherent course in fairly rough surroundings, and gives a convincing impression of a salt-of-the-Earth English club course. Rob Moates again excels himself with hole design: there's an excellent and realistic set of layouts: the short holes in particular being a strength. Despite its age, this course exudes down-at-heel charm. |
Appearance 5/10
While being better than the same designer's CraggaMoor, this course gels well and features some careful planting and more convincing use of elevations. OK, there are too many stretches of repeating rough texture, and some careless transitions in several places, but the course as a whole doesn't stick errors in your face: you have to go looking to find them. |
Playability 8/10
Hopes Nose is a round carefully tailored to all abilities: an asset which only adds to its authentic appeal. Thus, it becomes that most rare of events: a British course with a good sense of risk/reward for all golfers. Only some slightly over-severe gradients on the green might turn a player off: the rest of the course is easy-going yet stimulating golf. |
Challenge 6/10
Rob Moates does magnificent things with Par 5s. Here, they come out as a mix of genuine three-shotters and reachable holes. In truth the 'reachable' element of many holes is a little underestimated, and the course comes out as a little too easy. I appreciate that the designer did not want to flood the course with hazards, but as a consequence - of both that and some sparsely-planted woodland - a mishit drive becomes nothing to fear. The course is something too easy on the whole. |
Technical 5/10
The surface is the major downside: there are too many blurred textures and rather sharp transitions. I noted that a couple of elevation changes had led to floating trees. But this is a well-designed and very authentic-looking course, let us not forget this, and rate it for what it sets out to be: something real. |
| Overall |
A rare thing: a down-to-earth and convincing course. Old but enjoyable, and not without a little style and panache along the way. |
31/50 |
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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