Desolate Dunes - My impression

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MrT
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Joined: May 24th, 2021, 6:48 pm

Desolate Dunes - My impression

Post by MrT »

I played this course in my usual "first time settings". As I choose the random weather, I suppose I got lucky to get a sunny day as the bright light enhances the very nice colors of this course. It is different from other courses I played recently, but in a positive way.

The graphics for the sand is out of this world and I almost felt like taking off my shoes before stepping in the bunkers to hit the ball. It must be very relaxing too because, despite playing the entire course in just 25 minutes, I was hitting some of the fastest drives, not of the last few days, but of my entire career (192-3kmh ~ 120 mph!! in RTS!).

Fairways are narrow, traps and roughs are strategically placed to un-welcome you! But hitting from rough and sand is not the end of the world as they are quite forgiving. What is much less forgiving is the greens. I played the course in M/F and the ball was traveling pretty faast! Some of the greens are particularly big too and it is better to chip or, if one does not want to chip 20-30 yards on greens; just play the ball a bit shorter or longer and then chip from the fringes, the roughs or the sand bunkers. If you have F greens, try being a bit shorter rather than longer as the balls will roll.

Quite enjoyable, both in terms of play-ability and landscape. Not really a difficult course, unless one chooses, I assume Fc/Fc settings for the greens. As the greens have hardly any flat spot on them, be prepared to run after your balls! I did not see/encounter any obvious out of bounds. There is some water, but it does not look particularly threatening.

UPDATE
Playing in Mc/Mc setting is a different issue! The beauty of the landscape and the pleasure to play on this course remain, but the greens play a bit too fast for my personal taste. I ended up with a +2 after I was punished on holes 11-12-13 with a bogey, Yes, 3 in a row. Basically, some of the holes have no flat spots to start with, but while the gradient looks very mild, it plays much steeper than it looks. From the replay, I could see my balls landing on the fringe or just on the green and traveling all across it to the other side. Putting from 5-6 meters or more is quite challenging and you have 3 choices: 1) you hole the ball (that is the best way as always), 2) you play it safe and go short of the hole (there are no other ways "to park the balls" around the hole; 3) you go for the hole but if something does not pane out as planned you can count on ending up almost as far as you started from, just downhill this time. Also, the color of the greens make it particularly hard to see the grid lines to understand the fine topography of the greens. This confirms my impressions above when already playing in M/F I noticed the greens are fast. in Mc/Mc the speed is heightened considerably. But, ultimately it is the lack of significant flat sections on greens that make putting really challenging.

I think I am at a point that, if nobody told me, I would attribute the course to Sage Vanni or others just based on the topography of the greens. And the speed of the balls. I really think that Sage Vanni's greens are among the fastest I played.


:thumbup:
Last edited by MrT on June 29th, 2021, 7:44 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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sagevanni
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Re: Desolate Dunes - My impression

Post by sagevanni »

MrT,

I love your reviews of my courses....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you so much......I REALLY appreciate it......!!!!

Sage..... :smile: :smile: :smile: :smile: :smile:
If there is one thing ................ummmmmmmm.......I can't remember.
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Duglis
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Re: Desolate Dunes - My impression

Post by Duglis »

Great course. Thank You!
gene_golf
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Joined: August 28th, 2019, 1:30 pm

Re: Desolate Dunes - My impression

Post by gene_golf »

I noticed something odd right at start of my round. I pulled drive to left side and to my surprise I was awarded a free drop to another sand area that had a flatter lie. I checked again purposefully hitting to that same area to left side of fairway. Another surprise that my free drop area was in the rough this next time. Somehow in golf hitting into what looks like a hazard should have a punishment in having to escape by hitting a good shot to recover or taking punishment and getting out of sand trap making best that can do.
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sagevanni
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Re: Desolate Dunes - My impression

Post by sagevanni »

I just checked that out Gene......Let me look at what's going on.

I'll get back to you......

Thanks for the heads up.

Sage.....
If there is one thing ................ummmmmmmm.......I can't remember.
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sagevanni
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Re: Desolate Dunes - My impression

Post by sagevanni »

Sure enough.......nice catch Gene......I think I have it fixed......

Here is a link to the fixed course for all to check out and see if all is copasetic......

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dmsmt9qba3su9 ... X.CRZ?dl=0

If all checks out, when Andy gets back I'll re-upload the course......

Sage..... :smile: :smile: :smile:
If there is one thing ................ummmmmmmm.......I can't remember.
gene_golf
Posts: 267
Joined: August 28th, 2019, 1:30 pm

Re: Desolate Dunes - My impression

Post by gene_golf »

Sage, There was another area on hole #8 the same as what saw on hole #1, but was not as much in play. I hit to it on hole #8 on right of fairway just to check properties, but that hole is straight so have to hit really bad shot to wind up in the free drop zone for hole #8. Have yet to check out back nine, but seems problem emanates where there is a deep sand trap with wind blown sand look as experienced on hole #1. Also curious as to why some of your courses have been discontinued. I played Millano Lakes that you put out in 2018 as a beta and had to search in discontinued courses list to find that you were the designer and had given up on it and it seemed to be a good course and there is another course King Canyon Falls that saw you had discontinued as well without upgrading to a replacement course.
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sagevanni
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Re: Desolate Dunes - My impression

Post by sagevanni »

Hi Gene,

Can you and anyone else who finds this issue, please post a photo so I know right where to look...????

Thanks.....Sage..... :smile:
If there is one thing ................ummmmmmmm.......I can't remember.
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sagevanni
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Re: Desolate Dunes - My impression

Post by sagevanni »

Hi Gene,

I'll be looking into Millano Lakes and King Canyon Falls and see where they are......

Sage..... :smile: :smile: :smile: :smile:
If there is one thing ................ummmmmmmm.......I can't remember.
gene_golf
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Joined: August 28th, 2019, 1:30 pm

Re: Desolate Dunes - My impression

Post by gene_golf »

sagevanni wrote: June 13th, 2021, 6:12 am Hi Gene,

Can you and anyone else who finds this issue, please post a photo so I know right where to look...????

Thanks.....Sage..... :smile:
Got a photo that saved in Links files, but bmp extension not able to attach in reply. Opened course in designer and checked texture properties of reg bbunk sand 1 and box choice is checked allowing for free drop. That is issue and box needs to be changed for all areas where this sand texture is found as trying to do myself have to do one area at a time. Not sure that after course is done that created texture can be generalized taking away free drop afterwards having to do it instead for every place it exists in plot. Not that much in the know about design, but when downloaded course into designer several objects that you used on course were said to be not found. Your fix for course given in dropbox for me goes to gobbledygook letters on page making no sense and not being as simple as just adding new correcting file to existing file making a fix happen or the file in dropbox being the course fixed totally right. Hopefully Andy will put up final fixed version when you change properties of reg bbunk sand 1 not allowing for free drop and then course will play as it should play.

Will check to see if some of your other courses were discontinued without having a newer update available and going backwards z to a playing courses wondered who designer of Millano Lakes was and saw in discontinued courses that it was you. Found in search that way King Canyon Falls not available anymore to download on list. Will look through and see if any others of yours are no longer available to download without newer replacement, but with so many that you have done I will be awhile in checking.
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