Whirlpool Golf Course 2020 Finished

[TeeDawg]

Thank you for the update -- I played ' the Parks ' IRL many times over the last 50 years and it's a treat to have a Links rendition of the course. I fired up a quick practice round this morning and it certainly brings back memories of playing there. Nice work, Adelade !!

Tim Behrens

[Adelade]

Hi Kevin:
I've found some issues on my review. You might want to make this a "Beta" until you have a chance to evaluate.
Jim

BTW, as we discussed it's really not that close to the real Whirlpool!

I replied in pm, but I think this is a good opportunity to clarify some things here as well. By the way me and Kevin are separate people.

As I already hinted to, my goal with this update was NOT to improve on accuracy/authenticity. I have on the other hand made a point not to reduce accuracy anywhere, so any such aspects of the course are untouched ones. The only thing I planned on making more accurate were aspects related to the Niagara River, and possibly the planting which I ended up doing to what I deemed a reasonable extent. (I also ended up touching authenticity in terms of panorama, road and clubhouse area buildings) I have not made any changes in the areas you described so they are just as they were in the 2001 version. I made a decision very early on that I didnt want to mess with such things about the layout since this is originally someone else's course and I wanted to change as little as possible while still achieving my personal goals. I had several people (some having played the course in real life several times) tell me that the 2001 version was accurate and all holes being correctly laid out, so with that in mind I didnt think it was something worth looking into either way. I also early on briefly compared satellite images from 2001 and 2020 out of curiosity to see if the course had been changed since, and at least I didnt find anything major (if I recall correctly I didnt see any change at all).

I cannot speak for Kevin Fraser, but I personally welcome anyone to make any changes they think should be made themselves, and release yet another updated version My own goals with this course have been achieved and I will enjoy playing it as it is now, so I have no plans on making more changes.

P.S. While it is fully outside the scope of why I dont want to make such changes, most of those you suggested would make the course play easier, which I think many people would not enjoy.

[Adelade]

Also, to be clear, I received those comments after publishing the course, not before. I received no comments about lacking authenticity during the beta. I had already delayed publishing more than I wanted, Im sorry. Not that it would have changed anything if they had been sent before, my response and stance would still have been the same.

[Captain Nemo]

I haven't played it in four years ( no longer golfing due to a bad hip), but I played it all summer long when learning to play in my youth and many times since then on visits to Niagara, and in our Mixed Seniors Tournaments the last 20 years, As one of your Beta Testers, I considered both the original and your version true to the course layout as I remember it. Your addition of the parkway the panorama and the roar of the Niagara River fading as one plays away from the parkway holes adds even more realism. I am particularly impressed with what you have done with #18, The addition of parkway, the roar of the river, and the generic clubhouse on the hill at the end all add to the realism and are a significant improvement over the original. Great job Adelade!

[Jimbo]

No problem. I'm working on, what I think will be a simple solution to make everybody. I've sent you a PM and will follow up with "the goods"!
One slight problem-it appears to be stuck in the PM outbox. Be patient-I'll probably have everything done by the time you get the first message!

[Still Linksing]

This was one of my keepers back in the Links 2001 days. I think it's great to have 2001 courses brought up to 2003 standards without changing the original designs. I personally would not like to see layouts that I enjoyed in the past changed be they accurate or not.
Adding seam blends, nicer bunker lips, maybe even changing the textures I could accept. Adding extra pin placements or changing over the top slopes I would also agree with.

The general layout and elevations though, I think if you start messing with these you are re-designing the course rather than updating it. For me, it wouldn't feel like I'm playing an old favorite any longer.

[Jimbo]

I've sent a potential solution to Adelaide for his review. We're going to test it first. I think it solves a few issues.

...and it's stuck in the outbox like the last one...trust me the mail will get through!

[Andy]

...and it's stuck in the outbox like the last one...trust me the mail will get through!

PMs stay in your 'Outbox' until the recipient reads them and then they are moved to your 'Sent messages'.

[NateMullins]

Great job with the course update! I had almost forgotten about this one, but I really liked the new textures and planting. Nice track too - it appears straightforward from the tees, but the elevation changes, fairway slopes and tricky (yet never unfair) greens, with gusty winds, made it a stern challenge on elite classic mode. Greens are small enough that you'll need to bring a strong chipping game to maintain a good score.

[chad]

Great update!!