Links Corner Forum

I ask, as once I finish the current real course I am working on, I want to carry on designing, but find doing real courses difficult and constraining.

I prefer real courses. In too many instances, the designers of fictional courses seem compelled to include some kind of "trick" to cause the person playing the course to stumble - they don't seem able to understand that a well designed course presents difficulties and challenges enough on it's own. A good example would be a branch that intrudes into the space at the exact height where a golfer's drive is going to go. That's my opinion, of course.

Pete

I prefer playing fictional courses, although I like both types. Fictional courses tend to present more of a challenge, and while some of them are "tricked up", I feel that most of them aren't.

As for real courses, there are many examples of them which have been lovingly re-created and look stunning, but after playing a round or two on them they remind me of some of the dates that I've been on ... pretty to look at but rather boring to spend time with.

So, while I like both types and always look forward to trying almost any new course that comes out, if I had to play only one or the other I'd lean towards fictional courses.

Real for me, the only chance i get to play the great courses of the world

I prefer to play real courses and you have done a lot Stephen which is great! But to be honest, as long as people still keep producing Fictional AND real courses I think it is marvellous. Thinking about it, my favourite courses are Fictional... So I am well and truly sitting on the fence.

I prefer to play the real courses, especially the ones that we see the professionals play in tournaments, however, I do not expect the greens to be exactly the same as far as pins and contours and breaks. That said, some of the fictional courses can be as good or better than real ones, I'm just grateful that designers are still churning out great courses for a 17 year old golf game.

I ticked option 3, as I like both. It's nice to play an actual real course, but there are some great fictional ones as well.

Stephen, I know what you mean with creating actual courses. It can be a bit annoying that the lovely bunkers you create and which would be a hazard to a bogie golfer on a real course, will just be something you look at as you clear them by 50 meters in Links2003! So, what can we do about that? I guess tees could go back or add some "tiger tees" move bunkers, or maybe just accept that they might not be in play most of the time.

That's the attraction of creating fictional courses I suppose. It can be designed to be challenging to the longer and straighter shots that most people have in Links compared to real life.
Cheers, AJ

Real. Fantasy fulfillment! Something I could not do in real life.

personally i prefer "real" course over "fictional" courses but for the most part i just want a "good" course to play regardless of what type or course it is

I all like to play and am happy every time a new course is presented.
If only we had real courses, e.g. B. then all Sage courses were missing
The most important thing for me is that the course should be fair.