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Post by linkslover on Sept 14, 2018 1:51:32 GMT -5
With some time to devote to the course on Saturday and despite being against what I normally do I will publish a beta of the course on Saturday. The 18 holes will all be laid out but only the front 9 will be playable. I will call it Northwood Beta F9. Feedback will be welcome from all. I have a thick skin. Some say head too.
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Post by linkslover on Sept 17, 2018 10:38:59 GMT -5
Well Saturday didn't go as well as planned. I was suffering from diarrhoea so didn't get as much done as I'd hoped. I have almost finished the 12th and will update the relevant holes in due course.
I have released the beta called Northwood Beta F9.
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Post by ryanmcconnell on Sept 17, 2018 20:59:49 GMT -5
Just whipped through the beta and I just wanted to share my thoughts as I scribbled them down, but first let me say I hope you’ve recovered from your, uhhh, troubles...
-Tree repetition -Clean up random grasses especially right next to greens -Pond on 7 (probably the most work you’ve put into an area) can’t be seen in the second shot bc landing area slopes pretty drastically back down hill -fairways a bit narrow and straight for my taste -I think your greens are the strongest part of the course, I like how they are bold and clearly defined with the contouring
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Post by linkslover on Sept 18, 2018 1:45:12 GMT -5
Thank you very much for the feedback Ryan. Much appreciated. Assuming I have time (which is looking more likely I will as I finished the 12th this morning), I shall be able to revisit areas such as this.
Eric also mentioned the fairway contours on the 7th (among other things in a PM - thanks Eric) so I shall definitely have to sort that out.
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Post by linkslover on Sept 18, 2018 7:31:39 GMT -5
8th - Par 4 Inspired by the 12th at Alsager Golf Club www.alsagergolfclub.co.uk/pages.php/index.htmlAlsager is a small town in Cheshire, just inside the border from Staffordshire. The golf club sits on the southern edge of the town and is a largely flat parkland course with one big hill known locally as Heart Attack Hill that covers the 12th to 16th holes. From the 14th tee on the top of the hill Joddrell Bank is your line. The 12th eases you into Heart Attack Hill as it is a gradual climb from tee to green. The hole is not easy, it is a long par 4 and features a severely sloped green from back right to front left. Par is always a good score on this hole. Northwood's 8th sees the hole lengthened a little to reflect on the longer distance TGC players hit the ball than your general club player. I have removed the right hand fairway bunker as there is no way any TGC player would hit it based on it's real life position and I decided against moving it further up the hole. The reason for this is that it will be very difficult holding the green playing across the slope from the rough on the right so there is little need for a bunker and also because I have added a few more trees. I also have not included the out of bounds that runs up the left of the hole. Northwood already has a lot of out of bounds and it is far enough away from the hole itself that it is rarely hit anyway. This hole will play easier than it's real life counterpart but despite appearances it is not as straight forward as you might think.
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Post by linkslover on Sept 20, 2018 6:35:39 GMT -5
9th - Par 5 Inspired by the 9th at Barlaston Golf Club www.barlastongolfclub.co.uk/We revisit my home course of Barlaston for a short par 5 that demands accuracy. The hole is short enough for pretty much anybody to be able to reach in two, provided you avoid all the trouble that is all over the hole. From the lake to the right, it's inlet that pokes out at landing range, the drainage ditch to the left and the large oak that is on the edge of the lake that can deflect a drive. There is plenty to catch you out. The second goes to a long, thin green with a false front, a bank that feeds into the green on the left and a bank that slopes away to the right. Eagles are possible here. So are double bogeys and worse. The drainage ditches are larger at Northwood, simply because it's darn difficult to do a thin narrow ditch without it looking like sh%$. Everything else is similar. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
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Post by linkslover on Sept 21, 2018 6:36:35 GMT -5
10th - Par 4 Inspired by the 10th at Newcastle Golf Club www.newcastlegolfclub.co.uk/Newcastle Golf Club is a parkland course about one mile West of Newcastle-under-Lyme town centre. Opened in 1908 as a 9 hole course, the club's first President was none other than His Imperial Highness the Grand Duke Michael of Russia, who held the position for 12 years. The course expanded to 18 holes in 1926 and today enjoys a reputation as having the fastest, trickiest greens in the local area. The 10th is a straight forward short par 4 that is reachable for long hitters provided they can avoid the protected oak tree that sits on the right edge of the fairway 100 yards or so in front of the tee. There are other trees off the fairway and a few bunkers greenside, but there is nothing too tricky about this hole and nothing you can't see to catch you out. Northwood's 10th is much the same. Bunkers are a touch bigger and slightly differently shaped. The protected oak remains, and play testing shows it's easily avoidable with a little thought into your shot. With 9 being an excellent birdie chance, another comes straight away here. And you might need them with some of the holes coming up...
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Post by linkslover on Sept 25, 2018 6:31:01 GMT -5
11th - Par 4 Inspired by the 4th at Leasowe Golf Club www.leasowegolfclub.co.ukLeasowe is a small town just down the road from Wallasey on The Wirral. The golf club was formed back in 1891 though it is overshadowed by it's more illustrious next door neighbour Wallasey. Leasowe was the first (part) links course I ever played and where I fell in love with links golf. It is half links and half parkland and while there are better links courses what you are guaranteed is one of the most welcoming clubs you will find. Everybody at the club is very friendly and want you to enjoy playing their course. The 4th is Leasowe's most difficult hole. It's easy to see why. It's a long par 4 with a fairly narrow fairway, a seawall that runs down the left of the hole and gives it it's name and a large ridge that cuts across the hole about 90 yards short of the middle of the green that makes the second shot completely blind. In short, it's an absolute bugger. I've played it twice on my only visit to Leasowe (we played 23 holes - 1 to 5 we played twice) and I was delighted to par it both times. Despite it being almost dead straight, I still say to this day, around ten years after playing it, it's one of the hardest holes I've ever played. Northwood's 11th hole retains the seawall, though I've had to use a stone wall as in the designer it's the closest thing there is to replicating Leasowe's wall. I have removed the two bunkers that the real hole has in front of the large ridge and put two in in range off the tee. I have also lowered the large ridge so players can see the top of the flag with their second shot, though get too close to it and you may not be able to. There is little planting other than grass done on this hole and that is deliberate. There is little vegetation on Leasowe's hole and so I've deliberately left it quite plain also.
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Post by linkslover on Sept 27, 2018 6:27:52 GMT -5
12th - Par 4 Inspired by the 12th at Newcastle Golf Club www.newcastlegolfclub.co.uk/We return to Newcastle Golf Club and their 12th hole, a bloody difficult par 4 that is uphill all the way, doglegs right yet after the distance where a drive would be hit then to a green that has a narrow entrance to it and is flanked by bunkers. This is a hole that plays much harder than it looks like it would on a course map or golf sat nav device. The tee shot is critical here. With the dogleg beyond reasonable driving range, not only is length of the tee important but accuracy is critical too. Being too far right from the tee risks leaving you being blocked out from the green on your second shot. You don't want to be long with your second shot or you risk a very tricky putt or chip back down the green.
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Post by linkslover on Sept 28, 2018 6:19:49 GMT -5
13th - Par 3 Inspired by the 13th at Leek Golf Club (Birchall) www.leekgolfclub.co.ukJust to avoid any confusion before I start writing about the hole... Leek has two golf courses - Leek Golf Club and Leek Westwood Golf Club. Leek Golf Club is often referred to as Leek Birchall. The two courses/clubs are across town from each other and completely seperate entities. It is Birchall that features a hole here. Leek is a small town at the heart of the Staffordshire Moorlands, indeed it calls itself the Queen of the Moorlands. The scenery just out of town is beautiful, especially as you head out into the Peak District towards Buxton. Leek Golf Club sits on the Southern edge of the town and is a hilly course that enjoys the Moorlands scenery, though the course is largely parkland. Their 13th hole is one of the hardest par 3s in the local area and sits on the highest point of the course. At close to 200 yards off the back tee, a long iron is needed over a valley that is full of grasses, heather and bushes to a green that is angled to the right. Northwood's 13th comes in the middle of a tough stretch. After excellent scoring opportunities on 9 and 10, par is a good score on 11, 12 and 13 and you're not out of the tough stretch yet. I have taken out the bunker short right that is furthest from the green as in the game it's going to take a horrifically poor shot to find it, so there is not much point to it. There is also no heather as there are none in the rustic theme (and I think I'm right in saying there is none in any theme). Finally, the green is straighter than the real hole, though the three tees at Northwood offer a wider variety of angles at it than the ones on the real hole that are closer together.
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Post by linkslover on Oct 2, 2018 1:46:00 GMT -5
I have published a full beta of the course, called Northwood Full Beta. I shall keep posting each hole here until all are done.
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Post by linkslover on Oct 2, 2018 6:25:01 GMT -5
14th - Par 3 Inspired by the 14th at Welshpool Golf Club www.welshpoolgolfclub.co.uk/Welshpool is a little town in mid Wales, a few miles inside the English border. I have to admit I've never been to the town itself nor do I know much about it, as the golf club lies a couple of miles out of town. Welshpool Golf Club was formed in 1894 and had two other locations before moving to their present location on the aptly named Golfa Hill in 1930. The course was designed by James Braid and features stunning views over the farmland and hills and on a clear day the mountains of Snowdonia can be seen. The course is quirky and like no other I have played. Because of sheep that roam the course, the club had to fill in all their bunkers and erect small fences to keep said sheep of the greens. When I arrived to play it for the only time, there were sheep happily roaming around the 4th tee. There is also only one flat hole on the entire course. Every other hole is either up, down or both. The 14th is an absolute bastard of a par 3. It's long at getting near 200 yards, uphill and into a plateau green that angles away from you. When I played it, I nailed a 4 iron that landed on the front of the green and promptly rolled off the other side and down onto the 15th fairway in the middle of half a dozen sheep. It's the only par 3 I have ever played that has a bail out fairway (to the left). It's Welshpool's stroke index 1 hole. It's also the hardest par 3 I have ever played. By some distance. I have actually made this hole easier for TGC. Whilst I have kept around the same distance, the uphill shot and the plateau green I have made the green bigger so it will hold a well judged and well hit tee shot. I have also contoured the bail out fairway so a clever player can use it to their advantage in the right situation. There are also more trees on the hole than the real one, though they aren't in play and it's due to the theme I am using. It is still going to be a difficult hole but at least now the player can hit the green and stay on it. I know as I've done it in play testing.
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Post by linkslover on Oct 4, 2018 6:20:23 GMT -5
15th - Par 4 Inspired by the 18th at Welshpool Golf Club www.welshpoolgolfclub.co.uk/(The 18th is on the left of this picture) We stay at Welshpool for their 18th hole. You tee off at the top of a valley to the bottom of it, then dogleg round and back up the other side to the green. From the tee players have to be mindful of the ditch that runs down the valley and the gorse that surrounds the fairway. The climb up to the green is the main difficulty with the second shot. As long as you are safe with your drive then you will be fine. For Northwood's 15th I have made a few changes. As there is no gorse in the rustic theme, I have replaced the gorse with all of the bushes available in this theme. Another change is that I have rotated the ditch round ninety degrees, so rather than running down the valley, it is at the bottom of the valley right next to the fairway. This will give the player a decision to make... how much of the ditch he wants to carry to shorten the hole, if any at all. The final change is that I have moved the green further to the right, to make it kind of a double dogleg hole. This is the last hole of a tough five hole stretch where even par for the five will not be bad. The last three holes will all provide scoring opportunities if the player is smart enough.
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Post by linkslover on Oct 5, 2018 6:24:41 GMT -5
16th - Par 5 Inspired by the 3rd at Astbury Golf Club www.astburygolfclub.com/Astbury is a village around a mile South West of the town of Congleton in Cheshire. Lying between the two is Astbury Golf Club, a parkland course formed in 1922 which has always been in decent condition when I have played it (albeit not since a junior and I'm 40 now) and has the Macclesfield Canal running through the middle of it. Their 3rd hole is not long and is relatively straight forward although the fairway slopes off down to the left. It does have a large gulley, which used to be full of bushes and trees when I played it but has since been cleared out and replaced by a large pond. The trouble is while it will cause problems for senior players and their second shots, good club players and above who hit the ball a decent distance will find the pond too far away from the tee to trouble them and too far away from the green to be any bother either. So why have I chose it for Northwood's 16th hole if the real life version is while visually pretty but plays quite straight forward? Simple, I've changed it. I've retained the distance, the direction and the slope to the left on the fairway. I have added two bunkers to the left of the fairway. Find either of these and you won't reach in two. The big change is I have moved the large gulley much closer to the green and also combined the two elements. I have planted a lot of bushes and some trees to make it look like it used to when I played it as a kid, but I have also laid down water so it plays as a hazard. In the olden days it was a dry hazard - there was no way you were finding your ball in there so the club made it a hazard. It also had a rickety old bridge that used to scare the sh%$ out of me. By adding water underneath the bushes, the game will then treat the large gulley in the same way. The only thing is it will sound a little odd hearing the ball making a splashing noise if you find it. One other change I have made is I have accentuated the curvature of the green to make it more pronounced and put a bunker in there. If the pin is back left and you're hitting at the green in two, you aren't going to be firing at it. All that said, it's the first of three holes to end the round which offers a decent chance of birdies. You may well need it after the previous five holes.
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Post by Koop on Oct 5, 2018 16:13:21 GMT -5
Looks great! I have lots of ideas now...... but where is all my time needed to design going to come from? Good luck!
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