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Post by Trusevich on Nov 30, 2018 10:57:29 GMT -5
. . . your course is ready for publication?
I've been play-testing my very first course attempt for about two weeks now - all tee sets x pin sets x club sets x various wind and green settings - and everything seems reasonable. Not great. Not awful. Just reasonable.
I've altered the aesthetics countless times and yet always seem to find more things that 'could be better' yet never turn out that way so I end up reverting back.
I've smoothed bunker lips until they're jagged again, I've raised and flattened tee boxes and greens until they're virtually unusable, I've laid fencing and decks that end up going from "OK, that looks sort of OK" to "OMG, that's fugly" and back again. I've buggered about with the lighting so much that the sun comes up in the south, not that you can tell through the fog and haze. Every time, I have to go back.
It's getting to the point that even though there's tons about the whole project I'm not happy with, mentally I think I'm done with it.
Is this form of OCD an indication that really the course is ready to be boxed and shipped?
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Post by Violinguy69 on Nov 30, 2018 11:46:13 GMT -5
This is a tough proposition.
It's a mix of getting the perfect amount of planting and finishing, without going over. All designers could literally work on a design forever. We all find something wrong with our courses on the 20th or 200th play-through. You need to be satisfied, but picky before you hit "send." You need to try and see the course as players will see it. If I had the patience (which I do not), I would let every publish-able design sit for 2 weeks and then play it again. That is probably ideal.
The other thing to do is to play it with other club sets. Play it badly so you can see what the course looks like from off the fairway. That is where people find things to nitpick like floating trees and bad sculpting. Just don't get bogged down in playtesting. As I said, you could do it forever and always find something. At the end of the day though, if you are satisfied, then that's all that matters.
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Post by ErixonStone on Nov 30, 2018 12:06:45 GMT -5
This is a difficult question to answer because it's going to be different for everybody. There are going to be things that, as a newer designer, maybe you don't notice, or that you notice but aren't sure how to improve - either a technical flaw or just some planting that doesn't look quite right.
What you're ready to publish might not meet the expectations a more experienced designer might set for himself, and that's OK.
If you're fiddling with your course and it isn't improving, that is a good indication that the course is ready. At that point, go check your tees and pins and publish.
Chuck's idea of stepping away for a few days is a good one. With fresh eyes, you might come across something and "just know" how you can make it better.
It is also a good idea to publish a beta, just so that you have a restore point if you make a bunch of changes and decide you want to revert them.
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Post by staypuft39 on Nov 30, 2018 12:48:24 GMT -5
If we all waited until we were completely happy with our FIRST course, we'd be in the designer for years before publishing. Publishing now will allow not only you to find those little things that "could be better", but a bunch of other people will play and respond too. You will improve a lot if you are open to this advice, and hopefully make an even better second course in an even shorter time. At some point you will reach a point where you are happy with everything but I think it took 3 courses for me. Good luck!
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Post by linkslover on Nov 30, 2018 12:59:51 GMT -5
I'm never fully happy when I press publish, but if I waited until I was fully happy, I'd never publish a course.
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Post by scampi00 on Nov 30, 2018 17:47:29 GMT -5
I would just go ahead and publish that baby. This way you can get feedback on things you didnt think to improve and apply to the next one.
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mayday_golf83
TGCT Design Competition Directors
Posts: 2,279
TGCT Name: Jeremy Mayo
Tour: Elite
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Post by mayday_golf83 on Nov 30, 2018 18:27:56 GMT -5
I'll give the same advice I was given when I asked how long does it take to make good barbecue? Answer: It's done when it's done.
I'll probably echo what some have already said, but it comes down to a matter of feel. When I go to the playtest stage, I'm keeping and eye on flattened tees, legal pins, etc. but I'm also looking at the flyovers, checking the planting, watching the sightlines. Basically I keep a Google Doc open when I'm playtesting. If anything jumps out at me, I'm going to make a note of it on the doc. Once I'm done playing all four pin sets, I'll go back and make the suggested changes I jotted down. Most of the time it's minor tweaks. Occassionally it's blowing up a bunker, fairway, green or entire hole. Rinse and repeat until satisfied.
How do I know when it's time. When I've gone through and the changes I'm suggesting no longer make the course better rather just make the courses look different. Once I've hit that stage, I know it's time to do my final pin and tee check and get ready to hit that publish button.
There will always be a bit of "publisher's remorse," but in the end each course is a learning experience. Take what worked or didn't work, what you liked or didn't and apply that to the next design.
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Post by Violinguy69 on Dec 1, 2018 10:42:42 GMT -5
I'll give the same advice I was given when I asked how long does it take to make good barbecue? Answer: It's done when it's done. I'll probably echo what some have already said, but it comes down to a matter of feel. When I go to the playtest stage, I'm keeping and eye on flattened tees, legal pins, etc. but I'm also looking at the flyovers, checking the planting, watching the sightlines. Basically I keep a Google Doc open when I'm playtesting. If anything jumps out at me, I'm going to make a note of it on the doc. Once I'm done playing all four pin sets, I'll go back and make the suggested changes I jotted down. Most of the time it's minor tweaks. Occassionally it's blowing up a bunker, fairway, green or entire hole. Rinse and repeat until satisfied. How do I know when it's time. When I've gone through and the changes I'm suggesting no longer make the course better rather just make the courses look different. Once I've hit that stage, I know it's time to do my final pin and tee check and get ready to hit that publish button. There will always be a bit of "publisher's remorse," but in the end each course is a learning experience. Take what worked or didn't work, what you liked or didn't and apply that to the next design. Publisher's remorse. I like that.
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Post by csugolfer60 on Dec 1, 2018 21:33:31 GMT -5
Play 4 rounds, one for all 4 pins, straight through.
Take notes of any thing that looks out of place during your 72 holes, noting whether they are playability or cosmetic related.
Make any changes necessary to change the playability (like bunker shaping, fairways, etc.) - and playtest only those specific areas until happy.
Then change any cosmetic items you noted, without playing through again.
Once these are done, you are ready to publish.
If there is anything that you didn't notice within 72 holes straight of playing as out of place, either it didn't look enough out of place to be worth changing, or it's so hidden that most players will never see it.
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Post by Trusevich on Dec 3, 2018 10:36:15 GMT -5
The general consensus it seems is to publish and be damned. I'll likely do both later.
Thanks guys!
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