Post by dangnasty2143 on Dec 24, 2018 22:46:25 GMT -5
SUMMARY
Welcome to Aspen Creek Golf Club. Set high in the Colorado Rockies, Aspen Creek offers you a retreat from the ordinary golf course. Two distinct golfing experiences await those who make the trip to this remote location. The Valley Nine (front nine) plays mostly through an open meadow, along and across the rushing waters of Aspen Creek. The Valley Nine is fairly open, allowing aggressive shot making to cut strokes. The Mountain Nine (back nine) follows Aspen Creek up in to the mountain pines. You’ll take what the course offers, turning left and right around the bends in the stream. The greens at Aspen Creek are modest size, with a prevailing back to font slope. Relax and enjoy a round of golf at beautiful Aspen Creek Golf Club.
DESIGNER NOTES
With Aspen Creek Golf Club, I wanted to create a golf course in a mountain setting, with lots of elevation changes and interaction with water. The intended outcome was a relaxing course the TGC19 players would enjoy playing.
Aspen Creek had an alternate purpose. I wanted to challenge myself in the use of the water tool available in the Course Designer. I had used it for smaller creeks and lakes on previous courses, and frankly found the tool to be a challenge to use. Aspen Creek was design to follow a stream from its highest point up in the mountains down into the valley. This would allow for numerous waterfalls and lots of twist and turns.
I don’t know how many water pieces I added, nor how many waterfalls there are. But I think the overall results are pretty good. I did have a lot of trouble with water flow property on the water pieces. I couldn’t get it to flow in the correct direction. As a result, I used the high splash object set at water level or just below to create the effect of moving water. I like the results on straight flows, but it makes the turns look angular as you go from on water section to another.
I also wanted to work in a lot of elevation change. The mountain nine was intentionally designed with the with the first four holes playing up hill, and the last four coming back down. The valley side plays more back and forth. But both sides offer players tee shits where they can unload and drive the ball as far as they can. Many of the approach shots will have you thinking about clubbing up or clubbing down due to the elevation change.
TIPS FROM THE PRO
Hole 1 – Don’t get greedy. The reward for cutting the creek isn’t worth the gain. Anything in the fairway leaves a pretty short uphill approach shot.
Hole 2 – You can’t get caught going long, as Aspen Creek lurks behind the green. The green falls off into the fairway on the left side. Not real steep, just enough to pull your ball off the green.
Hole 3 – The fairway bunker is your line. You can fly it. Left and the fairway works your ball further left, leaving you blocked out by trees on your approach.
Hole 4 – Clear the bunker. Your tee shot must be straight for this narrow green. And if you come up short, it will be difficult to save par.
Hole 5 – Avoid “The Three Bears”. A fairly simple par five, the main obstacle is three round bunkers set in a mound right where your second shot should land. Avoid them, and it is a short chip to the green… on the other side of the creek.
Hole 6 – Stay right. Only the longest hitters will clear the corner. There is a bailout area to the right of the green where you can safely go for a chip and putt par.
Hole 7- The challenge here is to get as close to the end of the fairway without going into the rough, or worse, the rocks. An uphill approach will challenge your hopes at par.
Hole 8 – “The Ski Jump”. The fairway drops away quickly from the tee, leaving your ball to soar all the way to the bottom of the hit. Take advantage of it, and you’ll get to consider going for the green in two.
Hole 9 – Hit to the blind spot. You can’t see the top of the fairway from the tee, but that is where you want to land. The fairway will move your ball towards the center safely.
Hole 10 – A deceptively difficult green awaits on this short hole. The green runs towards the creek, making it feel like the green slopes away from you.
Hole 11 – You start you way up the mountain with this hole. Make sure you have enough club to get home on your approach.
Hole 12 – Just hit to the bend. Too far and you are in the creek. To short and you cannot clear the bend.
Hole 13 – A true double dogleg par five, don’t let the waterfall distract you. You must figure out how much of the creek to cut off from the tee.
Hole 14 – Your first par three in a while, if you miss right the ball will run all the way down to the creek.
Hole 15 – You start down the mountain with this tee shot. You need to account for the distance you’ll gain to avoid the waiting hazards.
Hole 16 – Another down hill tee shot that you can let run out. But unlike number eight, this hole is narrow. Miss the fairway and you could wind up in jail.
Hole 17 – A downhill par three, guarded on the left by Aspen Creek. Club selection is key to this shot.
Hole 18 – How brave our you. A rock outcropping in the trees prevented a normal fairway. The solution was a wide fairway to the right and a narrow fairway along the creek. To the right is safe but will require three shots to get home. If you challenge the left, you risk water. The reward is an iron to the green on your second.
PICTURES
Hole 1
From the first tee you can see the allure of Aspen Creek.
Hole 5
The three bears threaten your second shot on this par 5 if you don't hit it just right.
Hole 8
Reach the landing zone for the ski jump and you can go for the green in two. But the smattering of pine trees may mess with your line.
Hole 11
The approach on 11 is your just the beginning of the climb on the next three holes.
Hole 15
Fifteen starts play back down the mountain. While you can drive the ball a long way here, there is little margin for error.
Hole 18
Eighteen forces a decision off the tee. Successfully challenge the narrow fairway to the right, and this plays more like a par four. The conservative play is to the right.
Welcome to Aspen Creek Golf Club. Set high in the Colorado Rockies, Aspen Creek offers you a retreat from the ordinary golf course. Two distinct golfing experiences await those who make the trip to this remote location. The Valley Nine (front nine) plays mostly through an open meadow, along and across the rushing waters of Aspen Creek. The Valley Nine is fairly open, allowing aggressive shot making to cut strokes. The Mountain Nine (back nine) follows Aspen Creek up in to the mountain pines. You’ll take what the course offers, turning left and right around the bends in the stream. The greens at Aspen Creek are modest size, with a prevailing back to font slope. Relax and enjoy a round of golf at beautiful Aspen Creek Golf Club.
DESIGNER NOTES
With Aspen Creek Golf Club, I wanted to create a golf course in a mountain setting, with lots of elevation changes and interaction with water. The intended outcome was a relaxing course the TGC19 players would enjoy playing.
Aspen Creek had an alternate purpose. I wanted to challenge myself in the use of the water tool available in the Course Designer. I had used it for smaller creeks and lakes on previous courses, and frankly found the tool to be a challenge to use. Aspen Creek was design to follow a stream from its highest point up in the mountains down into the valley. This would allow for numerous waterfalls and lots of twist and turns.
I don’t know how many water pieces I added, nor how many waterfalls there are. But I think the overall results are pretty good. I did have a lot of trouble with water flow property on the water pieces. I couldn’t get it to flow in the correct direction. As a result, I used the high splash object set at water level or just below to create the effect of moving water. I like the results on straight flows, but it makes the turns look angular as you go from on water section to another.
I also wanted to work in a lot of elevation change. The mountain nine was intentionally designed with the with the first four holes playing up hill, and the last four coming back down. The valley side plays more back and forth. But both sides offer players tee shits where they can unload and drive the ball as far as they can. Many of the approach shots will have you thinking about clubbing up or clubbing down due to the elevation change.
TIPS FROM THE PRO
Hole 1 – Don’t get greedy. The reward for cutting the creek isn’t worth the gain. Anything in the fairway leaves a pretty short uphill approach shot.
Hole 2 – You can’t get caught going long, as Aspen Creek lurks behind the green. The green falls off into the fairway on the left side. Not real steep, just enough to pull your ball off the green.
Hole 3 – The fairway bunker is your line. You can fly it. Left and the fairway works your ball further left, leaving you blocked out by trees on your approach.
Hole 4 – Clear the bunker. Your tee shot must be straight for this narrow green. And if you come up short, it will be difficult to save par.
Hole 5 – Avoid “The Three Bears”. A fairly simple par five, the main obstacle is three round bunkers set in a mound right where your second shot should land. Avoid them, and it is a short chip to the green… on the other side of the creek.
Hole 6 – Stay right. Only the longest hitters will clear the corner. There is a bailout area to the right of the green where you can safely go for a chip and putt par.
Hole 7- The challenge here is to get as close to the end of the fairway without going into the rough, or worse, the rocks. An uphill approach will challenge your hopes at par.
Hole 8 – “The Ski Jump”. The fairway drops away quickly from the tee, leaving your ball to soar all the way to the bottom of the hit. Take advantage of it, and you’ll get to consider going for the green in two.
Hole 9 – Hit to the blind spot. You can’t see the top of the fairway from the tee, but that is where you want to land. The fairway will move your ball towards the center safely.
Hole 10 – A deceptively difficult green awaits on this short hole. The green runs towards the creek, making it feel like the green slopes away from you.
Hole 11 – You start you way up the mountain with this hole. Make sure you have enough club to get home on your approach.
Hole 12 – Just hit to the bend. Too far and you are in the creek. To short and you cannot clear the bend.
Hole 13 – A true double dogleg par five, don’t let the waterfall distract you. You must figure out how much of the creek to cut off from the tee.
Hole 14 – Your first par three in a while, if you miss right the ball will run all the way down to the creek.
Hole 15 – You start down the mountain with this tee shot. You need to account for the distance you’ll gain to avoid the waiting hazards.
Hole 16 – Another down hill tee shot that you can let run out. But unlike number eight, this hole is narrow. Miss the fairway and you could wind up in jail.
Hole 17 – A downhill par three, guarded on the left by Aspen Creek. Club selection is key to this shot.
Hole 18 – How brave our you. A rock outcropping in the trees prevented a normal fairway. The solution was a wide fairway to the right and a narrow fairway along the creek. To the right is safe but will require three shots to get home. If you challenge the left, you risk water. The reward is an iron to the green on your second.
PICTURES
Hole 1
From the first tee you can see the allure of Aspen Creek.
Hole 5
The three bears threaten your second shot on this par 5 if you don't hit it just right.
Hole 8
Reach the landing zone for the ski jump and you can go for the green in two. But the smattering of pine trees may mess with your line.
Hole 11
The approach on 11 is your just the beginning of the climb on the next three holes.
Hole 15
Fifteen starts play back down the mountain. While you can drive the ball a long way here, there is little margin for error.
Hole 18
Eighteen forces a decision off the tee. Successfully challenge the narrow fairway to the right, and this plays more like a par four. The conservative play is to the right.