2019 TGCT Major Championship Design Challenge

[mayday_golf83]

Feb 6, 2019 13:45:15 GMT -5 catcherman22 said:

While I appreciate a good par 4... can we in general agree to try and avoid using excessive length as a difficulty tool?

I can't say I'm 100 percent on board with this. Length, when done right and used properly, can be one tool in the tool box.

I get what you're saying though and constantly using excessive length as a crutch is the wrong way to go about it. If a course has five 500-plus yard par 5s, yeah, that gets to be a bit much. But length can be mitigated or aggravated by several different factors, including elevation, prevailing wind, green sculpting and hazard placement. 

Give me a 525-yard par 4 that runs downhill, generally plays with a tailwind and has a fairly receptive green and that's actually a relatively easy hole. Now give me a 525-yard par 4, have it run uphill, cutoff the landing zone to take driver out of play and then have a force carry to a small back-to-front green, then we've got some legit issues. 

So my take, don't avoid length to add difficulty but, use it sparingly and, when you do, be smart about how you make the hole if you're going to stretch a par 4 more than 500 yards. 

[Deleted]

Feb 6, 2019 17:59:35 GMT -5 mayday_golf83 said:

Feb 6, 2019 13:45:15 GMT -5 catcherman22 said:

While I appreciate a good par 4... can we in general agree to try and avoid using excessive length as a difficulty tool?

I can't say I'm 100 percent on board with this. Length, when done right and used properly, can be one tool in the tool box.

I get what you're saying though and constantly using excessive length as a crutch is the wrong way to go about it. If a course has five 500-plus yard par 5s, yeah, that gets to be a bit much. But length can be mitigated or aggravated by several different factors, including elevation, prevailing wind, green sculpting and hazard placement. 

Give me a 525-yard par 4 that runs downhill, generally plays with a tailwind and has a fairly receptive green and that's actually a relatively easy hole. Now give me a 525-yard par 4, have it run uphill, cutoff the landing zone to take driver out of play and then have a force carry to a small back-to-front green, then we've got some legit issues. 

So my take, don't avoid length to add difficulty but, use it sparingly and, when you do, be smart about how you make the hole if you're going to stretch a par 4 more than 500 yards. 

Well said. This will be true of my longer par 4s with the exception of the third round, also known as 'staying day'

[drivert]

Someone needs to get cold feet and drop out Im ready to step in..

[Generic_Casual]

I know I'm a newbie at this design thing, but I design from a video game standpoint. NOT an IRL standpoint. I say this because it is significantly harder to "hit your spots" in the real world as there are more factors involved. I like to create my greens from this point of view. Miss by a few feet/couple yards, you should be good. However, you miss by more than that you're getting sh%$ on and you deserve it. In my mind it works. You may not be punished with a bunker or trench, but rest assured your short game best be on point. Point is, I try and make my greens more punishing/severe based on your miscalculation of maths/janky swing plane. 😁😁

[staypuft39]

2 holes in right now and I am starting to like how things are shaping up. Not really my style to do the "spectator experience" thing, but am having lots of fun planning that part out along with the course (I also enjoy shanking tee shots into the sea of people during playtesting).

Will probably post some pics soon, but want to get to my 800 yd par 5 with a spline for a fairway first...

[csugolfer60]

Feb 7, 2019 10:31:37 GMT -5 Generic_Casual said:

I know I'm a newbie at this design thing, but I design from a video game standpoint. NOT an IRL standpoint. I say this because it is significantly harder to "hit your spots" in the real world as there are more factors involved. I like to create my greens from this point of view. Miss by a few feet/couple yards, you should be good. However, you miss by more than that you're getting sh%$ on and you deserve it. In my mind it works. You may not be punished with a bunker or trench, but rest assured your short game best be on point. Point is, I try and make my greens more punishing/severe based on your miscalculation of maths/janky swing plane. 😁😁

And don’t forget “math and execution perfect but shouldn’t be aiming at the hole” 😬

[Generic_Casual]

Feb 7, 2019 11:00:36 GMT -5 csugolfer60 said:

Feb 7, 2019 10:31:37 GMT -5 Generic_Casual said:

I know I'm a newbie at this design thing, but I design from a video game standpoint. NOT an IRL standpoint. I say this because it is significantly harder to "hit your spots" in the real world as there are more factors involved. I like to create my greens from this point of view. Miss by a few feet/couple yards, you should be good. However, you miss by more than that you're getting sh%$ on and you deserve it. In my mind it works. You may not be punished with a bunker or trench, but rest assured your short game best be on point. Point is, I try and make my greens more punishing/severe based on your miscalculation of maths/janky swing plane. 😁😁

And don’t forget “math and execution perfect but shouldn’t be aiming at the hole” 😬

NEVER aiming at the hole! On certain pins! 😏😏

[TannerBronson]

Just a random topic but I've been drawing out my 18th hole for the past day and you always want to end your round with a "grand hole", but what and how do you make a "grand" hole? There are five types of "grand holes" 1: Hiker 2: Cathedral 3: Colosseum 4: Symetrical and 5: Structural. A grand hiker hole is where you make the player climb a hill somewhere in a hole, usually the end. A good example of this is Oak Hill's 18th hole with a 20ft rise before the green. A cathedral hole is where the green is perched with either a trench or bunkers surrounding the front and side edges, making it look built higher than the surrounding area. Colosseum holes act like a natural amputheatre. The hole weves through a valley and ends in a grove of some sorts. A good example is the 13th hole shown below. And its also a symetric and cathedral hole as well. Symetrical holes also add a great esthetic to a grand hole. Have 2 bunkers on the left. Have 2 on the right. Having the green be almost a perfect circle is also a form of a symetric hole. And lastly is a structure hole. Usually this is easy gor the 9th or 18th hole but even having a rogue building in the backround of a random hole adds character. Just some tips that I got from a book and thought it was cool to share.

[ryanmcconnell]

We use fahrenheit in Rochester.

[TannerBronson]

Feb 7, 2019 17:17:58 GMT -5 ryanmcconnell said:

We use fahrenheit in Rochester.

Im an Irish lad. Sorry lol.

[mayday_golf83]

We have had a change to the field.

Reeb has decided to pull out of the contest. Since he informed me of this decision prior to Feb. 15, we pull from the veteran “alternate in waiting” list, meaning that Todd Driver will take his place.

I’m busy with work the rest of today, but will effort to update the OP and alternate lists late tonight or tomorrow morning.

[reebdoog]

Sorry folks. Life is very firmly in the way on this one. I’ll finish my course but the time is not going to work. When this game becomes a source of stress and frustration it’s getting in the way. Right now this contest is quickly becoming a problem rather than an enjoyable distraction. I’d finish and put out a good track...but my life would suffer by doing so. Not a trade I’m willing to make. Give em hell Todd!

[toddfather]

Feb 8, 2019 14:37:56 GMT -5 reebdoog said:

Give em hell Todd!

Thanks reebdoog ! Will do


j/k.....welcome to the party Todd Driver

[mayday_golf83]

Finally home from and w/ a chance to update the thread:

drivert is officially in the field of 24. mav78 head's up! You're the next alternate should any of our 24 decide to bow out by next Friday. 

[mayday_golf83]

Another field update:

scampi00 has withdrawn from the competition and has been replaced by mav78. ddixjr509, head's up. You're the next alternate on the list should anyone else bow out by Friday.