Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2019 10:56:04 GMT -5
Group A Results
1. Bandit Ridge 3-0-0
2. Kamauri Cliffs 1-1-1
3. Hawthornvale 1-1-1
4. Dry Gulch @ Devils Tower 0-3-0
Bandit Ridge vs. Dry Gulch @ Devils Tower
JUDGE 1
Bandit: Very natural, real looking course. Excellent quality. Did not like the glarey lighting into the sun on default.
Dry Gulch: The course is perfectly playable and has a consistent feel but not necessarily in a good way. The tee/green & fairway colour combos don't work for me. More sculpting of bunkers and greens needed. Some odd design choices - fairway to green transitions need a lot of work.
Bandit Ridge wins.
JUDGE 2
Bandit Ridge:
Unique aesthetically, with a wild and natural look, as if the course was worked into the existing landscape instead of imposed on it. Sandy and undulating terrain, with original bunkering that is the main theme of the course, as eye-pleasing as it is strategic. Very unique routings and fairways that dictate play to a fair degree due to very rolly-polly contouring that is almost links-ish. Greens are sculpted beautifully, with inaccurate approaches punished severely due to challenging undulations. Technically, the designer knows the tools of the designer, and golf course architecture more generally, extremely well. Creatively, he has created a very unique course that is unlike anything I’ve seen before, although it has echoes of certain Tasmanian/Australian venues. Planting is restrained and conveys a very natural feel, and is quite wild and beautiful. Each hole is different and unique, in routing, strategy, and variety, yet fits with the overall cohesion of the course. Replayability is excellent, with the various fairway contours and pin positions lending themselves well to lots of variability. The unique bunkering stands out as one of the unifying design elements of the course, as does the rolling, sandy terrain. Extremely challenging, this course brings together multiple elements of a champion-level tour design that is both aesthetically unique as well as strategically forbidding.
Dry Gulch @ Devils Tower:
The course does a good job of conveying the feeling of being in Wyoming, with the iconic “Devil’s Tower” viewable from every hole on the course. The planting and aesthetics are all in line with the course’s style, with the lighting conveying a hot, dry climate. Strategically, there are not a lot of options; your shots are dictated by the routing for the most part, with a couple of exceptions where branched fairways offer options, although taking either one will not provide any obvious advantage on the approach shots; not sure why they are there. The greens are extremely easy with very little undulation, and in some cases were completely flat for ten-twelve feet around the pin. Whether this was by design or accident I am unsure, but disappointing. Contouring of the fairways was good, with nice splining creating smooth, clean lines and transitions between textures. Ditto the bunkering – deep, smooth, well-sculpted and all bunkers on the course were of a similar style. Since the planting is of a minimalist variety - which is well-done where it exists - and perfect for this arid climate theme, playability is the focus of this course. And although it does offer some interesting playing and shots in places, for the most part the routing dictating shots (narrow fairways, few options, etc.) limits the variety and engagement for the player. A good-looking course that is technically well-executed, but misses several opportunities strategically and replayability-wise.
Bandit Ridge wins.
Hawthornvale vs. Kamauri Cliffs
JUDGE 1
NOTES TO BE SAID IN A VIDEO POSTED AFTER CONTEST IS OVER
Kamauri Cliffs Wins
JUDGE 2
Hawthornvale:
very nice layout.loved the look and reminded me of an australian looking course. Good selection of holes although not overly difficult. First cut rough texture was bit weird but i can forgive that even if looked a bit strange on the eye. Lost a bit for sculpting round the retaining walls. Great triple walls but sloppy sculpting up to them imo. Great track though on the whole.
Kamauri cliffs:
When i first teed it up i thought nice! Good first tee impression. Then zoomed out and the lag started. Also the same huge rocks and poorly sculpted bunkers gree tiring. Some great views but sadly playability was very poor and let the course down. Some good ideas but seemed rushed.
Hawthornvale is the winner
Bandit Ridge vs. Hawthornvale
JUDGE 1
Bandit Ridge:
The aesthetics are out of this world. The bunkering is unlike anything else I’ve seen in the game. The planting and rock placement are exquisite. It plays brilliantly. I think the rock work on 9 would have worked better if you flipped the nines. I didn’t get a feel of many boulders on your 1-8, so when playing 9 it felt like a shock to the system seeing the green sit under those massive landforms. If you started on 10, you placed boulders well on the back nine to warm the senses up to it. That way finishing on 9 would have felt more appropriate. Also, I know the large greens were a style you were going for, but I still think a few could have lost a quadrant without much notice.
Hawthornvale:
A heathland-style course is severely lacking in the database and it was a welcome, refreshing change of pace! The fairway landing areas and fairway bunker complexes were extraordinary. For the first two holes, the greens and their complexes were a bit lacking, but after that, the course really picks up. The macro-sculpting was executed well, but micro-sculpting was lacking in many areas. The greens had nice ridges, but were very flat other than that. The green complexes and bunkers were flush with the landscape, giving the course a lack of pop. There were a ton of really good ideas on this course, but the execution just needs more practice.
Bandit Ridge wins.
JUDGE 2
Bandit Ridge:
A challenging yet playable course that tests all parts of your game. Enjoyed the Bunker style and the risks in creating this type of course. Terrain work once again helps to offer variety in the highest degree. Masterful sculpting. It did lack in “wow” moments though, plus the huge rocks did not fit in to me. Perhaps an homage to Fred Flintstone.
Hawthornvale:
A very pleasant and fun to play course. Visually beautiful, with a few instances where I think the designer tried to force retaining walls...well-done as they are. A few holes feel a bit too straightforward, but mostly a varied experience that was exciting. Just fell a but short in the “wow” area as well.
Winner: Bandit Ridge
Bandit Ridge wins for being a bit more complete. Hawthornvale just missed a touch on making the entire plot and course feel authentic.
Dry Gulch @ Devils Tower vs. Kamauri Cliffs
JUDGE 1
Dry Gulch:
Super Narrow opening tee shot.... Bunker sculpting could use some work. Would have liked some better texture choices.. tended to wash out the green grids. Thought the 4th hole was a nice idea... wish both fairways were a little wider.. but that seems to be the theme with this course. Pretty gnarly green sculpting on that hole too. The 7th hole is a great looking par 3.. don't be afraid to use some elevation to show it off a bit.
Overall impressions... nice attempt.. could have some potential with a bit of polishing.
Kamauri Cliffs:
Love the way the rest of the course is incorporated into views.. 10th is a great example of that. Fence to the left of the tee on 11 is a bit distracting for me. I felt like some of the holes lacked a flow.. where am I hitting? Where's the green? Not really TST friendly. 14 is one of my favorite looking "short" holes in the contest... but it misses the mark a bit on playability... I felt like it needed to be 10 - 15 yards shorter to truly make it risk reward. View in on 17 was great... just wish the fairway was elevated a bit.. it would really show it off.
Overall... A tour quality course. Some slight touch-ups here and there.. but a solid effort.
Side Note.. Difference here can be seen on one hole on each course... 7th at Dry versus 16 at Kamauri… very similar ideas, vastly different on execution.
Winner is Kamauri.
JUDGE 2
Dry Gulch @ Devil's Tower:
This course is really raw. For the designer, if designing is something you enjoy and you really want to improve, try to watch some of the tutorial videos, and some of the guys who stream design. Pay attention to how they layout and sculpt the course, and how they tie fairways and greens and bunkers and the surrounding landscape all together. When you play a nice course, pay attention to how the designer has sculpted the landscape to emphasize certain features. Look at the views from the tee, and notice how they sculpt the bunkers, the land around them, and the landscape between the tee and the bunker. Think about sightlines off the tee. Sometimes raising a tee box or lowering part of the landscape can give you a completely different view of the hole. If there is a water feature or bunker or fairway feature that is a big part of the hole design, make sure it’s visible.
Blind shots have their place occasionally, but you generally want to see where you’re trying to go off the tee. There are several holes here where you can’t see much from the tee. Hole 13 for example, you have a short par 4 that could give the player multiple options off the tee, but all I can see is a tiny little section of fairway. That first hump in the fairway isn’t in play, and does nothing except block the view. Lower that section of fairway, and I’ll be able to see to the peak of the fairway hill. Then raise that tee a little, lower the terrain to the right of the fairway, and thin your trees out so that I can see thru them a little bit, but leave enough to keep me from hitting a straight shot at the green. Now I can see a glimpse of the green from the tee, I have a better visual of what the hole does, and it’s totally changed the look and feel of that hole. Think about those sightlines when you are designing.
With green sculpting, there’s nothing wrong with multi-tiered greens and red/yellow slopes, but they need to make sense. They can be used very effectively to bring strategy to a hole, but can ruin a hole if used incorrectly. For example, hole 4 has something like a 5 foot very steep slope that makes the back half of the green unplayable. It has to make sense.
Kamauri Cliffs:
Absolutely beautiful course, rockwork and waterfalls are stunning.
Wish I could see more of the waterfall on the 18th without having to go look at it.
Hole 2 from the tee is stunning.
I really like Hole 14, multiple ways to approach it.
This is definitely a course worthy of multiple plays. The environment is totally immersive, the course is clean and plays great with a nice variety of holes.
KAMAURI CLIFFS wins the matchup.
Bandit Ridge vs. Kamauri Cliffs
JUDGE 1
Bandit Ridge: Very immersive environment. Extremely clean. Great bunker shapes. Not a fan of the green shapes; Seemed "droopy" like a Dali painting
Kamauri Cliffs: Some of the best views looking out over the course I've seen made. A couple hole design decisions that didn't quite work for me. Had quite a bit of stutter over first 3-4 holes (i didn’t penalize for this!). A few very memorable holes.
Bandit Ridge wins.
JUDGE 2
Bandit Ridge:
Best bunker style/shaping/planting I’ve ever seen. Signature skill: Bunkering. Incredible fairway/land sculpting. Tons of choice off the tees for playability. Exceptional green sculpting/design. Every shot feels like it matters. Amazing rockwork/overhang on the 9th. Signature Hole: Hard to decide!
Kamauri Cliffs:
Bunkers are a little blobby (greenside 8th) or weirdly shaped in spots...hard straight edge the fairway, see right fairway bunkers on the 8th, greenside 16th has weird rough/fairway transitions and borders. Signature skill: Rockwork. Exceptional routing. Excellent green sculpting/design. Not a lot of obvious choices off the tee for playability. Signature Hole: Hard to decide!
Winner: Bandit Ridge
Dry Gulch @ Devils Tower vs. Hawthornvale
JUDGE 1
Dry Gulch:
Very good layout and design from a shot standpoint, with the exception of a split fairway only really having one viable option, and the greens having very little movement other than section separators. Not much work done on elevation, and while the fairways are a good width on each hole, there is very little work done to sculpt them. Bunkers have virtually no depth, and the scale of them varies a bit too much to remain consistent. The greens are a good scale throughout the course. The mesas in the background are actually quite nice and fit into the aesthetic. The theme of the course is done very well, with cow skulls being used as tee markers, the textures looking quite nice and burned out to fit in with the theme, and the backgrounds having some work done to fit in with the "western ranch" theme. However, other than the holes and the extreme background, there doesn't seem to be a lot of work done in between holes. Each hole seems to be a "self-contained" area. It's a very creative theme and it is used to the max throughout. For the course itself, while it plays very well, the holes are a bit cookie cutter in layout with the exception of a couple high point holes (especially the horseshoe green on hole 18). Memorability is in the good column, because the course oozes the western theme, and you immediately recognize it from the cow skull tee markers. Replayability, there isn't really too much to go back and see again, especially because the greens are relatively flat, so hole locations won't change strategy too much from play to play. Actually a great mix of holes that are playable on a tour, and a pretty good flow for the course that fits more like an 18-hole walk, rather than separate holes on the same plot.
Hawthornvale:
A good mix of holes that can be challenging in the right conditions. Wide fairways, but with fast greens, you have to be precise about where you land the ball. Softer conditions make this course a bit on the easy side, but still challenges you with some tee shots that require working the ball, and a couple very fun shorter shots as well, such as the island green par 3. A nice looking course with a few touches that add to the round, including very well done retaining walls, simple bunkers that are molded very well into the landscape, and some object work that fills out large bare spots very nicely. The grass added around bunkers is quite good as well and adds a touch that makes it stand out. With the exception of the holes being separated and not visible from each other, the course theme fits nicely, and seems to be a very realistic setting. Light is used pretty well to make the course shine without being excessive, and the objects and textures contrast nicely to make them stand out. The only complaint I'd have about textures is the brown first-cut seems to look strange compared to the fairway and rough. A nice looking course with some fresh ideas that blend well into the landscape. Without having played all the pin sets, it seems like the course could play very different with fresh conditions each round, since the fairways and greens are large and can accept different angles. Good routing and flow, although the holes are a bit more different from each other than Dry Gulch, but just as memorable due to the visual quirks and a couple very interesting holes.
Hawthornvale wins.
JUDGE 2
Hawthornvale:
Negatives: A floating tree near the 2nd green. Slope on some tees. The front 9 greens are pretty bland - much better on back nine. The left fairway @ 9th is pointless. 16th hole is really not good - overdone with the retaining walls, a flat, perfectly round green.
Positives - which massively outweighed the negatives: Good options off the tees, beautiful planting - loved the sunken trees around the bunkers, the curly semi-rough paths, the fences etc
6th and 8th are fantastic holes, the 13th green complex = wow. 18 is almost an awesome hole - could have done with just a little more length on both tee shot and 2nd. Overall - loved it.
Dry Gulch - fairly obviously a 'first course' - issues with sculpting (either too severe, or flat (greens)). Sightline problems, some transition issues, wavy fairways. The 4th green is unplayable (5ft high slope!!)… I don't know what else to say about Dry Gulch!
Hawthornvale wins.
