Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2019 10:58:04 GMT -5
Group F Results
1. Paragon Golf & Country Club 3-0-0
2. Greenbrier CC East 2-1-0
3. The Buck Club 1-2-0
4. The Links of San Simoleon 0-3-0
The Buck Club vs. Greenbrier CC East
JUDGE 1
The Buck Club:
Honestly don't know the backstory here. First impression... the weird grass bunkers are... well weird. Masssssssssssive green on 6. Definitely kept my interest through the round... even if designer was a bit liberal with the sculpting. Another course where it felt like two different 9's, with the back 9 at a whopping 4200 yards.
Greenbrier:
Some large humpes on greens. Loved the use of the color on this course... the browns and yellows in the tree really pop. Loved the green on 16. 17 is a nice risk reward hole... wish it played about 10 yards shorter. Technically a solid course. Once again though, felt like a tale of two courses with the front 9 at 4100 yards!
Winner is Greenbrier.
JUDGE 2
The Buck Club:
I love the concept of making an RCR of a course that doesn’t exist yet; however, in this contest we are looking for what is the best course. I’m going to be honest, I think you should have built this course as a passion project outside of the contest. The course is both memorable for being so unique, yet dull to play at times. I think this course would be super cool to play IRL, but it left me wanting more a lot in the game. The course feels very same-y. The holes on the low terrain were, meh. The planting you did was, meh.
Greenbrier CC East:
Extremely solid course and quite enjoyable to play. To find negatives, I have to nit-pick, like trees in the light rough or no cart path on 9. The macro and micro-sculpting are done well, though maybe you could have added some chocolate drops or some hillocks to add some small contours to the exterior of some of the holes.
Winner: Greenbrier CC East
The Links at San Simoleon vs. Paragon Golf & Country Club
JUDGE 1
The Links at San Simoleon:
Very solid course. Visuals are great. I would say the biggest thing to work on is variety with the green complexes. There is not much variety and the round feels very same-y by the end. To be completely honest, I was very bored by the end of the round.
Paragon Golf & Country Club:
Nice flow and variety. Bunkering could use some more depth and pop. The micro-sculpting elsewhere could be cleaner, as well. The course could use more macro-sculpting to pop, too. The planting is done well and not overused. I also liked the rock work. The split fairway on 6 and big fairway bunker do not work. Not sure what is happening on 7, either.
The designer of Paragon needs some more time in the designer making things cleaner, but being very bored like on San Simoleon hurt its score too much.
Winner: Paragon
JUDGE 2
San Simoleon:
I think the rough texture is a bit too dark and contrasts too much with the natural terrain. I think it needs a lot of edge planting to blend more naturally. It also makes some of the odd fairway shaping stand out. I like the cart path colour but it looks very sloppy in places. I like the rain / lighting - more so than some other courses that have the sun too low in the sky. Overall a tricky course to judge - there are 5-6 holes along the coast that are really good but there are too many bland holes that are let down by some poor texture / shaping choices.
Paragon:
Low default sun made some holes a bit dark. Lovely texture blend. Overall a fun, picturesque course but let down a little by the last few holes that were a bit bland.
The winner is ... Paragon Golf & Country Club
The Buck Club vs. The Links at San Simoleon
JUDGE 1
The Buck Club
The Idea behind The Buck Club is a fascinating one and who knows. Maybe something like this could catch on and you see other future clubs using TGC and this design community to showcase real courses of the future.
There is one thing that sticks out more than anything else when it comes to this and I don't think it comes as a surprise if I say that it's the sculpting. Everything from fairways, bunkers and greens are absolutely fantastic. For me it brings out emotions such as awe, intimidation, surprise and confusion. All in a good way I might add. It also allows for a course with great shot variation that adds to the playability of the course. I'm excited to see what this designer brings in the near future because I feel his skill in the designer took a giant leap forward with this design.
This is a great course, but it's not without it's flaws. Minor, but still apparent is the area that surrounds the course. It's very stale and barren. I understand given the nature of the course the designer took an active decision to make it this way, but for me it took away a bit of the overall feel of the course. Especially on the back 9. Favorite Hole #8
The Links at San Simoleon
The Designer takes some risks and get rewarded, but it hits the flag post and stays out.
I love the environment this course offer. The coastline, ridges, cliffs and even to choose to showcase the course in the rain are bold and adds to a visually very pleasant round of golf. For me personally golf is a very visual game and the ability to take this delta theme and create a (for me) believable Californian setting adds a layer to my experience I wasn't expecting to see.
To stay with the theme of visuals there are a few things that just don't fit my eye real well and it's especially in the details. Fairway shapes, cart paths and bunkers does on occasion stick out as a sore thumb and perhaps given just a little more attention to detail would go a long way on an otherwise very well designed course. Favorite Hole #9
Summary:
The visuals on these two courses are fantastic, but also vastly different and both unique in their own way. The thing that really sets these two apart though is the playability. The Buck Club really brings it with a tough, fair, varied and very enjoyable 18 holes and will make for a great tour event very soon.
Winner: The Buck Club
JUDGE 2
TBC:
Even after an appropriate ding in the creativity category, this course checks out in so many ways. Fun golf on a well-executed course, with many ways to play on any given day and any given pin set. I thought the sculpting was a bit heavy-handed in spots, and the plot itself could have been more exciting on the outskirts...but not a ton negative to say about it. The greens are especially well-done and are a big challenge for all skill levels. I feel sad that the designer must share kudos with...well..the designer.
San Simoleon:
I thought this was a great plot of land, with some very fun sculpting and good planting as well. The downfall, I think, is in the lack of natural land textures shown off, as there is a lot of green on the course. I also think the routing didn't fully take advantage of the cliffside location, as I don't think the "ocean" ever really came into play too much, with sand traps keeping the greens away from the edge. It also felt a little like the designer tried to get every single item into the course, as I think I had a windmill-lighthouse bingo by the 14th hole. It just felt a bit forced. That said, it is a fun course and the playability is solid. Deserves to be a tour-level course, but falls short in the other aspects.
Winner: The Buck Club
Greenbrier CC East vs. Paragon Golf & Country Club
JUDGE 1
Greenbriar:
Very clean course with great lighting. Tee to green has great playability, but I feel the extreme over use of tiered greens and some excessive with pins tucked right on them hurt the overall playability of the course. The planting is very straight forward but still has a good look with some solid views.
Paragon:
Great playability tee to green but I thought the greens were on the very easy side but still a great job ,it has some great views and some really nice planting and lighting never a big fan of light rough around but kers but still very clean score 42.
Winner: Paragon
JUDGE 2
Greenbrier CC East:
Visually, this is a stunning course. Really beautiful contouring around the bunkers and in the heavy rough. Great transitions between textures. Very clean lines. Gorgeous lighting, great textures. Minimalist planting – which is great – and good rock-work in places. Cart-path is flawless. However, this is an extremely geometric, linear course with very harsh shapes and lines instead of an organic, flowing look. Obviously this is by design – and in that respect, it was executed perfectly. Visually, this will rub some the wrong way– flat fairways with almost no contours except for the occasional ridge or bump, completely flat bunkers, flat, straight lines almost like a template throughout the entire course is the intended style here. The greens are very challenging, with severe movement green-wise. This is not necessarily a negative, but fairly harsh for the golfer, even on fairly close approaches; a 4 foot putt becomes a question mark. There are some strange bumps and tumors that stick up around certain greens that are exceptions to this, and disrupt the style and continuity, but they are one of the few exceptions. The stream which wends its way through the course is basically the same style as the rest of the course – angular, and sharply-angled vs. a smooth, rounded, flowing stream. Is has a roughly-cut bank instead of a smooth, gradually sloping one, with water tool used every few feet so there are multiple levels of cantilevered water. Looks very geometric – but again, that is the entire style of this course, carried through to every element, including the stream. Playability-wise, the routings are straight-forward, and play is dictated entirely by them. There are no options, and not many choices, other than when a stream crosses the fairway and the golfer needs to decide to club down or not, depending on the wind. On #8, there is a “punchbowl” green - a berm that surrounds the entire green - and makes it feel like a putt-putt, tricked-up fantasy hole because it is completely out of character with the other greens on the course. In summary, the style that the designer created for this course – geometric, linear, flat, and non-organic – is successfully executed throughout the course on most holes with few exceptions, whether you like that particular style or not. Leaving your personal preferences at the door, this course was designed with a certain concept in mind, and that concept was loyally adhered to throughout the course for the most part. Playability-wise, if you prefer routings that dictate play with few choices, but challenging for that very reason - as you are pigeon-holed into which distances and clubs and angles you must use – then this course will appeal. From a technical execution standpoint, the designer was flawless. Replayability-wise, it is questionable how many golfers will come back again and again, as it really boils down to one’s aesthetic preference and style-of-play preference. A very unique and bold concept in course design.
Paragon Golf & Country Club:
Visually stunning, with the exemplary rock-work and shoreline of the lake being the stylistic theme carried throughout the course. The lob-wedge flop shot given to the golfer off the tee on #7 was surprising. After switching to driver and normal shot, a multiple-option fairway is discovered, which – depending on your wind – will cause you to make a choice that could affect the success of the next approach shot. Undulating, challenging, well-sculpted greens. Approach well or pay a price. Trees are very much present as hazards, as much as water or sand, such as on #8, or #15, etc. Strategically, distances and wind have been carefully calculated to present challenge and decisions for the golfer on many shots. Depending on wind, clubs used, and tee/pin positions, there is a lot of variability and re-playability here. The aesthetics lie in minimal planting (but done well where executed), pretty shorelines, and excellent rockwork throughout. Bunkers are deep, strongly-outlined, well-sculpted, and strategically-placed. Sightlines, hole-framing, and panoramic views from the teebox are calculated to present a visually appealing course, from tee to green. The bunker at the back of #12 green is iconic. Routings are open enough to create quite a few options and interest, depending on conditions. Greens are challenging, but accessible for all skill levels. #17 is one of the best all-around par 3’s I’ve seen. Overall, a very well-rounded, accessible, beautiful, and playable golf course design that can be played multiple ways by multiple skill levels. Cohesive from #1 to #18 in its style and feel, and well-executed from a technical designer standpoint.
Winner: Paragon
The Buck Club vs. Paragon Golf & Country Club
JUDGE 1
The Buck Club:
Green designs allow for very different strategies per pin. Bunkers don’t ever really feel in play. Nice (double) green on 16, I like the front grass bunker cutout. Planting is very sparse. Next to no flavor. Well sculpted, but many places have a very artificial look - but still realistic...like a Disney golf course. Strong reliance on propped up greens. Very coherent style. Signature skill: large open fairways, large sectioned greens. Signature Hole: 15
Paragon Golf & Country Club:
Very well planted and sculpted. Nice hole design on 7 but I felt the split doesn’t come into play, too easy to drive into the Y intersection. Very enjoyable course. Some ‘choice’ holes, but also a fair number of ‘target golf’ holes. Signature Skill: planting and sightlines, tournament objects. Signature Hole: 10
Winner: Paragon
JUDGE 2
NOTES TO BE SAID IN A VIDEO POSTED AFTER CONTEST IS OVER
Paragon Golf & Country Club Wins
Greenbrier CC East vs. The Links at San Simoleon
JUDGE 1
Greenbrier:
Mildly irritating the yardage for the holes given was not the real distance for the hole. Thought hole 11 was the most creative on the course and well done. Neat and tidy course, although I don’t think some of the rock planting added much
San Somalian
Needs to work the splines more for a little smoother look. Course seemed very lifeless in areas. Smooth elevation work. Could've been more creative in the hole design.
Winner: Greenbrier
JUDGE 2
Greenbrier:
Love this golf course. BUT the big thing that effects it is the over sculpting on the greens. The over exaggerated tiers and front to back sculpting at the back half of every green grows tiresome and good shots get penalised. Technically is joes best course yet but in areas his template sculpting too much. Nice theme,textures selection.could be top drawer if didnt get a hard on for oversculpting. Trying to design a pga spec course instead of course for tje masses
The links of san simoleon:
Found this course very boring and not very engaging. Some good ideas but very sloppy in all areas. Splinework sculpting and bunkering.
Greenbrier takes this one