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Post by linkslover on Jul 16, 2019 1:50:25 GMT -5
Welcome to the French/Swiss border above the French ski resort of Avoriaz and Alpine town of Morzine. For just under half the year, it is a bustling ski resort that takes in three countries - France, Switzerland and Italy. Once the snow has melted, new to the summer season is a championship length golf course, The Swiss Wall, it's named taken from the cliff that is prominent on the course and the most difficult pisted ski run in possibly the entire world that goes down it. Llanymynech in Wales and England can no longer lay claim to being Europe's only dual country golf course. You start your round at The Swiss Wall in France. Your tee shot on the second is hit over the border, meaning you drive in France and putt in Switzerland. Your round will continue on the Swiss side of the Wall until you reach the final hole where you return to France. The course is long, mainly thanks to the second hole which despite being the longest on the course at over 650 yards is actually a par 4. It features three sets of tees with one to suit each level of player and four sets of pins. Yellow 7,050 yards (standard) White 7,684 yards (pro) Blue 7,975 yards (master) (Note that yardages are taken from the designer). Generally pins 1 are the easiest going up to 4 the hardest, but this isn't the case on every hole.
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Post by linkslover on Jul 16, 2019 1:51:22 GMT -5
Later on I shall start posting a closer look at each hole.
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Post by welikeitroughnc on Jul 16, 2019 2:18:43 GMT -5
Yess been watching for this one
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Post by linkslover on Jul 16, 2019 3:45:39 GMT -5
I hope it lives up to your anticipation.
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Post by linkslover on Jul 16, 2019 6:13:20 GMT -5
HOLE 1 DAM Blue 488 yards White 477 yards Yellow 462 yards Starting your round in France, the first plays over a glacial lake (the dam that gives it's name to the hole is off to the right) to a fairway that almost immediately turns right. The second plays to a green sitting on top of The Swiss Wall. There is room behind the green, but go behind that fence and your ball is gone and you're rehitting. Despite initial appearances, the first hole is relatively straight forward. My initial idea was for the player to play over a deep gorge/ravine to the fairway. However, I couldn't get bridges tall enough to cross it so I changed to a glacial lake.
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Post by linkslover on Jul 16, 2019 6:21:35 GMT -5
HOLE 2 THE SWISS WALL Blue 654 yards White 654 yards Yellow 428 yards I hope you have a head for heights for this tee shot. Taking inspiration from the so difficult it's unclassified ski run of the same name, you hit your tee shot from France off the top of The Swiss Wall down to the fairway in Switzerland a couple of hundred metres below. At least the golfer can take the chair lift down, or if he or she is particularly well off a helicopter. Despite being the longest hole on the course, this is a par 4 thanks to the much further carry with your tee shot. To compensate for the longer carry, the fairway is about twice as wide as normal in the landing area. Finding the fairway is vital as the second shot is back uphill to the green and is a mid to long iron. Play testing on a calm day is a driver and a 4 or 5 iron if you find the fairway with your tee shot using pro clubs. For players using standard clubs, the yellow tee plays from the bottom of The Swiss Wall.
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Post by linkslover on Jul 16, 2019 6:28:26 GMT -5
HOLE 3 PORTES DU SOLEIL Blue 452 yards White 446 yards Yellow 428 yards Named after the ski area where the golf course lies, the 3rd sees you playing back up towards The Swiss Wall. Your tee shot is hit over rocks and flirts with the trees that borders the fairway on the left with a pair of bunkers lurking in the landing area right. Your second shot is hit to a green entrance narrowed by a pair of front bunkers. Birdies are likely here as long as you think about what you are doing.
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Post by linkslover on Jul 16, 2019 6:33:47 GMT -5
HOLE 4 PINCHES Blue 483 yards White 456 yards Yellow 434 yards The tee on the 4th sits above the 3rd green and plays downhill to the fairway that is pinched by a couple of bunkers that somebody has inconveniently placed at the length of a drive. The player has to choose whether to go for the gap right or lay up safe but leave a longer second shot. This second shot plays back uphill. The green itself is also pinched at the front by bunkers on the left and a mound on the right, which leaves the right portion of the green blind. Sound judgment is needed for a good score here.
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Post by linkslover on Jul 16, 2019 6:38:40 GMT -5
HOLE 5 TIER FOR FEARS Blue 467 yards White 458 yards Yellow 435 yards The name of the fifth is a play on the name of a successful band from the 1980s. The tee shot is hit uphill to a fairway that is narrowed by a bunker that cuts into the fairway on the right and two more that sit left. The right hand bunker is hard to see from the tee, so check the yardage book closely. The second shot is hit to a green with a tier in the middle, with the top back tier running slightly downhill from the top, making it difficult to get close to a back pin. If the pin is on the top tier, think very carefully where you want to land your ball or it could scuttling through the back.
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Post by linkslover on Jul 16, 2019 6:44:43 GMT -5
HOLE 6 ON THE ROCKS Blue 611 yards White 591 yards Yellow 576 yards Thanks to the latest in artificial turf technology, you literally tee off on top of the rocks with barely even noticing the difference. You need to think very carefully in hitting your tee shot. With certain winds, clubs and tees you can over hit the fairway and you also don't have a lot to play with if you want to take on the bunker... but doing so is the only chance you have of making it in two. For the majority, it is a true three shot par 5. It is possible to make it in two with two mighty and accurate blows though the second shot has to contend with the avenue of trees the second section of fairway threads through as well as a hidden, deep pot bunker short right of the green and the bunkers left that are seen.
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Post by linkslover on Jul 16, 2019 6:48:19 GMT -5
HOLE 7 ANGLES Blue 226 yards White 210 yards Yellow 166 yards The first par 3 in the course sees the three tees play to the green from three different angles, making this hole contrasting itself depending where you play from. All three tees play downhill to the green though the length of the hole from the blues and whites will mean you will want to land your ball on the front of the green regardless of where the pin is. Apologies for the slightly skewed overhead, the waypoint was set at the front tee. This has been changed prior to publishing.
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Post by linkslover on Jul 16, 2019 6:52:01 GMT -5
HOLE 8 DOUBLE PLATEAU Blue 189 yards White 181 yards Yellow 167 yards The shortest hole on the course from the blue and white tees, you play to a green on top of a plateau. If you miss this green either side, your ball is bouncing down. To make things more complicated, the green itself also has a smaller plateau back right. Short is not always simple.
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Post by linkslover on Jul 16, 2019 6:55:40 GMT -5
HOLE 9 RIDGE Blue 543 yards White 527 yards Yellow 507 yards A par 5 that is certainly reachable in two. The drive is a little uphill, and it is vital you get to the top of the slope so you have a full view of the rest of the hole in front of you. From the top, it is all down hill to and including the green, meaning you will need less club than you think. The green also features a ridge running down the middle of it. Get on in two but the wrong side of the ridge and instead of looking at a possible eagle, you might be lucky to make a birdie. That's it for the time being, I shall do the back nine in due course.
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Post by linkslover on Jul 16, 2019 7:56:52 GMT -5
Something has just occurred to me... I don't think I altered the green speed off maximum that I was testing in the designer with. I can't check right now as I'm at work. If they are at the fastest by default then don't unduly worry, the greens will be playable. It will be your choice if you want to slow them down a bit.
I play tested using the in game slow 119, moderate 144, fast 163 and very fast 187 settings and all are playable.
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Post by linkslover on Jul 16, 2019 11:13:59 GMT -5
HOLE 10 TOOTHACHE Blue 589 yards White 560 yards Yellow 517 yards A downhill tee shot gives you the impression you can make this par 5 in two. You need to be straight as there is a tree and a bush that narrows the fairway on the left while a miss right will see you catch the bank and probably end up at the bottom of it. Even hitting the fairway does not guarantee getting on in two. While you should be able to carry the large bush covered slope to reach the fairway short of the green, it's all uphill so reaching the green will take a mighty effort. There is also a small bunker right in the middle before the green, with another filling the gap at the back of the tooth shaped green. A pin between the two bunkers will be impossible to get to in two shots. It looks straight forward from the tee but there is a lot more to this hole than first meets the eye.
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