TCRBrad - Scawt Hill Links (WiP)

[ohheycat]

Looks like the planting will be huge here, good luck with that! I'm glad you found the video useful, its not a new technique and I certainly did not do it first, I just thought it was a handy tool and it hadnt been talked about for some time and I wanted everyone to have it in their back pocket because lets face it, the shorelines are horrendous in this game

[TCRBrad]

Jan 17, 2020 13:43:27 GMT -5 15eicheltower9 said:

Welcome back, sounds like we're in for a fun round after publish. And if you look at all like your in game golfer, you look exactly like a Brad.

I'll take that as a compliment 
More after posting, but it'll be key to favor the correct side of the fairway to maximize the best angle into the greens.

[Deleted]

Looking forward to this one!

[TCRBrad]

Hope y'all had a great weekend!

In-between a crazy snow storm and covering some hockey on Sunday, I managed to finish the official course routing (FINALLY found a way to get the seaside holes I wanted) and finish playability for 2/3rds of the golf course.
Super happy with the variety of shots on the front/the first 3 holes on the back. As an intermediate club user, every club in the bag was used through the opening 11 holes...and expert club users will definitely need to think strategy/lines off the tee instead of trying to overpower the course. As a whole...I don't expect this to stretch longer than 7100 yards, which to me is a victory. 

Here are some screenshots and comments:



Sunday pin placement...the whole green funnels front to back/right to left, so make sure you run the ball into the green. Flying it all the way will result in a tough pitch from behind the green.
(Also a big fan of Dr. Mac's layering...that'll be the 14th fairway in the distance down the valley + the next hole to the left.



Here's the next hole (par 3). You can see the undulation behind the green + what will be 14 to the right in the flat. Dune-a-palooza



LOVE how the 8th turned out. Uphill punchbowl with a crazy fairway. Left side is the longer approach, but a clear view of the pin/target.
Right side will roll out and leave a shorter approach, but is blind and really only a good angle in the pin is long and left.



Big a$$ par 5 down the hill, which is reachable in 2 if you choose the right line off the tee (btw, every par 5 is reachable in 2 if you take the correct line off the tee). Note the pin placement AND that devilish bunker short right...it's further away from the green than you think.



In true links fashion, here's the 9th green at the furthest point of the property looking back towards the clubhouse and the town. More on that later 



11th hole. Shorter par 4 with options galore. In line with the flag is a sliver of fairway that players can try to take on. Visible left is the widest chunk of fairway up the hill, and the longest approach option to the hole (and arguably the best angle)
Over head is below...avoid the heck out of the bunkers and don't even think about trying to cover the dunes unless the wind is at your back. Again...I want to make you think off the tee, and not just have to wail away on driver.
10th fairway is below to the right along the coast.

 

[TCRBrad]

We officially have a name + location + course logo!!!

Scawt Hill is a volcanic plug in Northern Ireland that features vast open hillside and rugged mineral terrain.
The course sits along the lower half of the landscape, with a few holes playing alongside the seashore. 



(that old stone wall might come into play a few times...)



As for the logo, I wanted to find something indigenous to the area (a la Dooks and the Natterjack Toad), and came across the local "Stoat" (aka a locally protected short-tail weasel).
Expect this little guy to show up in the course logo:



2/3rds of the way done, should have everything ready to go/posted after this weekend!

[TCRBrad]

LOTS of good work put in this weekend. 18 playable holes and added extra tees/objects. No pictures today, will post a bunch tomorrow.
Planting my butt off Mon-Wed to have posted JUST in the nick of time

Gotta represent 4th place in our group well #blessed

[TCRBrad]

Okay I lied...here are some screenshots

I'll add more notes after this meeting (hooray for the day job)



(note Scawt Hill looming in the distance) MAJOR Tralee vibes here


Sculpting tool has gotten a WORKOUT for this design...


Old castle/fort ruins that can be seen from 12 of the 18 holes



Postage stamp inspired par 3 along the coast. The kind of place you wish you could drop a bucket of balls 



Arguably the best hole I have ever designed. The Par 5 16th is for sure the signature hole of Scawt Hill.



Two level fairway par 5 17th gives you one last chance to salvage your round



17 green looking down the 18th fairway + green



10 is the first hole that plays along the coastline, with a brutal false front.


Driveable par 4 6th is offers exactly 5,280 different options (give or take a few) with a nice view of the ruins

[jwtexan]

Tick tock! You've got this. By the way we never saw the sketch for this course did we? After that introduction you gave to the community with your first few posts I was begging for another.

[TCRBrad]

Jan 28, 2020 10:50:32 GMT -5 jwtexan said:

Tick tock! You've got this. By the way we never saw the sketch for this course did we? After that introduction you gave to the community with your first few posts I was begging for another.

Knowing me, I'll blow up a fairway or something before having to cover a game on Friday night and publish at 11:59pm on the 31st lol

Didn't sketch this one...went totally raw, sculpted the heck out of some dunes, and then dropped a routing over the top of it.
I just want people to have fun playing the course, and aiming for the truest links experience possible

[TCRBrad]

Planted like a mad man last night...REALLY happy with how some of the forced carries turned out, but not thrilled with the fact that planted objects don't fully render on PS4 unless you're zoomed in pretty close.
Anyways, with the shoreline done and heather/hay planted all over the damn place, I just need to build a clubhouse + practice green and hide a few objects (benches, rakes, etc) around the course.
Pending on how tonight goes, I might be ready for publish tonight. MIGHT be ready. Otherwise, look for a full release tomorrow!



1st hole is ready. Love how the shoreline turned out w/ the rocks+tall grass (a la Ireland)



Scawt Hill standing tall in the distance on the tee shot at the 2nd hole. Some play with lighting (positioning mostly) brought it out of the shadows while keeping the golf course very well lit.
I wanted to show as much of the "natural" mounding and dunes of the landscape with minimal shadowing. Links golf...it's hard enough as it is 




2nd green showing the rendering issue I'm having with PS4.
The marigolds are scattered within the grass, but the grass isn't rendering until you get super close. Ah well...



4th green sitting just above one of the natural depressions within the dune system of Scawt Hill...with the hill itself in the distance (hill/volcanic plug...whatever you wanna call it)




Tee shot on 11 looking better with some grass and a rocky shoreline
The walk up from the 10th green to the 11th tee is one of my favorites on the course.



Putting from the back of the 11th green, with the path/stairs to the 12th tee and Scawt Hill in the background.



Driveable par 4 14th with grass, updated shoreline, and the 'ol settlement fort. Some say that may even be an old Jedi temple...




Temple or fort? You be the judge.




The final par 3 plays over a large planting of Irish marigolds. Wind pending, this is either a wedge or a 4 iron...

[b101]

Rakes? Who are you, Rockmandan?

[Deleted]

Oh snap, you have my attention now! When does this baby hit the streets?

[TCRBrad]

Jan 29, 2020 10:57:53 GMT -5 b101 said:

Rakes? Who are you, Rockmandan?

I REALLY want to hide them in the dunes and not near bunkers.

Want a rake for the trap? Go get it. You'll feel shame.

[TCRBrad]

Jan 29, 2020 11:02:03 GMT -5 VctryLnSprts said:

Oh snap, you have my attention now! When does this baby hit the streets?

Just a few touch up "things" (I like to do buildings and streets and whatnot last, so that's tonight after work) left to do and it SHOULD be ready to play either late tonight or tomorrow!!!

[TCRBrad]

Shoutout to Carne...btw