|
|
Post by theclv24 on Apr 18, 2015 15:43:02 GMT -5
Just kidding... I'll never have this ready by the deadline! Hope to have it ready by US Open week, though, to play along. Very early right now, only the 1st hole is currently playable. 1st Tee area  1st Green  Bunker on the 2nd that only took an hour to complete  |
|
xusemagru
Weekend Golfer
Posts: 115 
TGCT Name: Ryan O'Donnell
|
Post by xusemagru on Apr 18, 2015 19:07:20 GMT -5
Just from those pictures alone it almost looks british open like...
|
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Apr 18, 2015 19:52:07 GMT -5
Craig -- we still need an Open Championship venue -- get to work :-)
|
|
|
|
Post by mcbogga on Apr 18, 2015 20:31:44 GMT -5
Is this that "ground game" course you were talking about? We are in need of a proper links open championship venue for sure. Especially now that Swindon downs already got a tournament.
|
|
|
|
Post by pursuantmoth76 on Apr 18, 2015 21:19:54 GMT -5
I was waiting to see an RCR of Chambers Bay (it is Chambers Bay right?). Looks fantastic as always!
|
|
|
|
Post by theclv24 on Apr 20, 2015 13:37:20 GMT -5
Was hoping I could edit the 1st post, but can't seem to figure out how to do it... any suggestions? Anyways, moving on to the 2nd hole.... I'm finding with this hole, and as I just started on the 3rd hole, that looking at Google Earth and the pictures of the hole, it just seems impossible to capture and a little overwhelming. But then I just start focusing on one step at a time, and slowly it comes together until it actually looks good. It's a very rewarding experience. If anyone is on the fence about investing time in working on a real course, I strongly urge you to give it a try and stick with it! Also, you can see the lone pine in one of these screenshots. Please ignore my giant measuring Gorse bushes. Another cool thing that I am finding that I couldn't do with Magnolia; Augusta had fairly small tee boxes, and I had to put the tees way at the front of the box on almost every hole to make it play in a similar manner to how the pros play it, otherwise it was too long for the TGC player. With Chambers, there are huge sprawling 150+ yard tee boxes on most holes. Combine that with some ideas for a number of pin positions ranging from easy to hard, and I will be able to customize this course to exactly how I want it to play. I feel like the USGA's Mike Davis in a candy shop! Hole 2 (Foxy) – The tee shot on this medium length par 4 plays through the dunes to a narrowed fairway. The shortest approach is from the left side of the fairway, but that route brings a large bunker into play. Play down the right side to take advantage of an open entrance to the green, which slopes from right to left, and is bisected by a large ridge. FOXY: The name Foxy pays tribute to one of the great links holes in the world, the 14th at Royal Dornoch in Scotland, which holds the same title. It also plays on the fact that Fox Island within Puget Sound provides the backdrop for the second shot. Tee  Green looking back  |
|
|
|
Post by pursuantmoth76 on Apr 20, 2015 17:28:20 GMT -5
Wow! That hole looks so similar to the one in real life! Just a question, but how long does it take you to make each hole?
|
|
|
|
Post by theclv24 on Apr 20, 2015 18:00:06 GMT -5
Wow! That hole looks so similar to the one in real life! Just a question, but how long does it take you to make each hole? Thanks! It's a bit hard to quantify because I work on the holes in waves. I'll start by spending 2-3 hours total laying out the entire plot, and measuring out the tees and greens so that everything fits together. That is why you will see auto-gen holes in the background. The tees and greens are measured according to Google Earth, but nothing else. On this one I then went through for another few hours and did some general elevation work, which is a little difficult with a plot like this one. In the stage I am at now, which is measuring out and laying down all bunkers and textures, it might take 1-2 hours per hole. The bunker work on a course like this might take an extra hour per hole. I'm also going through the detailed hole descriptions, sculpting the greens, and testing multiple pin positions, so add another hour. After all 18 are done, I will have to go back through each hole and fine tune some of the elevation work, tees, greens, and playtesting. So it's a long process, but if you take it at an hour or so day, and give yourself a solid 8 week timeframe to work on the course, you'll find that it's entirely possible and not as demanding as it sounds. |
|
|
|
Post by pursuantmoth76 on Apr 20, 2015 19:11:37 GMT -5
Thanks, I'm thinking of diving into the RCR world once I am done with my U.S. Open entry!
|
|
|
|
Post by mcbogga on Apr 20, 2015 21:43:58 GMT -5
Awesome! If only the quality of the theme was on par with the quality of the designer....
|
|
|
|
Post by theclv24 on Apr 21, 2015 20:24:07 GMT -5
Here is what a giant bunker under construction looks like.... it's disgusting.  |
|
|
|
Post by theclv24 on Apr 22, 2015 8:16:19 GMT -5
This 3rd hole is a tricky one. I will certainly need to come back to this hole for more tweaking to get the green and surrounding areas right. This hole could be a beast if I wanted to make it that way, so constraint will be the key word here. Hole 3 (Blown Out) – The first of the short holes at Chambers Bay is a mid-iron for most players. The kidney-shaped green is guarded on the left by a deep bunker and a swale off the putting surface collects shots struck too long. A large kick-slope on the right redirects shots toward the center of the green. BLOWN OUT: Wind. The invisible hazard. Nowhere in golf is this element more important than on a links course. Not only will the wind change the way a hole plays from day to day and even hour by hour, but the swirling and stiffening winds often add to the mystique of links golf. The name Blown Out pays tribute to the invisible hazard, as well as the style of bunkers incorporated at Chambers Bay. 2nd green, 3rd hole in background, Puget Sound in back background  A closer look from the teeing ground  View from the back left collection area  |
|
|
|
Post by theclv24 on Apr 24, 2015 10:02:16 GMT -5
Was going to attempt to start on these bunkers today  Quickly realized I had no chance without making sure the 5th fairway was correct. So an hour was dedicated to laying the 5th instead of the bunkers. Should give me a nice head start on 5 once I eventually finish the 4th.  |
|
|
|
Post by theclv24 on Apr 29, 2015 18:19:04 GMT -5
The 4th hole is a major W.I.P. for the moment. I don't have a whole lot of elevation data for the 4th right now, and the bunkers and dunes around the 4th tie so much into the 5th and 14th holes that everything won't come together until late in the process. For now it just has a slight feel of what the final product will be. This will be a par 4 for the U.S. Open, and I expect to make this version a par 4, as well. There is flexibility to move the tee up so it won't be as difficult, but this will still be one of the hardest holes on the course no matter how short it plays. Hole 4 (Hazard’s Ascent) – The fairway on this medium length uphill par 5 slopes significantly from left to right. The green is reachable in two shots for long hitters, though tee shots must avoid the immense bunker on the right. The green complex, which can be accessed from a strong fairway slope left of the green, is framed by a large bunker front and right with three blowout bunkers behind. The large and heavily contoured green features a right hand hole location, bordered on three sides by sand. HAZARD’S ASCENT: The name Hazard’s Ascent identifies one of the first climbers (Hazard Stevens) to successfully reach the peak of Mt. Rainier in 1870. Rainier, situated in eastern Pierce County and rising to 14,411 ft, requires the same skill and thoughtfulness as the fourth at Chambers Bay.   |
|
|
|
Post by pursuantmoth76 on Apr 29, 2015 21:12:00 GMT -5
The pictures look absolutely phenomenal! Dare I say this, but this is starting to look even better than Magnolia!
|
|
