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Post by mctrees02 on Jun 7, 2021 14:29:05 GMT -5
Welcome to Playa Pilar, my Cuban course in the 2021 National Treasure contest. Playa Pilar is located on Cayo Guillermo, an island off the northern coast of Cuba that is known for its clear, shallow coastal waters, towering sand dunes and beaches like Playa el Paso, Playa del Medio and...Playa Pilar. Pilar was also the name of Hemingway's boat (and his second wife's nickname) A few reference images: The course has 3 tee sets of similar overall length to provide additional flexibility for tournament setups. The greens were built on 187 and then backed down to 175 for publish. My favorite combinations of tee/pin combos are: Pin 1 - any tee Pin 2 - blue tees Pin 3 - red tees Pin 4 - white tees S to W winds match the prevailing winds found in the area and are what I routed the course for. Every wind direction is playable on high though E/NE winds can make the 4th hole play quite long. Also, there are spots here and there along fairway edges where there is no heavy rough and it transitions into worn out grass from buried trees. Likewise, the central hazards also have patchiness around them. This was intentionally done because I wanted to account for what a course in Cuba might really look like. Given how poor the country is (a dozen Pro V's cost about 7 weeks wages) and how hard it is for them to obtain heavy machinery, I wanted the course to be as simple as possible to maintain. In other words, they need a fairway mower, a greens mower and that's it. There won't be clean rough cuts, there won't be bunker rakes, and they will have very few chemical options available to maintain uniform turf conditions outside of fairways and greens. And now for the glamour shots. Of particular note are the trees on the 18th tee shot which spell out M-I-A in case you're trying to figure out which direction to guide your refugee truck. And finally, this is Torreon, a small fort in Cojimar which was the inspiration for my clubhouse. Cojimar was also the setting for Hemingway's novel, The Old Man and the Sea.
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Post by coursedesignHQ on Jun 7, 2021 15:45:53 GMT -5
Looks amazing, can’t wait to give it a play!
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Post by jeffreyb on Jun 7, 2021 16:11:46 GMT -5
Very appealing visually, nice bunkering throughout. My only complaint is that the greens are severely sloped. I hit a few shots within a reasonable area past the pin, only to have the ball continue to roll past off the green about 20 yards away. It appeared to be "get it 10 feet or pay the price". Now I play tru-sim with no grid of any sort but with my putting cam, I saw some very severe sloping away from the hole with no helping slopes at all. Other than that, a very nice layout
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Post by mctrees02 on Jun 7, 2021 16:19:41 GMT -5
Very appealing visually, nice bunkering throughout. My only complaint is that the greens are severely sloped. I hit a few shots within a reasonable area past the pin, only to have the ball continue to roll past off the green about 20 yards away. It appeared to be "get it 10 feet or pay the price". Now I play tru-sim with no grid of any sort but with my putting cam, I saw some very severe sloping away from the hole with no helping slopes at all. Other than that, a very nice layout Thanks for the feedback and play, Jeff. If you turn on the green grids, you won't find these greens covered in red slopes. However, there is quite a bit of yellow and orange to promote the ground game as much as possible though. You'll also find a few spots where the proper play is going beyond the flag with a longer shot so your next shot/putt is uphill. There are plenty of pin locations across the course where playing directly at the flag in hopes of stopping it close will likely yield more pars than birdies thanks to the green slopes and very firm turf.
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Post by pizzastrangler on Jun 7, 2021 22:41:25 GMT -5
Picturesque course start to finish. Certainly some challenging greens and pin placements. Enjoyed the round here.
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Post by trailducker on Jun 8, 2021 0:44:35 GMT -5
Beautiful course. Has a laid back feel to it, yet you can't be laid back golfing here. Especially with the very high winds the agme gifted to me. Luckily watching Ameobi's stream before playing gave me some tips on the straetgy. Great job!
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Post by WhatAboutAmeobi on Jun 8, 2021 7:23:33 GMT -5
What a great course. I hope the DAM and KEG don't find your Easter egg...
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Post by scootmcgoot on Jun 8, 2021 8:53:08 GMT -5
Just as fun to play as it was to watch Ameobi play. Great vibe, great environment feel, definitely a think your way around course. Great job!
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Post by ddixjr509 on Jun 8, 2021 10:15:19 GMT -5
That 16th tee shot pic is the money shot! Very thoughtful tee manipulation. Well done sir! and thank you!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2021 11:58:52 GMT -5
This is easily one of my favorites so far. There wasn't much I would have done differently, and a bunch that was done better than I could have pulled off. Really, really solid course bro!
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Post by mctrees02 on Jun 8, 2021 16:36:20 GMT -5
Playa Adventure is now published. 10 reversible/cross country holes from the big course, 7 holes on the putting course and then 1 final hole back to the big course. Don't be a scumbag and remember to use only your putter on the greens. Though published on 175, go ahead and push them up to 187. WhatAboutAmeobi can hopefully give this is a spin on Friday...
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Post by scootmcgoot on Jun 8, 2021 21:25:31 GMT -5
Playa Adventure is now published. 10 reversible/cross country holes from the big course, 7 holes on the putting course and then 1 final hole back to the big course. Don't be a scumbag and remember to use only your putter on the greens. Though published on 175, go ahead and push them up to 187. WhatAboutAmeobi can hopefully give this is a spin on Friday... The back 9 measure 1900 yards…1000 of which are in 1 hole. Lol. Awesome. Can’t wait to give this a rip
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Post by coursedesignHQ on Jun 8, 2021 23:00:10 GMT -5
Just played the original version (not the adventure version) and had a blast! Course played really smooth and the green slopes were challenging but made sense. Loved the clubhouse a lot, really cool you incorporated the Cuban flag. Great course, great atmosphere. Just wanted to say an enthusiastic “Well Done!” from your fellow Cuba course creator! 🇨🇺
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Post by Cottyuk on Jun 9, 2021 1:00:10 GMT -5
Great job with this one. Good luck in the contest!
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Cy Langers BSG
Amateur Golfer
Posts: 152
TGCT Name: Si Langley
Tour: Challenge Circuit
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Post by Cy Langers BSG on Jun 9, 2021 3:57:25 GMT -5
I have to say that having played 3 rounds here , I really liked this a lot. A great test of thinking golf . Good Location and ground movement throughout . Good Job Forrest.
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