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Post by mattspy05 on Nov 18, 2021 11:55:57 GMT -5
So....starting my planning stages for Northlake Village which in theory would be on the opposite end from Southlake Village in my Village Resort "golfverse" lol.
I was hoping to use this thread as a journal of my progress and perhaps you guys can adds some tips and tricks as I post.
So the first thing I'm going to do some inspirational brainstorming, when I was planning Southlake VIllage I had Sawgrass and Bayhill in mind, I also love Merion's opening hole with the club house so close and it's slopey green so I started form there and worked my way out.
I'm thinking of doing like a combination of Olympic Club, Whispering Straits style course, with maybe a little Bethpage mixed in. So less large bodies of water, more elevation changes, sloped fairways, and of course....smaller greens lol.
This is my first time blogging my design, so hopefully I don't get too annoying lol
Any input will always be appreciated.
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Post by mattspy05 on Nov 18, 2021 23:20:29 GMT -5
So here's my starting point lol. I don't want there to be these huge drop offs to get into the water, so as I need land I will "lift it out of the water. This first thing I'm going to do is create some continuity so the four resort hotels that were to the Northeast end of my previous course will now be on the southeast end since this course is supposedly on the other side. I am then going to build my "cabin residences" if my guests want to stay on site. Then finally my starters area where guest will check in for their rounds I don't plan on using a lot of trees, my big concern for objects is when I use my "cat tail" grass again, that takes up a ton of objects, but I want this course to be a lot more open than Southlake. This is the rough sketch for the front nine, I'm going to be figuring out the back nine tomorrow, I already have an idea for 17 and 18, I'll show you my sketch tomorrow.
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Post by mattspy05 on Nov 19, 2021 14:47:04 GMT -5
Here's the rough sketch of the back nine, a lot more water in play because most of these holes will not have as much elevation.
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Post by mattspy05 on Nov 26, 2021 21:13:31 GMT -5
It's been a week or so since I made an update, so I wanted to give you an update on the course. Holes 9 and 18 will finish in the same area right behind the clubhouse (the clubhouse is just a markup right now, I will need some advice on how to build a custom clubhouse later). This is the 9th hole This is the eighteenth, you will have to carry the creek out of "Lake Martin" from 180-200 yards out, if you miss the fairway, you will most likely have to shoot for the bailout fairway to the right. Holes 2-7 and 12-16 will have a lot of elevation changes, their will be a ravine that will be about a 60 foot drop if you hit your ball there so it will obviously be marked as ob, I've never done ob (this is my fourth course) so I may need some help with that. The ravine will affect holes 3-5 The main feature of all the Village Lakes Golf Resort holes is the holes that play along the founder lakes This is the par 5 8th a 600 yard par 5 dogleg right that goes along Lake Martin Once all the holes are formed i'll start filling in the land around it so it doesn't look like 18 islands, instead it's going to be a set of lakes connected by streams that run across the course. Feedback is appreciated... Thanks guys
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Post by mattspy05 on Jan 11, 2022 10:44:21 GMT -5
What are you're feelings about steep elevations around the green. I've looked at a lot of the courses I'm modeling Northlake off of, and they all have at least 3-4 holes that are 15-20 feet about the fairway.
I like the strategy of it because if you lay up from the tee or approach shot you'll have a better look than playing driver wedge where the shot it blind.
But I also know that the majority of player use driver wedge and I feel that the reviewers could be upset that they have uphill blind looks on their pitch shots.
Thoughts?
I have some pictures coming soon, a lot of work has been done since my last update.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2022 13:19:26 GMT -5
What are you're feelings about steep elevations around the green. I've looked at a lot of the courses I'm modeling Northlake off of, and they all have at least 3-4 holes that are 15-20 feet about the fairway. I like the strategy of it because if you lay up from the tee or approach shot you'll have a better look than playing driver wedge where the shot it blind. But I also know that the majority of player use driver wedge and I feel that the reviewers could be upset that they have uphill blind looks on their pitch shots. Thoughts? I have some pictures coming soon, a lot of work has been done since my last update. The number off real course I play in England with either blind tee shots or approaches to the green is surprising. Check out pennant Park, Heaton Park, duxbury, duckenfield. You don't know calf pain until you've played on the pennines on the outskirts of manchester, go for it lad
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Post by mattspy05 on Jan 19, 2022 22:30:16 GMT -5
So it's been a while since I posted some updates and I've been busy!!! If you remember I started this project with a square entirely of water...and have sculpted every piece of land on the course...I don't know it that was the best idea, but I was able to get the elevations and run off I wanted, it also allowed me to not have to create streams and lakes, which uses up valuable plant percentage (which I need because I plant a lot of grass and I'm doing it on an Xbox which means I can't macro plant). So I'm going to show you some images from the first five holes, I change the grass textures today to make it look a little more linksy and rustic, so far I'm happy with the colors. This was the 10th hole originally but I reversed the layout because it flowed better and I thought the last three holes on the then front nine would look better as finishing holes, and I liked this hole better as my opening hole, it's 390 from the tips and surrounded by water on all sides, you can see the third hole on the hill in the background. I apologize for the pictures, they are taken on my phone from the tv, again I'm on an XBOX, this is hole 2 a long par 3 with and hourglass green, you see on the bottom I haven't finished adding the rock base at the bottom of the "Island holes" it's a slow process but its coming along, in the background are the homes that the guest of the Village Lakes Resort can stay out, when I load the trees in those homes will be more obscure. I also added a set of stairs the the bridge to get to the third hole because it's a steep climb to the third tee and I didn't want the "shaping police" to get mad at me. This is the third green that overlooks the opening hole and the mock clubhouse, you can also see the stretch of land that will be the ninth hole but I haven't completed it yet. This green is twenty feet above the fairway making for a blind second shot it you choose driver. One of the techniques I figured out was to use the flattening tool to make plateau greens, this is the first one, its from a 565 yard par five, if you miss the green its a least a ten foot pitch, splash, flop to get it on the green that flows front to back. Probably my biggest eureka moment, was figuring out how to make cross bunkers, and get more rough to surround the fairway bunkers, I literaly just moved the spline point around the bunkers and if I wanted a fairway bunker I created a new spline around it. My fairway bunkers now actually look good instead of just looking like holes in the ground. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!!! Let me know what you think, love it, hate it, it's all good, I really want to make this one fun and aesthetic for you guys to play. Thanks Again!
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ixggolf
Caddy
'Ambitious beyond ability'
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Post by ixggolf on Jan 22, 2022 8:04:07 GMT -5
Enjoying following this - looks fantastic. Agree about the Pennines as well, grew up in the North Wet of England, on the edge of the West Pennine Moors.
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Post by mattspy05 on Jan 24, 2022 9:45:44 GMT -5
Enjoying following this - looks fantastic. Agree about the Pennines as well, grew up in the North Wet of England, on the edge of the West Pennine Moors. Thank you for the feedback, I'm going to make another course update today!
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Post by mattspy05 on Jan 25, 2022 0:20:48 GMT -5
What's going on guys, I have actually finished laying out and at least getting the tee to green of all 18 holes. If you want me to do a total walk through let me know. Expect the beta to be out in around a week or so (I hope lol). However I wanted to show you a hole I'm really proud of, this is the seventh hole, the shortest on the golf course, and it an homage to the eighth hole at Royal Troon or what we affectionately call "the postage stamp". It's 120 yards to the middle of the smallest green on the course, it is defended by the stream that seems to follow you around the front nine, bunkers, and high grass. The tee is about 20 feet above the green meaning that you're going to have to play the wind or hit a pitch shot to get it onto the green. So even though it's the shortest hole and the only par 3 under 200 yards, it might be the trickiest of the quartet. I'm currently working on the 8th, 9th, and 18th, holes while finishing the various remains of planting before I can send it off to you guys to tell me what's wrong with it lol. Any comments are greatly appreciated.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2022 17:22:02 GMT -5
Looks really interesting ๐
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Post by mattspy05 on Jan 31, 2022 13:32:22 GMT -5
For those of you that are interested the course is complete...I have it published as a beta right now under the name NLV Beta...
I've already noticed some things I need to fix so I'll start working on it tonight.
But one thing for sure, if the wind is up, is extremely tough.
Have fun!
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Post by mattspy05 on Feb 2, 2022 13:00:29 GMT -5
Course is pretty much done, I flattened some of the greens on 5, 8, 9; filled in the missing rocks, added a few more trees around the cabins, and adjusted the lighting.
If you want to play it now it's under the name NLV Beta, nobody has commented on it yet, but I've gotten plenty of plays.
So I want to get the actual course out but I'm afraid that it will get mixed up in the wash of the RDC entries.
So what do you think? Should I release it now, or wait....
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