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Post by fargo on Aug 12, 2022 7:02:27 GMT -5
Just thought I'd use this space to update from time to time about my new course I've started. Not really sure if too many people are interested in these kinds of threads but I want to jot down some thoughts, pics, ideas etc as I go and this is as good a place as any to put it. Going to try desert theme because I've never used it before. Not going to be a desert course though - thinking southern Victoria theme, a course near the ocean but not right on it, going to try to use the bare desert land for walking / cart tracks and a scrubby effect around the trees and some off-course areas. I'll try to incorporate plenty of land movement, coastal hill sort of thing. Want some nice views across the course, but as the desert theme with water isn't conducive to tying the backdrop in with the looks of the course it's going to be fairly self-contained with not many views off-course. Also want to be a bit more minimalist with the planting compared to my previous course. I like to create my holes from scratch so I started with a dead flat square of desert, I've put in two rough holes so far - one is a longish par 4 with a nice safe saddle shaped area for a 3 wood and a severe slope at driver distance which will easily run down into the rough. The other hole is a very short par 4 which is very tough to hold the green. No idea about routing so far, wouldn't have a clue where these holes will fit into the rest of the course but I'll work that out as I go.  |
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Post by sandgroper on Aug 12, 2022 8:06:00 GMT -5
I like the idea, and I used it on my last course, but I already had a theme.
So far I’ve got The Dunes vibes…
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Post by fargo on Oct 20, 2022 7:35:41 GMT -5
Well I took a bit of a hiatus over the last few months. But then I got 2k23 and have fired up the designer again. Coming along nicely, have 12 holes down and 5 or 6 in an almost finished state. Couple months away I suppose - would like to have it finished before Christmas. There's a bit of a mix of wooded areas and some sandy / dune areas here and there that incorporate the bare desert texture. Probably going to be a large dry creek bed as the course boundary, and a couple ocean views peeking through. New designer has it's well documented problems but I'm finding it ok all in all (on PS4). Love that I can take wide screen shots of the course in PS4 now:  |
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Post by fargo on Oct 22, 2022 20:41:09 GMT -5
This is progressing well. I discovered the weather and lighting conditions are much better in 2k23, I'm finding it easier to get the right kind of look with regards to shadows / contrast etc. Reducing the over-exposed blown-out look but still retaining some shadow definition. I've decided to finish my front 9 with the right kind of look, then start on the back 9. I've got a few holes down on the back 9 but I reckon I'm almost certain to rip them up and go again. Reason for this is I'll want to have some views out over the front 9 and want to make sure those holes are properly placed to make the most of the views. Aiming for no more than 30% objects on the front nine, 30% on the back, then I've got 40% for clubhouse, off-course and tidying up. This is the first green, second hole behind, and the 6th, 7th and 8th in the distance. Plenty of off-course can be seen in the background that hasn't been started:  |
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Post by boynsy on Oct 29, 2022 8:58:15 GMT -5
Well I took a bit of a hiatus over the last few months. But then I got 2k23 and have fired up the designer again. Coming along nicely, have 12 holes down and 5 or 6 in an almost finished state. Couple months away I suppose - would like to have it finished before Christmas. There's a bit of a mix of wooded areas and some sandy / dune areas here and there that incorporate the bare desert texture. Probably going to be a large dry creek bed as the course boundary, and a couple ocean views peeking through. New designer has it's well documented problems but I'm finding it ok all in all (on PS4). Love that I can take wide screen shots of the course in PS4 now: I really like this screenshot. Looks like an interesting project and a fun plot, I hope to get a round in soon! |
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Post by fargo on Oct 29, 2022 20:35:19 GMT -5
I really like this screenshot. Looks like an interesting project and a fun plot, I hope to get a round in soon! Thanks mate, yeah I'm happy with how it's looking so far. Plenty of work to do, here's my plot currently. I had to rip out most of what I'd done on the back 9, but I've got a routing now which will work, currently hole 10, 15, 16 and 18 are down and the rest can work in around those. Back nine will be towards the top of this image, 11 - 14 will wrap around that lake at the top of the image. I tend to go pretty slowly so it'll be a while away yet. As an aside - at the very top of the picture I've got a bunch of trees floating in the air about 100 yards off the edge of the plot. I have no idea how they got there and I can't select them. Luckily that side of the plot is raised so you won't be able to see them from the course. In fact I might see if the tops of those trees can just bee seen from certain points to add some extra depth, not sure if that's going to work but I'll play around with it.  |
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hhhaaarrryyy
Weekend Golfer
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Posts: 125
Tour: Challenge Circuit
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Post by hhhaaarrryyy on Oct 30, 2022 4:01:52 GMT -5
Hi mate
How did you take the wide screen images? Planting looks superb
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Post by fargo on Oct 30, 2022 5:21:06 GMT -5
Hi mate How did you take the wide screen images? Planting looks superb Harry, this works on PS4: go to publish your course, then it prompts you to take a photo of the course. Take one anywhere. Then it asks to confirm the photo. Hit cancel. Then you can whizz around the course in full screen without any lines, except for the small icon in the bottom right. Thanks make, I always go a bit overboard with panting, but I enjoy the process |
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Post by fargo on Nov 2, 2022 18:44:14 GMT -5
So I've put down holes 12, 13 and 14 - these three wrap around a lake and through a more wooded area towards the top end of the plot. A shortish par 4 with water right on the drive and an approach uphill to an infinity green cut into a ridge:  Then a nice par 3 amongst the trees:  Then a par 5 coming back with the water on the right on the first and second shots. This will be almost certainly a 3 shotter, the hole isn't finished yet but I've got the bones in place 16, 17 and 18 are not built yet. |
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Post by boynsy on Nov 5, 2022 12:06:37 GMT -5
So I've put down holes 12, 13 and 14 - these three wrap around a lake and through a more wooded area towards the top end of the plot. A shortish par 4 with water right on the drive and an approach uphill to an infinity green cut into a ridge: Then a nice par 3 amongst the trees: Then a par 5 coming back with the water on the right on the first and second shots. This will be almost certainly a 3 shotter, the hole isn't finished yet but I've got the bones in place 16, 17 and 18 are not built yet. That par 3 looks lovely - when can we expect this track? |
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Post by fargo on Nov 5, 2022 18:30:34 GMT -5
That par 3 looks lovely - when can we expect this track? Mate I'm slow, hoping to have it finished before Christmas. Don't have a huge amount of time to commit to this each week. Doesn't help that I spent a couple hours last night finishing up hole 14 and starting on hole 16 before the game decided to crash losing all that work... |
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Post by boynsy on Nov 5, 2022 23:34:38 GMT -5
That par 3 looks lovely - when can we expect this track? Mate I'm slow, hoping to have it finished before Christmas. Don't have a huge amount of time to commit to this each week. Doesn't help that I spent a couple hours last night finishing up hole 14 and starting on hole 16 before the game decided to crash losing all that work... No rush! That pretty little short hole just has me excited. |
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Post by fargo on Nov 10, 2022 23:05:27 GMT -5
Got quite a lot done over the last couple days, but still huge areas of the course that are untouched. I've added a couple pictures below, first is the view off the 10th teebox, and the second is what's just to the right of the teebox, which will be the 18th hole (18th hole comes in from the right). As you can see I haven't started the 18th. I do have hole routing / sightlines mapped out though so I'll use that and the surrounding built environment to help me realise the hole. 10th hole is a longish uphill par 4 to a blindish fairway. Looks very benign from the tee but plays pretty tough. Just behind the 10th tee is the clubhouse (not started yet) which will be very visible on the 18th approach (and various other points on the course) and in not entirely sure what I'll build. I suppose one day this coming week I'll experiment and try to come up with a reasonable clubhouse. There's also been a change to some of the textures.   |
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Post by fargo on Nov 17, 2022 7:56:00 GMT -5
Ok a few pictures to show here. Good news is I've put in lots of the off-course areas, course boundary, and done lots of work on a few holes along the boundary which were giving me headaches. Bad news is I still only have 16 holes. But I do have a clubhouse that I'm happy with, and so now I'll start building the 18th hole (and then the 17th). Clubhouse is going for an ultra-modern design as a point of contrast to the rest of the course. Obviously much if the clubhouse surrounds aren't done. 18th green will be in the foreground somewhere.  I've tried to make a long countryside look off-course. I left a lot of space because I some views to stretch out into the distance. The following pics are 5th green (downhill approach par 5), 6th green (short par 4), and off the back of the 10th.    The last picture above also shows quite a few crape myrtles, which I've used quite a lot. This tree is so much better in this game. I'm using it both as ground cover, as per above, and also as larger bushed which I hope will draw the eye and add a little colour. First image below is the par 3 7th with a large one behind, and second image is off the right of the 12th green, indicating the way to the next hole.   So now two holes to build, clubhouse surrounds, some course boundary stuff on the other side, fine sculpting of greens, fixing up some bunkers, adding tees and pins plenty of tinkering and checking, and it'll be good to go. |
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Post by fargo on Nov 21, 2022 6:16:44 GMT -5
I finally have 18 playable holes on the course. I put down the 17th and 18th holes three times and ripped it all up three times before I've come up with a couple holes that I'm happy with on my 4th go. Heaps still to do on these holes but the bones of the holes are in place. 17 is a long bunkerless downhill par 3 to a large and heavily contoured green in a bowl. 18 is a mid distance par 4 that offers a number of options off the tee. In the image below 17 comes down the hill from the right of the screen. 17 has a horizon / infinity look over the back, which looks great, but I don't know if I'm going to be able to retain that. The edge of the plot is reasonably close and I'm not sure what I'm going to have to put in to disguise that. If I have to plant it out therefore losing the infinity edge then so be it. There's a trick where you can place trees / assets off the edge of the course so maybe I can use that to help, by placing trees way off the edge to give the illusion that there's more land there. There's lots of sculpting, surfacing and planting to do, plus a bucket load of off-course and course boundary to put in. This corner of the course is where the road / driveway comes in to the clubhouse, so I've got to incorporate that somehow. Not sure if the driveway will be hidden / planted out, or if it will be exposed. See what looks good I suppose.  |
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