Alkimos Golf Links by Craig Johnson [Contest Course]

[BrianZ111]

Course: Alkimos Golf Links (13.3 MB)
Type: Fictional, Oceanside
Designer: Craig Johnson
Date: 12/28/2010
Images: Splash, #2, #11
Libraries Used: coosbay, coosbayblend, houses1, pebblebeach

[bryce]

THE GOOD
This is a great links style course, with very few trees, but plenty of thick gorse and grass. The planting is terrific. The blending of the textures is excellent and matches well with the planting. A great layout will keep you on your toes with those nasty fairway bunkers that you need to avoid. The dunes on this course are very eye catching, and just look like they belong there. The greens are sloped very nicely, and they roll very nicely too, but..........

THE BAD
There are alot of greens that run away or slope downward from front to back, which is fine except on long par 3's and long par 4's with something guarding the front of the green. With that being said, they still putted wonderfully. Don't let me contradict myself!!

My Thoughts
Alkimos looks so pleasing and definitely pass as a real course. I felt like I was actually playing golf while at my desk. You have some very easy opening holes, but the course bares it's teeth on the back 9. I started out on fire, -5 after 7 holes, then went all to hell and ended up at +4. I still had a blast, and will be keeping this one permanantly.

Great job Craig! You just keep giving us great course, after great course. Keep it up!

[Indy Anna Jones]

Poppy, Jack and I played 18 here today on l/n/b (which we'll be using for all the designs in the contest.) On the f9 Jack was on fire and birdied 8 out of 9 for -8, I shot -5 and Gary +2. The b9 was tougher; the greens had more play and their more traps and more strategically placed requiring quite a bit more thought and careful ball placement. Jack and I ended up -4 and Gary +4.

We all thought Alkimos a beautiful design. All the way around the planting, elevation, bunkers, layout, etc. were top notch (no wrinkles, spikes, etc.) It definitely has the feeling and looks of a real course.

My only knock: I thought that some of the greens and pin placements on the b9 were pretty severe; they were playable on normal and moist would probably be ideal, but I think playing on d/vd would be an ordeal on some of the holes.

Overall: . Super job Craig. (I'll forward scores to Dar.)

[A Brandt]

This course is very beautiful. I really get the feeling of being 'down under'. The textures work perfectly with the plantings. The bunker work is top notch, as well as the green construction. Design wise, I think there is plenty of variety in the layout, I certainly had to think on many shots. I found one tee that wasn't flat though. I really don't have any other criticisms, this course is very well thought out and executed. Very well done!

[Craigus10]

Thanks for the comments everyone. The greens were always going to be slightly difficult on my course, as I decided to see how far I could push the undulations while still playing fair. A couple of pins could play difficult in dry or very dry, but they should be just playable. I tested all greens on very dry and had to do some tweaking to be happy enough with them.

I'm glad you have all enjoyed the course. It was a good challenge to come up with when looking around the plot.

[sandwedge]

Craig,

Thank you for this course. I liked the landscape and the layout of it. It really gave me a seaside links feel. I found two things I did not like about the course - 1. the placement of the houses and 2. the lack of a chipping area. My favorite hole was the par three 2nd hole. This is a course I am going to keep

[spencerturner]

Wow, what a nice suprise. I am not a fan of link courses but this one may change my mind. Every thing is well done, Craig has a good grasp of the Course Architect and knows what to use and how to use it. The blending is excellent, the placing of the plantings, houses , bunkers are all well done, the greens are just great,and to think he did it with just 4 libraies. Trying to miss one of the many bunkers on any given hole from the tee is a real crap shoot, lol. but I loved it. Very well done Craig. This is a genuine keeper. Spencer.

[Polslad]

Lovely release.
Very cheeky pin on 16, and that was on normal.
Are we a little spoiled that a design of this calibre is regarded as almost normal now?
Compare this to the reception Coos Bay got.
Two very similar designs with a few years in-between.
Not a critism of reviews, just an observation.
Design skill levels must now be at an all time high.

[LinksLegend]

What a beautiful looking course Craig! Totally echo Polslad's words. The sandy textures, a good choice from the Coos Bay library I think, sit perfectly with the planting - heather, gorse and brakcen that frame the golf holes.

Naturally shaped bunkers and lots of texture blending combine to gorgeous effect. Also the local elevation work is fantastic, the mounding really keeps chipping and putting to a premium and scores honest.

Favourite holes are the drivable par 4 2nd, an interesting early chance to get off to a good score. The 6th starts a great run of holes including the par 3 8th - cut in to the hill and featuring a 3 tier green was stunning and really enjoyable to play. The 9th is another great drive and pitch hole, drivable with wind - the only shame being you can't see the hazards in front of you from the tee (unless you're using the overhead hols view). The 11th is another great hole that has the same issue for me, multiple bunkers offer real strategic variety, esp depenging on wind direction, but it would have been nice to see the hazards before you. A fairly high number of the tee shots here are blind or partially blind, which being a fan of traditional links golf courses I normally wouldn't mind, but I think its always best to try and keep these to a minimum where possible. The 16th is another fantasic par 3 (they're all strong) and the framing and bunker work here is simply beautiful. I spent a fair amount of time stood on the tee just hitting balls and enjoying the views on this one.

All of this combined with some real flair with planting and the real estate made this a very enjoyable round of golf. Well done Craig, other than wanting to see more of the challenges before me from tee view I can't fault it - fantastic work.

[Terry Grayson]

Finally able to review this little gem of a course ....

Alkimos is a great little track, lovely round of golf again here just now where my usual deadly putter took the evening off.. I missed eagle putts on 2 and 3...BLAH!!! lol

I have become one that really loves a links style layout and we get that and more here. Great track here, nice work on terrain and planting.. Not an overly difficult course, and one you can score well on, if you keep it in the short grass (Aint that how links are posed to be lol)

Global terrain; Great use here of the terrain work already in place, uphill downhill, and I loved how a couple of the part threes sat down deep in a hillside, those are some beautiful holes...

Local terrain: Great use of the land mass to create a very nice links style course. I loved the bounces and elevation work here.

Greensites: I thought they were very creative and lovely. Nice work here. VERY nice.....

Bunkering and Layout are top notch as well..

As I stated not overly difficult, lots of blind shots, but I love that about a links style... Man you guys are some great designers....I have had the pleasure of playing some great courses as of late, and this one does not disappoint either..

Great work...