Mamacs Retreat Golf Club by Duncan McMonagle[Contest Course]

[BrianZ111]

Course: Mamacs Retreat Golf Club (20.5 MB)
Type: Fictional, Oceanside
Designer: Duncan McMonagle (Links Legend)
Date: 1/5/2011
Images: Sp, #8, #12, #15
Libraries Used: bethpage1, coosbay, coosbayblend, cypress, pinevalley

[bryce]

THE GOOD
First of all, Links wins bonus points for his efforts on his design theory! Please be sure to take a look at those. This is the only one of the contest courses to have tournament settings with it. The fairways are easily the hardest to hit of the contest entries, but will provide numerous options off of every tee. The layout is brilliant, and a real challenge. The greens are quite severe, and nearly impossible with very dry conditions, but play nicely on dry or slower (I went to practice mode and checked a few pin locations). You will also be able to get to pins that are tucked by using the slope of the green, if you are accurate with your approaches.

THE BAD
The splash screen should be in .bmp format. Also, the splash, text file and course music were not compressed with the course, however they are included in the zip file. As far as the course, the only thing I saw was the heavy rough texture inbetween the fairway and rough textures on some holes. I think it was meant to be used as a 'rough edge', but is really tough to be in right at the edge of the fairway.

My Thoughts
I remember those days at the Copyright Club when we did the collaboration course with Duncan's par 5's. He was awesome then, and even better now. The 9th hole might just be the best looking par 5 I have played EVER on this game! I can't wait to get back onto this course and try it again. The layout and thought process put into it is incredible. I admit, I was struggling on the front at +9 after only 6 holes, but I think I just got caught up in the course itself, and got on a roll on the back to finish at +4. I think that's respectable playing long, very dry, breezy.

Incredible job Duncan! I hope we will be seeing more of your work in the future.

[A Brandt]

Wow, this course is a beauty! I feel like it's real! I stink at this game, so it ate me up as I made my way around. The textures and plantings look perfect together. The layout is great, and I noticed the course sits in exactly the same area my own course does. I love all the options off the tee, if only I could hit a damn fairway!! Also, the greens are very challenging, but well constructed. I guess that would be my only criticism, the course is too hard for me.

[LinksLegend]

Thanks guys - really appreciate the comments, especially from fellow designers. I haven't had the time to download and play the courses yet, but can't wait. From the screen shots they all look superb!

As I mention in the course notes, this course is not meant to be played with 'very dry' green settings which, in my eyes, render anything other than a practically flat green unplayable. It's impossible to replicate the movement of real greens and still have them playable on that setting in our game. Also, the green texture is from Bethpage and I believe the texture coefficients were tweaked to be faster than the texture defaults which makes 'dry' a challenging yet playable setting, but very dry not recommended.

Adam, I definitely designed this to be tough from the tournament tees - as it should be. Try playing from the pro or amateur tees for a more enjoyable test. The length, carries and tee angles are all very different and much fairer from those tee sets. That said I'm sure Dar and the gang will still shoot in the 50's Thanks again for the nice comments guys - can't wait to try your courses out!

[Craigus10]

As the others have said, great looking course with strategic holes. You have to think your way around the course on pretty much every shot.

The course looks quite realistic, and I like the setting that it is in. So many bunkers on the course, which is great for strategy and I think I found a lot of them. I think I shot +4 or something on this from the pro tees, which I am happy with as I'm not the longest hitter in the game. The greens are well built, tricky, but with a bit of practice they aren't too bad. I like undulating greens as it adds to the realism of a course.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one, and I will be playing it a few more times.

[SteveHorn]

This was the first course I've played. I'm ahead of schedule in my 8th season (a first ) and choose this course to be host of the Northern Trust Open. This course is no day at the beach although with all the bunkers you may think your at one. Opening round conditions long, dry, strong winds ( OUCH ). These fairways and greens are tough enough without the double wammy of the dry strong combo but thats what I had to deal with like it or not. I was holding my own for the first 12 holes at +2 but finished at +8. Playing partners scores -2 and +6.
Second round conditions long ,dry, still. Still didn't break par. Shot a +2 ( 73 ) and of course missed the cut. Carlos Franco ( he's still around playing just enough to get grandfathered in ) aced the par 3 # 17 ( Bogey for me ) This is a real thinking mans course on most holes and most every shot. The greens are very fast and unduated or tiered. Bethpage is also what I used on Point Reyes as my green texture. They can really make scoring tricky at times. Favorite holes 8,9 & 15. Least favorite holes 6 & 18. Planting is very good for the most part but could have been better in a few areas. Bunker design and work is top notch. A few of the holes may be a little to tricked up either with the fairway or the greens but I like a good challenge. This is a contender to win the contest. An A list course that makes you get excited when you birdie a hole. You'll have to earn you birdies here most of the time. NICE WORK DUNCAN.

[sandwedge]

Duncan,

An incredibly well done effort I loved the bunkers, the island behind the 8th green, the driveable par four 15th and the combination of objects and textures. It all works so well here! The only negatives I had were: 1. an unrealistic cart path up to the 12th tee, 2. flowers in the middle of the putting green and 3. not really that tough of a layout unless you play it from the tournament tees with dry greens. Still these are small things compared to the greatness of this design. My favorite hole was the par three 14th. I am keeping this course - thanks so much!

[Indy Anna Jones]

The first thing I have to say is: THE TREES! I LOVE THOSE TREES! I'm not sure what library was used but they are just beautiful, especially the pines with the greyish trunks.

Duncan did a terrific job. This is definitely a thinking course with very few grip and rip shots available. Jack, Gary and I continued to play the contest courses on a/n/b; I did pretty good on both sides but the b9 ate the guys up. Some really tricky pin placements that might border on unfair on d/vd conditions. We did find a spike on #13 just short of the rise on the inside of the "P".

I liked the planting around the fairways and rough; some nice strategic placement. My only complaint... and this is very much personal taste... is that I don't know those huge open areas without any planting at all. (I probably overdo mine, but that's why.)

A nice variety of uphill/downhill shots. Tees were mostly flat with a few 1-click slopes (no biggy.) A few trees located in such a way as to affect the drive if the wind is coming from the wrong direction, but not seriously.

If I have any one major problem (and again it's personal taste, not something affecting playability is that I seriously disliked the water texture used, especially off the tee on the island hole #8. Sorry but that swamp water looks like a huge oil spill. On the VERY up side, the right side of #9 on the approach, I have to agree, is one of the prettiest views I've seen on this game. Excellent use of textures and planting and the rising elevation is gorgeous (and again those TREES!!)

Very nice job Duncan. /

[LinksLegend]

Thanks for all the lovely comments everyone - really appreciated. Its always great to get feedback - complimentary or constructive - as it helps you get better next time. I definitely want this course to 'eat your breakfast' if you stand up and blast away without thinking about how you might want to attack the hole. I think good courses should need to be played a few times before revealing their secrets - nobody wins at Augusta first time out that's for sure I'd be disappointed if you could turn up first time playing the course and blitz it round. It should also be pretty playable if you don't try and shoot at every pin however, a number of holes are certainly set up for this not to be the best play (good example would be the redan-style 5th where you want to land the ball in the middle of the green to feed down to the left pin). Sorry you didn't like the dark lake water Indy - though that is what its meant to be on my course, lake - not sea or ocean, but equally glad the trees seem to have made up for it I really enjoyed making the course as in a way it's a tribute to my dad and all the golf we played together.

MRGC 12th Overview.pdf

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MRGC 15th Overview.pdf

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MRGC Course Text.pdf

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[Terry Grayson]

I opened up this course, and immediately on the first tee here is what I thought, and I could be totally wrong. But I was a Pete Dye style hole here. Matter of fact here are some thoughts I had while playing the first few holes (First impression is wow, and I like first impressions on a golf course lol)

2. 13th at Augusta, the right to left slope on the fairway bending around to the left, I tried to bite off too much fairway there and bunker bound I was.Reminds me so much of that great par 5 at Augusta (even though this is a par 4 and there is no water..)

3. Muirfield Village style hole, Risk reward, abounds here Split fairway, A Nicklaus style hole for sure here in my mind… 21 yard putt from lower of the three teirs here, great green
5.I a MacDonald Redan hole…WOW now this is a par three worth writing home about

7 is almost Kiawah Island style hole

8th: Similance of 17 at Sawgrass….

Global Elevations: Duncan took what was there and created a masterpiece out of it. The layout is phenomenal. Excellent use of the land forms surrounding the playing area. What a spectacular layout here folks. This is golf at its best …Terrific options from the tees, beautiful looks everywhere. Many and I mean many risk-reward options everywhere you look. Man I tried so many things here it just kept calling “Go for it big boy” Anyone that wants to study and learn design styles look at this course. From layouts, risk reward, classic design thoughts and strategy it is definitely every where you turn here. You will no be disappointed…. Split fairways, bunkers that dictate your plan of attack…man that’s cool

Local elevations: Much like Glen Haven just an absolute mastery of local terrain work. Perfectly sloped and mounded, highs lows, using what the global terrain gives you and build a great 18..Thats design prowess folks… You can tell a lot of study on the local surroundings went on in Duncans mind, and what he created is a masterful piece of work.

Greensites: WOW, redan, backstops, false fronts, multi-tierred greens sloping left to right, right to left, back to front etc….If you want to see greensite work at its finest lookey here…. These type greens are what I want to see...Amazing work

Bunkering: Absolutely top notch bunker work here. Properly sunken, proper lips for the style course we are playing. I really love how on some holes the bunkering dictates how you proceed with your next shot, there again lies strategy and thought in your design elements.

Planting, again very good use of the libraries chosen, everything looks so natural..

For any new designers and for some of us old veterans we could learn a thing or two from what Duncan has created here. This is one more spectacular layout here. Challenging holes with so many viable options to choose from each time I play it. Some of these greens are just magic, and I love a hole that one time I will hit it “here” on this side of the pins and play the terrain, and other times, hit it “there” for a different outcome. I aint just standing up there firing at the pin and not thinking about it. This is a thinking man/woman course, one that you have to pick and choose your style of attack dependant upon the conditions, your attack preference, and whether or not you want to be bold enough to attack the pins…Just the type course I love to play. Beautiful to look at as well…

Man you guys each and every single one of you that built courses for this contest should be extremely proud of your work, this is what PGA 2000 golf is made of, great designers…and you guys outdid yourselves on each entry! ….

Magnificent job Duncan, what a great piece of work here….