Golf Sim Clubhouse Forum

WorldSwing Week 21
First Weekly Venue
Noles Point Resort and Country Club

Where are we?
Near Suva, Fiji in the Pacific


We leave our designer break, after four fun courses by Scott Antes, to return to the tour proper, where if you last remember we had just finished play in southern South America. Travelling very far west across the Pacific we get about 3/4 of the way back to Australia to start island hopping. This week starts in Fiji, where its currently mid 80's and breezy. Its exactly where you want to be in January!

Dennis Spriggs made this one December 1999, and calls it Noles Point Resort and Country Club a par 71, 6714 fictional seaside golf course. I really like its classic early JN appearance. There is a lot of nostalgia looking at this one, and Dennis really did a solid job. You will get a nifty seaside to inland and back to seaside tour, and the holes are all interesting. Power hitting is moderately dangerous, but you can be a little bit off and still be okay. The real difficulty is playing into the wind, which without power gets you coming in to the greens from longer distances than you would expect with the overall course length. Greens can be moderately tricky as well.

Dennis made a couple handfuls of courses for JN6 including
Cuthbert's Sound
Berkley Moors
Cutters Peg
Mount Xavier
Santa Clara Dunes
Willem Glen
and a series of Brentwood courses

We played Santa Clara dunes on the Old Timers not long ago, and I recall it as another quality addition to your library.

He claims in the biography to be an Aussie and I regret we didnt get more courses from him. Anyone know anything further about his life after the last design?

PLAY INFORMATION

CONDITIONS
Round 1: Medium - Soft - Pin 1
Round 2: Mild - Normal - Pin 2

No gimmes (recommended)
No mulligans (recommended)
BLACK tees
Medium or faster meter
I am playing each round once and taking what I get


-------> https://www.golfsimclubhouse.com/jack/j ... _point.zip


Tarheel’s current hcp: 9
Tarheel's .round files
Hole 3, a cute little par 3 along the seaside


Par 4, number 16, approach shot with a really well placed dramatic lighthouse view. This lighthouse I think I've seen built before...


Hole 11, from the green looking back to a golfer on the other side of a small creek on this dogleg par 4.

Return to season schedule: http://www.golfsimclubhouse.com/forum/v ... 217#p13217

I remember Dennis. I think we might have collaborated on a course or two way back in the day.

WorldSwing Week 21
Second Weekly Venue
Big W Pacific Island Links

Where are we?
Samoa (maybe) in the Pacific


Its not very clear where KF Baker's Big W Pacific Island Links is located, but I'm going to say we found it at Samoa, a bit northeast of our trip to Fiji. This is a really wide open course, with many sandtraps to avoid, but which is amenable to big time power-swinging. If you don't have that element of your game, this is the course to learn it because if you screw up, you'll probably still be okay. He did a great job of capturing the island feel.

I wish I knew more about Mr. Baker, because he really has an interesting series of courses to name. In particular, I'd love to know the background of those courses based on major cities around the world, with recognizable landmarks scattered on each hole (Rome, Paris, etc). Those are kind of strange in our library of this game. Were they commissioned? He seemed to mostly do courses for JN5 and 6 in its earlier days and this is a good example from that time.

Well, our current course was released in its second version in April 1999 and its 6631 yards and par 72. I think its one of his better courses. You will KILL it in the mild winds, so prepare to get a personal best!


PLAY INFORMATION

CONDITIONS
Round 1: Mild - Hard - Pin 4
Round 2: Medium - Hard - Pin 3

No gimmes (recommended)
No mulligans (recommended)
BLACK tees
Medium or faster meter
I am playing each round once and taking what I get


-------> https://www.golfsimclubhouse.com/jack/j ... acific.zip


Tarheel’s current hcp: 9
Tarheel's .round files
Hole 8, from the tee


Hole 16 from the green


Par 3 hole 14 from the green

Return to season schedule: http://www.golfsimclubhouse.com/forum/v ... 217#p13217

WorldSwing Week 22
First Weekly Venue
Links at Kahanamouri Valley

Where are we?
Ua Pou, Marquesas Islands


We fly from our last course in Samoa, over 2000 miles to French Polynesia, in the middle of the Pacific ocean, to the Marquesas Islands. These are volcanic islands and the designer Tom Glass indicates that The Links at Kahanamouri Valley took 5 years to complete in the 1950's (fictional course). The location is built on the island of Ua Pou and the front nine meander through the valley proper, before the back takes you on a trip around the coastal peak of Mount Nirohana. The course was cut in the dense undergrowth and lush vegetation.

This is a unique experience and I think a remarkable golf course. The design was released in 1999. Difficulty is high, and if you manage to stay on the fairways, you are going to take a right hook to the jaw on the greens. GET THE BALL CLOSE! It is par 72, 7108 yards and you should take a look at the fairways you are landing on, because you will often get some serious roll that you don't want to get caught off guard with. Where our last course was a power hitters dream, this one is a power hitters nightmare.

We played two other Tom Glass courses this season, Club Djkarta and Royal Auckland, what seems like forever ago...courses I also found very entertaining.

He also gave us:
Little Auckland (par 3 course)

I really wish we had gotten more designs from him, because of the fantastic creativity.

PLAY INFORMATION

CONDITIONS
Round 1: Medium - Normal - Pin 1
Round 2: Medium - Normal - Pin 5

No gimmes (recommended)
No mulligans (recommended)
BLACK tees
Medium or faster meter
I am playing each round once and taking what I get


-------> https://www.golfsimclubhouse.com/jack/j ... amouri.zip


Tarheel’s current hcp: 10
Tarheel's .round files
Hole 14, par 3 seen from the tee, hitting up hill over a chasm


Hole 6, par 4 with an approach over a chasm


Extreme dogleg (look at pin flag marker) to this par 4 number 12.

Return to season schedule: http://www.golfsimclubhouse.com/forum/v ... 217#p13217

what a beautiful course! i never played it!
Juan

WorldSwing Week 22
Second Weekly Venue
Le Volcanique

Where are we?
Vanuatu, between Samoa and New Zealand


We travel west to the volcanic island cluster at Vanuatu for our next adventure, Le Volcanique by Rich Lussier in August, 2000. This is a seaside fantasy 6999 yard course par 72. There is a lot of water to challenge you, but overall its a pretty straight forward course without too many tricks. The tree canopy is sparse, so you can usually pick your spot and get there unobstructed. The holes are surrounded by volcanic ash which can mess with you, but if you hit your targets, you will score low. Rich gave us PGA West, Arnold Palmer Private Course, which I played on the Tarheel PGA tour (really fun course) last year close to this time of year for a round, and he also provided L'éténite and Le Tropical.

Two rounds here and we get to play Pebble Beach with the PGA for a round. One of my all time JN6 favorites!

PLAY INFORMATION

CONDITIONS
Round 1: Mild - Soft - Pin 5
Round 2: Medium - Soft - 30% Fog - Pin 3

No gimmes (recommended)
No mulligans (recommended)
BLACK tees
Medium or faster meter
I am playing each round once and taking what I get


-------> https://www.golfsimclubhouse.com/jack/j ... anique.zip


Tarheel’s current hcp: 10
Tarheel's .round files
Par 4 that can reach the green from the tee. Hole 3


Par 5, second shot on hole 18


Hole 7, par 4 with two fairway choices

Return to season schedule: http://www.golfsimclubhouse.com/forum/v ... 217#p13217

WorldSwing Week 22
PGA Signature Event
The AT&T Pro-am at Pebble Beach

Welcome to the PGA tour again, one year from our last visit to this venue. Funny as we play this round that the predicted weather for tomorrow's round is very much like it was last year, with strong winds and significant rain coming down. Not easy at all! (Turns out it was so bad they had to cancel the day! Well we are going to play in it anyway)

This is the 2002 Pebble Beach by Terry Armstrong and tweaked by Scott Antes and Josh Perkins. Its a really great course for JN6 and one of my favorites to play as represented by how many rounds I've played over the last 21 years!

In strong winds, getting near the pin is really hard for me, which leaves putts that make me froth at the mouth

Enjoy this pause in the WS tour before we head out to two weeks of fun in Hawaii.

For last years PGA Tarheel visit to Pebble Beach go here:
https://golfsimclubhouse.com/forum/view ... 172#p12172

PLAY INFORMATION

CONDITIONS
ONE ROUND: Strong - Soft - 70% Fog - Pin 1

No gimmes (recommended)
No mulligans (recommended)
BLACK tees
Medium or faster meter
I am playing each round once and taking what I get


-------> https://www.golfsimclubhouse.com/jack/j ... _antes.zip


Tarheel’s current hcp: 10
Tarheel's .round files
Par 5, number 6 from the tee


Par 3 number 17 seen from the green back to the tee. Notice Hole 18 tees.


Hole 8, par 4, approach shot

Return to season schedule: http://www.golfsimclubhouse.com/forum/v ... 217#p13217

WorldSwing Week 23
First Weekly Venue
Coconos Greens

Where are we?
Hale'iwa, Oahu, Hawaii


Leaving the South Pacific from a trip in the volcanic islands of Vanuatu, we are now in the Hawaiian islands, USA, with more volcanic islands! The strong winds from our one day trip to the west coast in between these two adventures seem to have followed us, but at least its not raining. We will have two weeks in Hawaii, but will be playing golf courses off the beaten path from the usual stops (like our earlier trip to Kapalua, or the usual PGA stop at Wailaia). Hopefully some lesser known courses will entertain, but fear not, we will be heading to Mauna Kea in a few weeks on the Armstrong Challenge.

Today we go to Coconos Greens designed by KT Twain in May 2000. Its a fictional seaside course which didn't have a location listed in Hawaii, but I felt such a place might be found on northwest Oahu in the city of Hale'iwa. It is 6982 yards but many holes have the wind helping you out so even with the strong winds it may feel shorter. At par 72 with many kind greens, you should play decently.

My Twain also gave us:
Blacklick North
Foxchase
Windbrook Golf Club

Another designer that showed some promise and sad his designs didnt continue a few more years.

PLAY INFORMATION

CONDITIONS
Round 1: Strong - Normal - Pin 2
Round 2: Mild - Hard - Pin 4

No gimmes (recommended)
No mulligans (recommended)
BLACK tees
Medium or faster meter
I am playing each round once and taking what I get


-------> https://www.golfsimclubhouse.com/jack/j ... oconos.zip


Tarheel’s current hcp: 9
Tarheel's .round files
Number 12, par 3 from the tee, with an uphill drive to a hidden green


Par 4 approach shot to the green on number 2, with a nice view of the coastal waves splashing up


From behind the green, looking through trees and down a hill back towards the flag and fairway, on number 11

Return to season schedule: http://www.golfsimclubhouse.com/forum/v ... 217#p13217

WorldSwing Week 23
Second Weekly Venue
Ko'olau Golf Club

Where are we?
Central Oahu, Hawaii


This week we'll head inland Oahu to the Ko'olau range area where play begins at Ko'olau Golf Club by Guy Nicholson, a really remarkable work of art. I think visually it has the essence of Hawaii thanks to the authentic appearing background mountains and choice of vegetation. It totally reminded me of our trip in 2001 to Maui and helicopter tours. Release of this one was Nov 2004. At par 72, this 7604 yard course plays very long.

Guy gave us:
Gros Morne
Highland Links
Milford Track
Muskoka Downs
Nicholson's Grant

These are A list courses.

You will need to take care and avoid missing the fairway, because you are never far from OB. Once on the greens, the chosen pins, particularly in round 2 are just shy of fearsome.

PLAY INFORMATION

CONDITIONS
Round 1: Mild - Normal - Pin 3
Round 2: Mild - Hard - Pin 4

No gimmes (recommended)
No mulligans (recommended)
BLACK tees
Medium or faster meter
I am playing each round once and taking what I get


-------> https://www.golfsimclubhouse.com/jack/j ... o_Olau.zip


Tarheel’s current hcp: 9
Tarheel's .round files
Hole 16, looking back down this par5 from the green


Hole 17 from the tee


Number 11, just beyond the usual second shot location on this par 5

Return to season schedule: http://www.golfsimclubhouse.com/forum/v ... 217#p13217

WorldSwing Week 24
First Weekly Venue
Hala Kahiki Plantation

Where are we?
Somewhere in Hawaii


Brent Fulberry created our next trip in the Hawaiian islands, Hala Kahiki Plantation in 1999. He doesn't specify where it is, but I envision it to be obviously along the coast. We could call it the big island if you like...

The course is 6693 yards, par 70, and is a lot of fun. Great seaside views await you, and there are some nice elevation changes for enjoyable scenery. Its interesting because some holes are quite easy, only to find yourself faced unexpectedly with a difficult really long par 4 from time to time. The greens are pretty forgiving if you stick them, and short to intermediate putts are readable and often very makeable.

Brents other courses include
Big Wild Monkey
Craignethen
Jerry Butler National
TPC @ Gunga Galunga

I think Hala Kahiki is probably his best work but I'm a sucker for ocean side courses. Big Wild Monkey and Craignethen get honorable mentions too. All his courses were done in 1999 and 2000 at which point like so many other promising designers, the career ended too soon.


PLAY INFORMATION

CONDITIONS
Round 1: Medium - Normal - Pin 4
Round 2: Strong - Normal - Pin 1

No gimmes (recommended)
No mulligans (recommended)
BLACK tees
Medium or faster meter
I am playing each round once and taking what I get


-------> https://www.golfsimclubhouse.com/jack/j ... kahiki.zip


Tarheel’s current hcp: 9
Tarheel's .round files
Hole 7, par 4, second shot with the pin peeking between two trees ahead left. You may have to shape this one if you don't pick the best part of fairway from tee.


Hole 18, second shot on a classic water hole with choice of safe layup or forced carry over water to go for an eagle.


Number 11, tee shot, on a cute downhill par 3 over water

Return to season schedule: http://www.golfsimclubhouse.com/forum/v ... 217#p13217