Golf Sim Clubhouse Forum

Course: Southampton (6.5 MB)
Type: Fictional, Oceanside
Designer: Tim Waite
Date: 7/28/2013
Images: Sp, #5, #10
Libraries Used: blackwolf, coosbay, DSTour, gleneagle_lib, gleneagle_blends, glenmarnock, glenmarnock_blend, machrie, randa, royalstgeorge, turnberry_lib

Have played this once, want to go back and play one more before I write a review.

Just finished a few rounds on this new course and figured I would bang out a few lines of review. Thanks Tim for having the courage to put your work out there for us to examine and enjoy. A few observations then:

What I liked - the variety of bunkering - strategic and challenging layout - the obvious effort that was put into this first design with a detailed coastline and sloped fairways- the planting of objects was not spectacular but it was better than average - the use of sound was appropriate and added ambiance (all except one bird that seemed to be stuck in an endless loop on the front nine) - the attempt at giving this course a tournament atmosphere - good effort on the green sites

What I did not care for - the fairway and green textures did not blend well with the other textures - some of the bunkering needed polish - the pano did not quite match up in some spots - thought the grandstands looked a little out of place - some repetitive planting of trees.

Overall impressions - I really enjoyed playing the course more than I enjoyed the look of it. It is better than anything I could produce and certainly better than many of our 1600+ courses on file here; but for me not an A-lister. How high it ultimately ranks will be up to the community. Thanks Tim for a spectacular first attempt - your vision, creativity and effort are obvious. It is a possible B-list course that is great fun to play. Definitely looking forward to course #2

I finally had the chance to play this one today, and here is my opinion..............

For a first time designer, I must say that Timmo has fared well! The layout is extremely challenging, as I started off with 6, hard earned pars, then dropped 4 shots on #7. The fairways are very narrow and closely guarded with trees, bunkers and that pesky grass. The greens are just as challenging as the tee shots, with lots of slope and false edges. After I four putted #9, I added up a nasty 42 on the front. The nicely planted grass seemed to grab every shot I tried to hack back into play on #11, and once again, I took an 8. I played the slope just right on the very next hole, with a 50 foot chip in for my only birdie. The greens are rolling smoothly, but the pins are too difficult to shoot at. With only 1 par 5, you don't get many chances to achieve a birdie, unless you play aggressively.....which could turn your scores into mine. The crowds are placed nicely throughout, and even clapped as I carded an 82.

The Good

Timmo did an awesome job with the ocean side holes. The waves and protruding rock formations from the water are brilliant. Something we never see from a new designer. The placement of obstacles and trouble shows that he will make you think off of every tee box. I like options! There were no spikes that I noticed on the greens, and they had plenty of character. The planting was very nicely done and looked well with the rough texture.

The Not So Good

There were a few things that I came across that were expected from a first timer. The tee box on #7 was not flat at all, as well as the creek on #10. A couple of places throughout the course you can see the under side of the pano, but only if you are looking for it. There were many, many blind shots, which I don't have a problem with, but a lot of people don't keep the overhead cam on while they play. I also think there should have been a different combination of textures so that the fairways/greens would have looked better with the rough textures.

Overall

As Sandwedge mentioned, Timmo showed us that he is very creative and capable of great things to come. This is a very challenging course that I enjoyed a lot, and I think most people will. Thanks Timmo for a great addition to our course collection. We look forward to your next one!

Doron

Thanks for the positive comments and also for the feedback. I take the points regarding the blind shots, flat land and will listen for that pesky bird next time I have a round. Any ideas for a better texture mix for a possible re-release? Also I noted the pano, but I'm unsure how to fix this issue, any help would be appreciated. I'm glad that after 13 years of enjoying this game I was able to get something up online to feedback to the community that I've taken so many great courses off. Thanks for taking the time to play my golf course, hopefully between work and kids it won't be too long before my next design.

It's definitely supposed to be named Southampton (as on the splash) too, not Southhampton but that's by the by, e.g Southampton, NY (home of Shinnecock - favorite course)

From,
Tim

Tim, there are many ways to cover the green strip underneath the pano if you have land to the edge of a plot. Water is a little more tricky. You can make a large slope or hill, or simply put some trees up, or even some buildings. Textures are simply mix and match to find something that looks good together. The less change from one texture to another, the more realistic it is (in my opinion). Next time just try out different textures on different holes until to find a good mix.

timmo365 wrote: It's definitely supposed to be named Southampton (as on the splash) too, not Southhampton but that's by the by, e.g Southampton, NY (home of Shinnecock - favorite course)

I'll fix that on the website when I get home tonight.

Edit: All fixed now.