APCD Courses

APCD Courses

The Fictional Courses 37-43

Nautilus Bay

Adriaan Maarschalk

7324 yards. Par 71.

Difficulty Medium/Hard

Links

Fictional - 58mb

Apr 2006

Overall Rank 37th

Buffalo Springs was the fine debut links design from Adriaan Maarschalk and was released in October 2004. Whilst its elegance captured the course of the month award, its abundance of water eventually made it feel a little too difficult and prescriptive to play and led to its departure from the top 40. This follow up release called Nautilus Bay is much more appealing, a coastal links course set on the south coast of South Africa and appears both natural and beautiful. Adriaan again tries to push some boundaries in design with a modified fairway texture around the greens which makes it more a bump and run approach into the flag. This can be disconcerting at first, and im not sure works well with fast conditions, but ultimately i began to enjoy the different challenge it offered. The amended sand texture allowing longer shots i am less convinced by, but may well grow to like it more as time progresses. This different approach to the design does test you out, and for now i like that as a new challenge. Visually this course is very appealing, a highly contoured course with sea views and very realistic planting. It is truely a links style challenge. The deeper grass texture is inspired and really helps to make this course stand out. The course is pretty long, but many holes are downhill which helps mitigate some of the distance off the tee. Another great design from Adriaan which not everyone may take to, but in real life not all courses play the same so i like this as a new option in gaming.

Hole Previews : Very Good

Tournament Option : Excellent

Shaking Tree

Bill Scott

7381 yards. Par 72.

Difficulty Medium

Parkland

Fictitous - 88mb

Feb 2007

Overall Rank 38th

Shaking Tree is an open parkland course designed by Bill Scott who went on to also release Twin Mallard. There are elements of consistancy between these two designs and they make a good pair together, but it is Shaking Tree which stands out as one most worthy of a ranking place. What is evident here are the smooth lines, the course flows well, with cart paths winding away from you, fairways bend and occasionally snake their way from tee to green and there is feeling of quality all around you. The fairways are in relative terms generous enough to give you some room, but rough and then close by deeper rough borders them so you wont want to stray too far before recovery becomes more difficult. The bordering trees look good, and blend well without standing out too much, and long grass frames most views adding a touch of depth. There are a few lakes in play too, and well designed strategically to make you consider safety against the reward for bravery. The clubhouse is again of an extremely high standard. What makes this special is that it plays really well keeping you on your toes, offering scope to score low whilst the penalty for being slightly off line taking quite a toll. There are great par 3's here, two of which are lakeside so accuracy is paramount, and the shortest one is downhill too making distance pretty hard to judge. The par 5's are set up mostly to offer a chance to get home in two, but there is a big penalty if you miss and the length is generally at the farthest you can reach with two shots. Hence my only preference here would be to have taken slightly less distance on one or two of these to make the eagle opportunity a tad more appealing. What is a real testament is that this course enters my recommended course charts some 3 years after its release, making it one that becomes more enjoyable maybe with time and knowledge, giving a long lasting appeal.

Woodbridge (Old Course)

Matthew Woodbridge & David Russell

7284 yards. Par 72.

Difficulty Medium

English Links

Fictitous - 40mb

Jul 2006

Overall Rank 39th

Matthew Woodbridge has designed this traditional English links style course very much in the mould of Royal St George's and Muirfield. Visually this course is simple but stunning, it has a wide and open aspect view, with a gentle rolling terrain by links standards, viewable far into the distance, and a backdrop varying from the sea on the coastal side to the clubhouse and tall electricity pylons inland. Cleverly the designer managed a blended approach to the textures from the fairways through to the first cut which separates the encroaching tall grass rough, with barely a visible join in sight and no actual seam blending in place. Within 2003 the original textures still look great and work well in a dry patchy style. From the tee there the tall dry grass beautifully frames the fairways, and it is quite an achievement to produce such a very realistic view. This design is a highly commendable effort, and for those interested the custom wild grass has a lusher spring green look when played at 16 bit graphics to the dryer summer 32 bit look within the game. The course plays quite beautifully too, with rolling fairways containing humps and bumps, and hazard bunkers that are deep and of course are to be avoided at all costs. The fairways seem just about the right width, but are tricky at times, and the clever texturing encourages brave shots off the tee, until the tall grass catches your ball. You really need to plot your way around the course, which is fairly long and makes it into a decent challenge, but with recovery shots always on offer. The occasional bushes and plants really make the course special and along with some nice buildings become themselves features of the course. To further add realism, wooden fences line some of the out of bounds areas, and trodden grass paths wind superbly around the course. Greens are varied in difficulty, some containing quite tricky slopes and pin placements, and fairways often allow a bump and run approach onto them. On fast setings it really comes into its own. This fictional design has been based on the real Muirfield course, and as representative of links course play it is outstanding. Once you witness the Open Championships, this course takes on a new lease of life and the realistic design quality is superb, for instance the 9th seems to play so like the 14th at Royal St Goerge's, and the 18th matches Muirfield's finishing hole. The original just cried out for crowds to be added so i completed a tournament version with full crowds and leaderboards, and fixed the presence of some steel grass for the updated version now called the Old Course. This course just oozes realism.

Ava's Field

Todd Meyers

7195 yards. Par 70.

Difficulty Medium

Australian Woodland

Fictitous - 180mb

Nov 2011

Overall Rank 40th

To come.

Ayrshire / Northern Dunes

Mike Jones

7513 yards. Par 72.

Difficulty Very Hard

Scottish Links

Fictitous - 38mb

Apr 2001

2001 Course of the Year Runner Up

Overall Rank 41st

Ayrshire Dunes was an amazing second ground-breaking design from Mike Jones. This fictional course was originally called Northern Dunes and is simply awesome, providing the game with a design style long awaited, a tight and challenging Scottish Links style experience. You stand on the elevated first tee, overlooking the rolling gorse hills, surrounding a fairly tight fairway. To your left the superb cliffside drops to the choppy sea, and you can almost taste the salty sea air, and feel the wind whipping at your clothes, as you prepare for a very dangerous first shot of the round. This sets the scene for the whole course, one that never disappoints and that challenges you at every turn. The hole designs are generally very good, showing the designers experience as a real life player, but there is an occasional sense of unfairness on some holes. However, wonderfully crafted pot bunkers are in play on most shots, and the fairways are humped and bumped just like they should be. The texturing on the course is excellent, from the rolling deep rough hills, to the deep bunkers, and the sea looks amazing. The course looks and feels like a real links venue, as you play along a cliffside coastline, moving inland and then back to the ocean on your way around. Planting is consistant for the location and is quite superb, nothing looks forced, but appears wild and natural, and man made objects are kept to a minimum. The clubhouse looks great though backing the final hole. You will almost always be permitted a shot attempt no matter how deep into the gorse you go, but you need to decide whether to use a wedge or try a more risky club for distance. Out of bounds is only found if you cross the wooden fencing edging the cliffs. This is a classic, and once again course notes have been provided, naming holes and hazards, such as the 'Hades' bunker, all adding to your enjoyment and increasing the realism of the experience. A crowd option is included, together with excellent in game hole previews, and the designer has quite simply produced an outstanding but what remains perhaps the toughest links course to play. A former number one design when released, the course now shows its age a little against newer links style courses, and shows how far the design bar has been moved over the last 2 years.

Kill Devil Hills

Ediie & Dawny Schmidt

7157 yards. Par 72.

Difficulty Medium

Coastal Links

Fictitous - 38mb

Jul 2005

Overall Rank 42nd

Eddie Schmidt is one of the best exponents of the apcd programme with a string of fantastic releases to his name from the fictional courses of Southern Pines & Bull Run to the real simulations of Augusta Par 3, Spyglass Hill & Brookdale Country Club. Here he has teamed up with his wife Dawny to release a lovely fictional links style course interestingly called Kill Devil Hills. The course was born out from a vacation to the outerbanks, and some of the holes are similar to famous links holes, but not direct copies. The high quality of the design is to be expected given Eddie’s previous releases, and this course looks and plays beautifully, laid out alongside the ocean with scenic views coming into play, particularly down the back 9. There is good variety off the tee, a couple of early drives at 2 & 3 and then at 16 will provoke a lot of decision-making as you really wont be sure what club will avoid the fairway bunkers, a regular menace to your round. Drivable par 4’s will also feature if you dare take them on at the 9th and 11th. There are many links style course to choose from now, but visually this does again thankfully offers something a little different to what you already have. Dry, almost brown looking grass textures soften the views with hole boundaries bordered by stone walls, with light grey rocky cliff faces and great ocean texture blending. A few 3D snack buildings are visible, together with benches and ballwashers at the tees. The planting is great, a deep covering of yellow and white gorse bushes and flowers, it is all light and almost somehow almost scorched looking which hasn’t ever been reflected before. The course is very enjoyable indeed, with some great atmosphere created by the ocean and the many gulls over the closing holes. I wholeheartedly recommend the course, and its chart position deserves to be higher, but I do try to spread out the links style courses to create a balanced list of designs. Eddie is a fantastic designer and this course is another beauty, with the tournament option becoming a real high point.

Hunter's Wood

Ken Boltz

7267 yards. Par 72.

Difficulty Hard

Woodland

Fictitous - 43mb

Mar 2002

Overall Rank 43rd

Hunters Wood is the debut design by Ken Boltz and is set within the Hunter’s family estate with the mansion overlooking the property. It launches him as one of highest achievers in apcd design techniques. This green woodland course is fantastic, containing a natural realistic beauty that is quite stunning. The lay out of the course is exemplary, with beautifully smooth edging and amazing use of elevation to roll the fairways around its many natural slopes. There are so many great holes to play, full of individual identity and challenges, many will become memorable very quickly, but nothing ever really seems too forced in terms of difficulty. Visually the course looks wonderful, with excellent varieties of trees for the woodlands, and with deep ground level grass and bushes bordering the rough. Fairways are extremely well sloped, contain good variations in width and difficulty and are completely playable at harder levels. Watch out for the 8th and 11th holes around the turn which are a little tighter than the rest and will make players worry a touch off the tee. The rough is a darker green texture than most apcd courses, and was a welcome change. The course hazards are formed by excellent orange sand bunkers which look fabulous, particularly visually off the tee in the distance, and the very well crafted Apple Creek meanders around the course joining the lakes which are very often in play. You will definately need to learn the best ways to play some holes, as rolling fairways may well kick your ball off the short grass if you stray close to the rough. This is a charming design, the natural setting is enhanced by the array of wildlife lurking around the course, some of which won't be easily seen, and includes a deer, fox, rabbit, squirrel, a pheasant and a marsh heron. Overall this is one of the all time greats, it is a real treat, containing clever hole designs which make it so interesting to play, and with elevation work that is perhaps second to no other course. The hole previews are superbly made, and there is also a nice tourney option for those interested, although the course really seems to lend itself more to the natural look.

Three Horseshoes

Robert Hurst

7440 yards. Par 72.

Difficulty Medium/Hard

Pine Forest

Fictitous - 44mb

Dec 2005

Overall Rank 44th

Robert Hurst quietly released his second course after a debut called Tilly Lakes (one i cannot confess to remembering), and it sparked a lot of debate and interest over the forums which i will refer to later. This is a pine forest course, backed by a mountain range panorama, this one is not snow-covered though. The course has some superb elements, the ground level planting under the pine forest is amazing, with variations of dry brown and greener grasses, some nice mauve & orange/brown colour here and there from the bushes, and long rough grass edgings towards the fairways periodically covered with neat yellow flowers. Visually it is a really lovely course at ground level. The trees are a mixture of pine firs you may see at Augusta National, and more traditional mountain forest firs, which blend together pretty well although a limited palette of objects has been used. Overall i felt the duplicates were not overly intrusive, except perhaps at the approach to the 5th hole, and real fir trees are often quite similar looking anyway, however not everyone entirely agrees with me here. The textures are a real strong point, beautifully blended for a really smooth transitional look including the bunkers and paths, and one of the reasons i like the course so much. There are quite a lot of bunkers around, maybe a few too many near the greens overall, and a deep rough grass is found around them to make recovery more tricky should you just avoid the sand. The strategic lay out is an excellent mix of long drives, lay-ups, doglegs, water (again beautifully planted), with nice elevation work on the fairways. It is firm but fair in its approach and provides a great challenge. The greens were the second hot debate subject alongside the trees, and are quite tough and to be honest mainly designed for the 1.05 game. The hole previews round off a lovely course design, and the 18th tee shots provides the link to the course title. It is a good course that just seems to have that something extra about it, the repeat value of pulling me back for another round.

Battley Peak

Lez Marwick

7382 yards. Par 72.

Difficulty Medium

English Parkland

Fictitous - 103mb

Apr 2011

Overall Rank 45th

Lez Marwick has released two very nice designs in Margarets Bay and Ackerton Cross in 2010. His courses seem to come with a storyline background which is rather neat and adds to the interest sometimes lacking in fictional designs, and include a welcome custom sky. Battley Peak is his follow up course, a kind of hybrid of his previous releases, and you can see the Ackerton Cross meadowlike qualities readily apparent. Battley Peak is set in the North of England within grounds owned by the Earl of Battley, with the St George's Cross a key feature on the flags, and even planted in at the 2nd green. This is a rich English meadowland course set amongst the farmlands and rolling hills with a spectacular backdrop. It is lovely to look at, neatly laid out with deep planting and loads of colour from the yellow daisies and red poppies that scatter around the fairway edges. Trees look well blended and work well on what seems like a limited but well chosen palette. What is particularly good are all the little features to spot, the signature planting at the 2nd, the church ruins, a mini stonehenge style rock circle and a rowing boat on the river. On top of this the rolling elevation is really well implemeted from both a strategic perspective, but also to open up some great lakeside views of the course. The visual elements of this course in particular i find very appealing, and the hole structures while appearing simple, there are a number of water hazards and out of bounds to take care of, and all the par 3's are excellent. Rating the course is tricky, it has a simplicity about it that i love, and is a course that will certainly draw me back for another round. It is rather unique in its richness and the foreground to background blend (recommended with full graphics slider) is lovely. The tournament option is light and understated which fits well with the style of the course. Finally there is now an additional fog version which is itself unique, well executed and deserves real design credit.

Walnut Grove

Art Patscheck

7168 yards. Par 72.

Difficulty Hard

Woodland River Valley

Fictitous - 75mb

Dec 2005

Overall Rank 46th

Art Patscheck is a fantastic designer with a host of great designs under his belt, and his second pay to play release is the sister course to Buck Creek set in an area near Somerset, KY and called Walnut Grove. Once again a wide river creek dominates the terrain, and is surrounded by thick woodland. I would say that Art is probably the best terrain lay out designer around. His landscapes are awesome, modelled on real areas, the golf courses really do feel realistic, and the use of elevations is almost unprecendented. Walnut Grove is quite lush and green, with grasses growing all around the rough areas. The tree planting is quite dense and looks excellent. This is a tough course, not overly narrow but the heavy rough properties have been deepened using the modified apcd and make it a real hazard to get out of. Lakes and rivers bisect fairways, so if you start to stray into the rough then often you wont get onto the green in regulation. There are loads of treats in store, and Art is one of the great par 3 designers. Take the beautiful 2nd hole overlooking a large lake with amazing planting around the edge, or the landscaped 12th next to the river, or the postage stamp short 140 yard 17th green, where if you stray left you will almost be in unplayable territory down a steep slope. There are clever holes throughout though, as the 8th wraps itself around a lake, the 9th is split into 3 tiers bisected by creeks, and the 14th is lovely uphill dogleg. The 4th hole will go down in history as an absolute classic, an elevated par 4 tee at 290 yards with a stunning view of the green, a river runs to the right and trees left, but you will feel like its worth taking it on - and walk away with anything from an eagle to a triple bogie, just fabulous. Finally down the home stretch is a lovely rocky outscrop overlooking a lake, with one of the best textures ive ever seen. All the extras are here, great previews which show the green slopes (which i always like), tourney objects, clubhouse, superb blending with dry and worn places. Just another fantastic design.

Chateau Bourrache

Mitch Sirk

7142 yards. Par 71.

Difficulty Medium

French Parkland

Fictitous - 91mb

Jun 2005

Overall Rank 47th

Mitch Sirk is one of the very best designers at creating a realistic fictional landscape which really does feel like a real course venue. To add another dimension he also sets the scene of his creations with a depth of imagery and history which is unprecedented and just makes you eager to play them. If you do not normally read the course notes then on this occasion you really should. Set in the beautiful vineyard countryside, the Château Bourrache club de golf was built amongst the boulevards of mature parallel lined trees which, despite some war damage, remain a distinguishing feature of the golf course. Your round begins at a stunning ornamental pond in front of the chateau, at a course where the main hazards comprise the trees, a scattering of key bunkers, and two man-made streams which wind their way to the natural lake, first seen whilst playing the third hole. The streams, although narrow, can have a disproportionate effect on the strategy, as they seem ever present in some tight target areas. Many of the greens are quite large and all have slopes and borrows that make putting here a test if your approach is offline. Playing back towards the Château involves hitting most shots slightly uphill, thus making club selection more tricky, and the Château wall itself becomes another hazard alongside the 9th green in true St Andrew’s style. The is a natural well maintained golfing venue which definitely has a European feel to it. In design terms it seems a little less demanding than Mitch’s previous high profile releases including Owelstery and Brydestone, and playwise is better for it too. Bunkers are mixed in style which is not to everyones taste, but is a feature of this course's style. A neat panorama works well, but is not as distinctive a feature as in the visual treats of Owelstery for instance. This is yet another lovely fictional design, arguably for strategy and for natural realism it is the best one yet from this designer, as it doesn’t dictate your shot choices quite so much. There is so much detail in this course from the bridges, statues, flower pots to the magnificent chateau itself, and it all just feels so right.

Excelsior Golf Estate

Adriaan Maarschalk

7420 yards. Par 71.

Difficulty Medium

Lakes & Mountains

Fictitous - 91mb

May 2009

Overall Rank 48th

Adriaan Maarschalk already has one high quality course in the chart list in Nautilus Bay which remainsfor me his best design. However i have discovered Excelsior, albeit a little late, and its superb panorma, textures and dry grass planting make it unique enough to find its place in the top 50. It is also well laid out with water often in play and it offers some superb views incorporating the mountains panorama in the background. This is a fun course to play, and for me feels like it is Australian although i am not sure if that was intended. There are lakes all over this course so staying dry is a challenge and notably there is a fantastic island par 3 at the 5th and great option to take on the par 5 18th over the water if you dare.

El-Escorpion

Mike Jones

7121 yards. Par 72.

Difficulty Medium/Hard

Mediterranean Scrub

Fictitous - 56mb

Jan 2005

Overall Rank 49th

Mike Jones originally produced this mediterranean scrubland vista in June 2001. It remains the only one of its kind today, and now has received a welcome update using the latest texturing and blending. The scene is captured superbly well, with a light dry looking green fairway, surrounded by an arid brown dirt textured land, planted up with small trees, dry bushes, and predominantly brown and green plants. Here and there though coloured flowers and bushes will poke through on the dry scrubland adding great visuals to the course. The textures chosen are perfect and among the best around any course. Small lakes are a key feature, especially over the beautiful opening holes, being nicely textured and edged and affecting both tee and approach shots, adding extra thought to safety play. The 3rd tee shot is a stunner. Green plants spread out on top of the water are a great feature. Sounds additionally add atmosphere, mainly comprising native birds and bubbling water. Strategically the course is much improved, making sure that it challenges all areas of your game, and offering up some excellent choices too. Attempts to outdrive bunker hazards will be rewarded with short approaches, but punished if you are wayward. Safer lay up shots are offered where the entrances to greens are toughest, and key trees and bunkers will always affect your shot choice, it is superbly designed. The greens were the weakest part of the original course design, and are now much improved with less slopes and with more tiers playing their part. New hole previews are excellent. Mike Jones has now remade El-Escorpion to match up with his other releases. What it offers most is a mediterranean feel that i havent found elsewhere, and this does make it into an extra special place to play.

Oklahoma Crossings

Johnny Holland

7312 yards. Par 71.

Difficulty Medium

Links / Parkland

Fictitous - 87mb

Jun 2004

Overall Rank 50th

Johnny Holland, designer of Sandalot Shores, features on the chart for the first time with this excellent creation called Oklahoma Crossings. This is a fictional links style course themed around the vast Native American history of Oklahoma, and is set right outside downtown Oklahoma City. It feels like a cross between a links course and an open parkland one, as light coloured trees do feature here, all well chosen for their good looks, although some do seem a little pastel and slightly unreal in looks. The edge of the course features a lovely woodland backdrop, complete with some occasional redwood and autumnal foliage which really worked well to shape the boundaries. This is a smooth looking course, beautifully created with excellent texturing and blending, and with just the right amount of ground plant colour, mainly in yellows and whites. Wild grasses border the fairways which are reasonably generous, but are quite heavily potted with bunker hazards, and featuring plenty of doglegs and curves, creating interesting shot choices. The bunkers come in three different types of design techniques, which include greenside, fairway, and pot styles. Also littered around the course are many small ponds, often partially dried up in the heat and leaving overgrown muddy banks, they look superb. The overall feel of the course is neat and well kept, although fairly wild and very natural too in its planting. It is a clever balance and is perhaps unusual for a links design, but is a feature i feel that makes it stand out from the crowd. There is so much little detail to be found, the native indian theme features strongly, and the clubhouse buildings are excellent, even complete with a totem pole, which must be a unique feature. Playing the course was extremely enjoyable, with plenty of shape to the holes to keep you thinking, but not too hard on easy settings. However turn up the wind and green speeds and it'll certainly play tough enough. Greens all seemed nicely sloped and contoured without anything unnatural. This is a beautiful to look at, it is clever to play, and is detailed and tidy in its lay out, with a great tournament option too. The hole previews even provide a history lesson while you play.