Links 2003 Legend's Legacy @ Fright Grove V2

Legend's Legacy @ Fright Grove V2
by Andrew Coleman

LINKS CORNER REVIEW

Introduction: The first version of this course was very promising. It had an excellent layout, but textures, planting and visibility were not top class. I was excited to see if the designer had been able to transform this course into something really good. I must admit I was somewhat disappointed.

Changes from the first version: There is a new and more attractive splash screen. Custom tee markers have been made and the flags are new. The hole previews have been touched up, but the principle (not showing the hole) remains the same. All (?) textures have changed. Now they fit together really well and the ugly rough texture is a thing of the past. The file size has increased significantly, which normally comes from additional planting. All tees have been extruded this time. I have probably forgotten some things here, but these were the obvious changes.

A walk through the course: The layout itself seems to be unchanged, so this part from the first review is still valid:

"The length distribution on this course is excellent. The whole spectrum of distances has been used and you'll need all clubs in the bag. I especially liked that different shots are required. I frequently found myself preferring a draw on the drive and then a fade into the green. How often do you see that? There is a good mix of left /right and up/down holes, but above all it's the variation in hazard placement and how fairways and greens are set at different angles and offsets, that's so special about this course. Either Andrew is extremely lucky or he knows exactly what he's doing. Because of the many divided fairways, I would categorize this course mainly as a target golf course, but there are certainly some strategic elements as well. Sometimes I thought there could have been more room around the greens. Frequently, there was nothing but green, fringe and then the deep stuff."

The tees have been extruded this time, but many of the edges are too high. Unfortunately, loading and rendering times have suffered because of the additional planting. There is now some 3.5 million 2D objects in this course. I can't say I have checked all courses, but it's the highest number I have seen. The sad thing is, that a large portion of it isn't even necessary. The areas between the holes are flat and the planting here will never be seen. Some of the new planting is really good though, especially around the tees, which now look more natural. In some cases even more shot making skills is required, because of trees that come close to the line of play.

Legends Legacy @ Fright Grove V2 is short of frills. There are no 3D objects and no sounds. The panorama is a stock one and barely fit. This is a golf course, period. The second version is an improvement over the first, no doubt. However, the poor visibility on some holes remains (blind holes and invisible hazards). The up hill holes have been made like steps, where every fairway section is at its own horizontal level. The best (worst) example is #7 where there is an unrealistic 7.9m (24f) climb from the front fairway edge to the green. #13 is on the other hand an excellent par 3, where a big beautiful bunker protects the left side. #15 could have been great too, but due to the 'step' technique, the hazards are not visible and the hole becomes 'ugly'.

The verdict: If you don't have version 1, I recommend that you download this course. It's fun to play because of its excellent variation. Should you have the old version, keep that one. The changes made only marginally improve this course. A 'steel weed' problem was reported in one of the forums. I didn't verify it myself though. What still 'ruins' the overall impression, is the poor visibility and sparse elevation work. Especially the up hill holes could have been a lot better. Version 2 of Fright Grove remains just 'promising'. I like the layout so much that I would offer my own help to try to make the course better. Andrew?



Reviewed by
Nilkas Oscarsson
July 2002