Brydestone Golf Club (Orig. 2002 ver.)
by Mitch Sirk
Introduction
Brydestone Golf Club was released on September 11, 2002, amid much anticipation and excitement. The Links community had seen the 5 star beta version for a month, and the offline league KISS Tours held a beta tournament for this design. This is Mr. Sirk's third APCD course and fourth release, and each has found a small legion of fans. Van Zandt Kanaal was released in November, 2001, with a User Review rating of 4 stars and an Official LC score of 86. Six weeks later Kanaal New Course (Version 2) was released and improved it's score to 93 (yup - different reviewers). Aitch Heath, a fictionalized version of a par 69 municipal near Heathrow Airport, followed in May, 2002, and was warmly received at 4 stars and an 85. Mitch's current course has a top User Review rating of 5 stars, and in two weeks has already been downloaded over 2,500 times.
There are some golf courses where on the very first tee you take a deep breath, look around, and say 'Wow..I have never seen anything like this before..this is going to be a fun round' I felt that way the first time I saw Kiawah Ocean IRL, and the feeling returned as I prepared to start playing Brydestone Golf Club. This fictional links style course (forgive me purists, we need a simple classification here) is set in English high moorlands, presumably near Yorkshire where actual bridestones are found. The terrain setting features sparse trees, numerous rock outcroppings, winding streams and tumbling creeks, islands and peninsulas jutting out into rivers, and nearly always, a howling (haunting?) wind.
This par 72 plays at 7,246 yards from the farthest back of the three custom tees, and you will find the 'personalized' hole previews most helpful when determining the correct line of play. In fact you'll find virtually every extra you've come to expect as standard fare in a good design except a tournament option. Occasionally you may think a ghost has splashed across the screen in a cameo appearance, in which case you may want to ensure your video drivers have been updated.
Before you grip and rip, though, take time to read the three-page readme. It rivals Jack Hartt's Tillicum Island novella as one of the best APCD fictitious histories ever seen. I don't want to spoil it for you, but here's a teaser:
THE HAUNTING
Those that play Brydestone find the course to be as challenging and uncompromising as Braid himself. But there is something intangible about the course that sometimes disturbs visitors. Some call it a bleak place, a godless place, some describe it as 'a feeling of being watched', some say it's haunted. Superstitions live long in small communities and even today Brydestone finds itself off the beaten track and largely unknown to the wider golfing community. Members like it that way, because in truth Braid created a fine course from unpromising terrain.
Collaboration between designers and players is one of the truly fine aspects of the Links community. For that reason I will repeat Mitch's appreciation list. Folks who help designers are truly special and deserve all the recognition they can get:
CREDITS
I am indebted to the following:
Links Corner for a thousand things
LC Web Board designers for help and advice
My Beta Testers & helpful advisors:
Shaun Arnold, Bob Colla, Flaz, William Gill, Oscar Hoff, James Macdonagh, Chad Mercer, Eric Mueller, Frank Perry, Bob Rees, Edward Rice, Ivan Schaap, Simon (Golfdevil), Kevin Tobin, Joe (Loner) Turner, Marc Van der Plancken, Roy White, Roger (Alliegator) Worsham.
Chris Gormley at Kisstours for arranging a beta tournament of Brydestone.
W A Poucher's 'Peak and Pennine Country'
For visual reference and ideas
14 окт 2024
