Main

Dominique BOIS Designs presents :

Prestnoch Public Golf Links

History :

         This course was for a long time in my head and on my H.D. under the shape of a JNSE course than I first designed several years ago. This one was called "Deep dunes" and was never released. From that course, many holes have changed. Still, you can have some idea of it as the 1st, the 6th, 9th and 10th are clearly inspired from that old design.  The 10th, for example, was far better in the JNSE version, but didn't  reached to create the same hole with APCD (I must say that as the JNSE graphics were rather poor, a lot of this hole look stays only in my imagination...)

       Then, I started the APCD project with the aim of practicing for a real course that I have not done yet, but still hope for. I left the terrain routed and elevated but quit the design as I didn't have a convenient panorama and the course stayed forgotten on my H.D. since I played Enniscrone “the Dunes”. I thought that its pano would be ideal for my course, and with the permission of the designers of the course and the pano, I got this one and, with a little tuning (widening the open sea) it fits perfectly with the course. So I decided to go on and complete this design.

        Though the course is fictional, it is obviously inspired by the great links courses of the British Isles. The name of the course is clear enough, I think, though there are no real direct references at those two courses.

A little fantasized history :

        The course lies on the links between the towns of Prestnoch and Dorwick where golf was played since the middle-age. The course was designed on the 19th century and got some modifications by the middle of the 20th century to take account of modern golf. The main changes were the addition of new back tees (the most obvious is the 8th back tee), the pushing of the 3rd green behind the burn, changing the 4th in a par 5 and the 6th in a par 4 and several greens and bunkers redesign. 

As the two towns were involved in the course creation it was set that the Prestnoch golfers should play the course on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and the Dorwick golfers should play on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, living the course on Sundays for the walk and picnics of the people of both towns (the many patsh that you can view on the course are filled with walkers every Sunday). As most part of the course lies on the Prestnoch territory, the course got its name from that town (the first tee and 18th green are really near the first houses of Prestnoch). At the other end of the course you can see the park of Dorwick mannor, home of the local “laird” that contributed a lot for the course construction. It was the usage that the Earl of Dorwick played the course in a different order (starting at the 10th then the 14th and ending by 9th, 13th, 11th and 1éth “Mannor’s bound”…). Such an order is played for one week in the summer while Dorwick rejoices about its local festival.

The course is now rather long from the back tees but offers a rather fair challenge despite some blind shots. The greens have some severe slopes, but there is always a location near the pin to land a safe approach. Still, punishment is always near for the bad shots and nearly missed one are most often forgiven, that makes a great golf course.

        About the blind shots, observe the local golfers that always use the cross as an aid for their aim. This cross can be viewed from most parts of the course as the light house and those two signs are really useful when you are lost between some huge dunes.

General notes about the course and the design:

It is necessary to play the course some rounds to get familiarized with the blind shots and fairway cuts that you can manage. After that, just play not too aggressive, hope that the wind will be friendly and you'll see that it is a pretty fun and enjoyable golf experience.

By the way, I started the design with the "no regulation fairways" box checked and I discovered too late this point, so the "vanishing cup" syndrome is here and you will have to experience it some times. I have made all the improvements so that this problem should appear the less as possible.

I really hope this will have no effect on your pleasure to play around this course.

For hole by hole detail, please report at each hole detail page.

Credits and legal stuff:

          I think there are not really borrowed objects or textures on this one, though some of the textures may come from some original designer. But they have been modified so much time that I can decently consider them as mine.

          This course is, as always, made to be distributed freely on the Internet for the pleasure of all my fellow linksters. Any other mode of distribution must have my written authorization. Designers that want to use any part of this design must ask for my authorization too.

          Now, let’s thank the testing team, as it’s not such an easy job. Fist, all my greetings go to Stewart Parker and Daniel Watson that permit me to start again the design with the wonderful Enniscrone Dunes and its pano. Now a great cheer to all the testers: Göran Mentzer, Jerry Garlisch, Pat Patterson, Jim Compton, Charlie Roberts, Jeff3putt, Brad Burtness, G3b

          Wholeheartedly thank you all!