The Cliffs at Stone Forest

[Terry Grayson]

Im sure most of you have read what transpired recently. I received an email from Robert Wagers asking that I finished a course he had located on his computer and he just doesnt have the energy to complete at this time (Still pray daily for you my friend) Well of course I jumped on the opportunity, albeit a bit nervous, I mean this is one of the better designers ever for this game. I received the file and finally was able to get it to load... Good gracious alive is the first thought..Massive elevation changes on first couple of holes..

I began working on the course and have been going along pretty good...The course architect file now is enormous...I have about 75% complete on 14 holes I believe it is with major elevations..Got a vast amount of touchup work to complete and of course the remainder of the holes... I have some ideas in mind for the final few, I just hope the architect file holds out... It takes a good 20 minutes to save it now...so I have to work very carefully...There have been numerous times it has crashed in the middle of some major work... I dont let it affect me because i want to finish this for Robert! I promise (not sure if related or not) but I was compiling the course last week, and all the sudden the computer shut down...I could hear it really working hard... then it would not restart...I actually burned up a graphics card, absolutely melted the fan... 80 bucks later and a decent card and i was back up and running again... Anyway, I am pretty sure Robert wouldnt mind posting a pic or a few on progess... remember I am nowhere close to being done....Just some progress...

One thing that has me totally excited about this course: well a couple... Robert and I have been emailing back and forth and he has been giving me some great tips from his mind! I mean things that are just so simple to see but things I have never even once thought about when designing..It has made a huge difference.. SCALE being one! Hard to believe how "out of touch" I have been using scale to make it realistic.... Also I have never not one time built a course using a huge elevated plot like this and having to "find holes" out of it...Just always has been so difficult ... But I am slowly learning to really like this...using the measuring tool and really studying elevation..

So here are a couple of pics...Each hole about 75% done... Already well over a million points in this one..We want to push this rascal as far as we can push it...Im just hoping I can keep this file running for four more holes...

Hole One Approach Shot : to see the scale I was talking about, the huge rock face on the right and the trees coming down from the right... I really like this shot...A great deal of terrain work on this shot....

Approach 1.jpg

Hole 2: A nice tester right off the bat...

Hole 2.jpg

Hole 12: This is going to be one more fun par 5...Major cliff work here

Hole 12.jpg

Hole 14: Guess where the inspiration of this hole came from! Ha ha!! Slightly different approach!!! Cliffs instead of wood walls...

[Terry Grayson]

Sorry this is the pic for the last comment (Hole 14) inspired by 17 at Sawgrass....

Hole 14 Tee.jpg

Hope you enjoyed the few pics...There are some tee shots, I did not want to give away just yet...These are some of the more "friendly" holes when it comes to elevation..There are going to be a few shots where you may need an oxygen mask! ha ha!!!!

Thanks for looking, and thanks to Robert for allowing me to work on this course..I cant wait to continue adding too the terrain and plantings to give it that Robert flair..
already 600,000 plants and trees and I am not close to completion.... Taking my time trying to get it right

[Indy Anna Jones]

Wow, just wow Terry. What a fantastic looking course. I honestly can't wait until you're finished with it.

Btw, what is the pano?

[Terry Grayson]

Thanks so much Judy....Its the Woodford Park pano....And I matched some woodford lighter trees with the Glenhaven darker trees and thought it made it look a little more realistic in the distance...

[Stan Nehilla]

It does look good, PA

[SteveHorn]

Terry! Looks GREAT. Keep up the good work. Can't wait to bounce a few balls off those rocks

[Terry Grayson]

Funny you should say that Steve... I was playing in strong winds last night and got to hole 9, a long par 5...I thought well heck I got a nice tailwind, Im seeing how far I can hit it...

I bounced it off the rocks, albeit accidentally.... And ended up with a 498 yard drive...LOL..... I was happy with that result..."To say the least" and it was smack dab in middle of the fw...

[Stan Nehilla]

Still lucky , PA

[Terry Grayson]

I currently have 15 holes pretty much complete as far as global elevations and such! Continuing to work hard on this one... Still pushing along well.. Have done some minor work optimizing in spots and brought it back to right at a million points, I am no longer having the crashing issues as I am dropping a buffer texture around each hole now and working within it, it has stablized it a great deal....

I am loving this...Hope I can finish up and do it Wagers Justice.....

[SteveHorn]

Terry! I'm also using a buffer around the greens and fairways at Medinah. Also around the tees when I finish them.