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Kanaal New Course
by Mitch Sirk

Reviewed by Mike Nifong

Course type: The Kanaal New Course 'is a fictional design set in Dutch polder land - reclaimed from the sea, so it's like a links course, only wetter.' The pano employed is unique - and unmistakably Dutch.

Historical perspective: Released on March 13, 2002, the Kanaal New Course is a revised version of Mitch Sirk's first (and only previously released) course, Van Zandt Kanaal. It may strike you as surprising that a course released so recently (January 2), and to such acclaim (LC review score of 86, and a 4-star rating from 32 users), would already be undergoing a revision, especially if you were among the not inconsiderable number (including me) who thought that even those numbers did not fully reflect Mitch's achievement. But while some people complain about multiple versions of courses, I appreciate the dedication shown by designers like Mitch who want their courses to be as good as they can be.

What has not changed: The Kanaal New course, I am happy to report, retains the stunning beauty of the original. The textures are perfectly chosen, and, appropriately for a links-style course, the transitions are very subtle, further enhancing the realism. If the colors at first seem just a bit too bright, or too yellow, rest assured that their rightness will quickly become apparent. The pano, which may be the best yet created for this game, fits seamlessly and naturally. The planting is also superbly done: never too little, never too much. This is especially apparent at the edges of the ponds, which look remarkably real. Everything fits together so well, in fact, that the overall effect occasionally approaches the surreal, as if you had stepped into a painting. Absolutely breathtaking! So good that I would want this course in my permanent collection even if the game play were poor (don't worry - it is actually quite good).

The only respects in which the course falls short of visual perfection (and these are very minor complaints) are also carry-overs from Van Zandt Kanaal. First, from certain angles in the main view (and more obviously in the dynamic view), the planting of some of the tall grasses looks excessively linear. Second, the bunkers, while okay, are not up to the current state of the art: the sand texture looks a little artificial, and the lips are rather plain (I would have preferred a little wilder look here, more in keeping with the rest of the course.

In terms of playability, despite some enhancements detailed below, the basic nature of the course is unchanged. This means that the greens are generally small, and the landing areas are not always generous. As compensation for the latter, the textures surrounding the fairway are usually not too punitive, with the first cut playing like fairway; the long grasses, on the other hand, are not easy to play out of - you will most likely have to use a wedge and just try to get back on the shorter grass. With respect to the former, Mitch suggests that the greens be set to soft in keeping with the wet nature of the terrain. This works quite well in play, making it easier to hold the greens on longer approach shots. You will have to take into consideration on your short irons the fact that the ball will back up on you more than you expect if you are not accustomed to this green setting (I was not).

The hole that has changed most significantly is #6, which now has a semi-peninsular green, putting the water even more into play. You now have a choice of a difficult tee shot (with water all the way down the left side of the landing area) followed by a relatively easy approach, or an easy tee shot followed by a tricky approach shot with risks short, left and long. #9 and #18 have new bunkers that also give you the option of avoiding them off the tee at the cost of a more difficult second shot. #2, #7, #10, #12, #13, #15, #16 and #17 all have modifications to the landing areas (either widened fairways or additional landing areas) that give you at least a couple of choices off the tee.

The overall result of the changes is an enhancement of risk/reward and a lessening of predictability. Most importantly, this is accomplished without any unrealistic 'tricking up' of the course. And while it may still be at least a bit of a pro clicker's course, the modifications should also result in its being more playable for champ clickers and powerstrokers. What more could one ask?


The bottom line:
An already outstanding and truly unique course has been made even better. This should be on every hard drive, and I recommend it even if you already have the original (which, incidentally, the new file does not overwrite, giving you the option of keeping both).