Pelican Hill is a great looking and playing course in Newport Beach. It is one of the bigger files and occasionally suffers a drop in frame rate, especially when doing flybys. Although this was more so when I first purchased the course before the most recent release of FSX. I usually run the FRAPS app while playing and this course usually hovers around 30 fps and dips lower at times. If you have an i7 processor and a high end graphics card, you should experience no problems. I am running an i5 with Nvidia Geforce 960 Ti and Foresight has created a maximize performance option, which helps quite a bit.
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Dallas National, but I'm biased. It's a great Fazio track.Comment
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Here is some information on my experiences with some courses. I have the GTX 750ti video card that Foresight recommended to me when I brought my new computer. Pelican Hills and La Jolla Pines(Torrie Pines) could not be played because the graphics slowed the ball significantly. I just contacted Foresight to let them know that Merion was unplayable as well. Ballyowen, Coeur d'Alene, Congressional, Hanauma Cliffs,Kingsbarn, Oakmont,Schaumburg, Teton Pines and Warwickshire usually play ok. This video card was the one they said I should have. I am a little upset that they are using a different one now.Comment
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I may have made a mistake about the video card. After checking,I beleive the 950m is for a laptop, I brought a desktop. I don't want to make statements that might be incorrect.Comment
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Great info on FSX courses. I have two courses to pick yet, and would really prefer a course on the flatter side as I would rather avoid the uneven lie component as much as possible. I am drawn to Congressional and Merion just out of namesake, but the reviews are not that positive on them. Would love a flattish links style course, and than a traditional parkland course. I have Teton Pines and it is nice and kind of reminds me of a FL or GA course with trees and water. I don't have much water on the course I belong to, and it is a traditional design. Not interested in a Doral or Torey Pines type track. Any suggestions out of the FSX courses that would get me a couple courses as indicated. Again, looking for a traditional course that is relatively flattish, and then a links style course to mix things up a bit. Will be using the GC2 50/50 for practice and play. I have never had a sim before so I have not caught the bug yet that I hear you can catch once you start playing courses. Wish FS put more into the software for sim play, but it does seem pretty darn accurate and am pleased thus far with the little bit I have used it practicing on the range and playing a few holes on Teton Pines.Comment
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Both Merion and Congressional are good, they are just not my top choices. For what you are looking for though in a parkland course, I would say Merion fits the bill nicely. It's a shot making course with not too much water. Links wise I would recommend Ballyowen.Comment
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I think I'm going to do Pellican, Flint hills, Kingbarns, Prairie dunes and Marion. Plus I get the free one Teton pines. I didn't realize Dallas was a Fazio course...Maybe that would help me at my home course which is one of the few Fazio courses on the west coast...Aldera....
Do you think this would give me good variety?Comment
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​I went on youtube and reviewed flyover video of Cog Hill, and it looked like a good layout with a lot of bunkering. If it is very well done in FSX it would seem to be the way to go for a solid test of golf. Merion looks good on youtube, especially the rustic bunkering and it is a famous course, but seemed to have a lot of tricked up greens. Not sure how that translates into sim play, but don't need tricked up greens for practice / playing sim golf. I want to work primarily on my full swing and game while playing. So, seems like I can't go wrong with Cog Hill and then I just need one more. I am not familiar with Ballyowen and not sure if it is a true FSX course, or just an existing course modified to work in FSX. Not interested in a mediocre links course. Looking for something that has some visual "pow" to it when playing, just not a course with lots of elevation changes or lots of water. Don't need a FL type course with water on almost every hole. Looking for a course that is very traditional and yet well done. My putting is not going to get better playing sim golf, and chipping/pitching may not either, hence the focus on a courses where driving and mid to long approach shots are at a premium.Originally posted by col forbin View Post
​Any thoughts? Plan to order these this week. Thx!
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I did demo of FSX with Teton Pines and thought was pretty good. Please distinguish an FSX course versus an FSX modified course.Comment
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RCorsa........I would chose only one of Kingsbarn or Prairie Dunes since they are both very much links courses. I would highly recommend Nine Lakes, Hazeltine, or Cog Hill to interchange. That would mix it up a lot.
cspin..........Ballyowen is an FSX original and not one that was present on the old red chain software. If you google Ballyowen golf course you will see the layout I believe. It is cool, but if you are looking for visual pow, Foresight did a great job with Hazeltine. Most of the other visually beautiful ones tend to be the FL ones or UAE meaning lots of water.
Also, I agree with you 100% that Cog Hill is probably the course I like the most and I am most impressed with. FSX did a great job on this one.
CBearsSB........FSX course is one that was not in the old Red Chain FR1 software. They essentially got permission to render the course from scratch. A FSX modified is one that was on the old software and essentially just given a visual upgrade. I will create a list of ones that are essentially new after this post.Comment
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List of FSX original courses:
Ballyowen
Butterfield
Cobble Beach
Conway Farms
Dacotah Ridge
Flint Hills
Interlachen
Laurel Valley
Merion
Nine Lakes
Quarry @ Giant's Ridge
Teton Pines
Willow Crest
Glorietta? Believe it is a fantasy course, but it appears to be new. The rest are all real life courses. So 14 or 15 are courses that were not present on the old software it seemsComment
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Top notch info col forbin, top notch! I'm gonna check out Hazeltine. Cog Hill, Hazeltine and Teton Pines should give me decent diversification for what I am looking for. Again, not really that interested in FL courses with tons of H2O, or dramatic elevation change courses. Just looking for courses that are well done and have a traditional flavor. Although, if they had a legit rendition of a Whistling Straits or Bandon Dunes I would be all over it.
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So it's 150.00 a course still? Did they ever roll out the monthly rental pricing? I thought there was some talk of 35.00 a month to rent any one course...Last edited by fortysixandtwo; 03-16-2016, 06:02 PM.Comment
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col forbin, thank you for info and list. I am surprised you recommended Cog Hill since from FR1 red chain software.Comment
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No problem! They did an excellent job transferring Cog Hill from the old software to the new. I generally prefer buying ones that are new, but Cog Hill, Couer D'Alene, Pelican Hill, Hazeltine & La Jolla Pines received fantastic treatment when rendering to the new software.
As far as I know, MSRP on the courses is $155.00, but I do not pay that and would have a hard time justifying it per course. It does appear like they have gotten rid of the monthly rental service.Comment
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Col. What is your thoughts on Giants @quary. I'm now thinking Pellican, Merion, Flint Hills, two of the 3 (kingbarns, prairie dunes, nine lakes or Giants). Last thoughts. I need to decide tomorrow. THANKS!Comment
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