NEWS
Step 1) Design your dream Golden Tee hole
Step 2) Submit your dream Golden Tee hole
Step 3) Wait for the Design-a-Hole judges to have their say
Step 4) (Hopefully) get your design in Golden Tee 2014 and win a Golden Tee Home Edition
The 2014 Design-a-Hole Contest looks easy when broken down in various steps, and joining the contest certainly is. All you need is a pen, pencils, a computer, colored pencils (or crayons, whatever your brand of poison might be) and an idea for any par-3, 4 or 5. You send your idea to design-a-hole@itsgames.com to us before April 15 and presto. You’re in the contest.
Being a part of the contest is one thing, sure, but giving yourself a chance at making the finals—where you’ll automatically receive at least a $50 Golden Tee Gift Card is another. As for winning, well, it’ll take a combination of creativity and feasibility to separate you from the others, but the rewards will be magnificent.
Your own hole, with a sign celebrating it as yours, in Golden Tee 2014 and your very own Online Golden Tee Home Edition.
To help assist you in this process, Golden Tee course designer Jim Zielinski is here to offer up a few tips when it comes to your design. Take it away, Jim.
Don’t Feel the Need to Lock-in to a Location: Although we announced that an ocean course and links-style course will be featured in Golden Tee 2014, don’t feel the need to design a hole specific to these locations. If you have an idea that fits, by all means use these locations as your blueprint. If not, don’t let it stop you from going with whatever you had in mind.
Although we can make slight adjustments to the design if it’s too location-centric, focusing in on the quality of the hole is what’s most important.
Be Careful With Elevation Changes: Of all the issues we see with designs, impossible elevation changes is without question the main reason where one may not be possible. Although these designs might look great on paper, they can be tough to recreate in the game. Small elevation changes are possible, but think about what you’re accustomed to seeing in Golden Tee
And on that Note, Watch out for Distances, Clubs: Coinciding with the changes in elevation, be sure to make note of what clubs you would like to see players hitting at various points on your design. If it’s a reachable par-4, make sure it’s reachable. If it’s a 1,945-yard par-5, well, maybe you want to adjust that slightly.
As a player, think about how you would tackle this design—or if it’s even possible—if it were to be picked. The translation into Golden Tee is where a lot of submissions might come up short.
Gimmicks are Fine, But Make it About the Design: By no means do I want to limit your creativity, but I do think the following is worth noting. Although putting a design in a cave or adding some sort of unique, massive obstacle in the center will undoubtedly make it different, I’m really interested in seeing more creativity in how the design is constructed.
With the 25th anniversary of Golden Tee launching in the fall, I’ve been thinking a lot about designs I’ve done over the years, personal favorites that stick out. I encourage you to do the same.
Don’t just take your favorite Rattlesnake Ridge hole and copy it over, but use it as a blueprint and make changes to take it to another level. There’s nothing wrong with having some inspiration, and feel free to acknowledge this in your description.
I’m very excited to see what sort of creative Golden Tee attempts are submitted this year, and I look forward to dissecting each one. Good luck.
For more on the contest, click here. Already have a design? You know what to do.
