Biggins - Designer Showcase

hbdeveloper_SS
On November 4, 2015

1. How long have you been playing The Golf Club?
A: As soon as it came on Early Access. I bought it and my computer wouldn’t play it as I didn’t have DX11 card or something like that. I upgraded my computer so that I could play it I’ve played golf games since Faldo Plays The Open on the Spectrum and pretty much had them all. Got entirely frustrated with TW and stopped playing it. I always hoped for a game like TGC and then it arrived. It’s swallowed up my life ever since which, as you can imagine, delighted my wife.

2. How would you describe your style of designing?
A: My early courses were designed ‘on-the-fly’, with no real design plan before hand. As the tools got better, I found it far easier to design holes on paper before hand. I’ve actually done that kind of thing a lot in the past so it made me much more efficient. I then started designing the whole plot on graph paper. I spend about 50% of my time doing this but it often changes when I start laying them out in the game. For example, with Royal Balwearie, I originally had the holes lined up against a coastline but my design wouldn’t fit on the plot available. Also, holes were moved away from each other as in play-testing, it became clear that shortcuts could be used which took obstacles out.

3. What do you use for inspiration when designing your courses?
A: A lifetime of playing and watching golf. I will sometimes see something on the US or European tour and it will inspire me.

4. Which two of your own courses are your favorites?
A: Royal Balwearie and The Shakespeare at Stratford-Upon-Avon

5. Do you play golf in real life?
A: Yeah, I play off 7 right now. My handicap has been around 6-8 for a while now but I feel like I’m starting to struggle a bit more than I used to. I’m a very long driver of the ball but I’ve definitely lost distance over the last couple of years. I practice a ridiculous amount. Or at least I used to. I’d hit over 1000 balls a week at the driving range and spend at least an hour a day practicing chipping and bunker shots. I have a little daughter now though, so my practice has been cut right back.

6. Besides playing/designing in TGC , what are your other hobbies?
A: Computer games in general, playing guitar (I’m awful), watching sports, gambling, socializing, playing around with computers (Photoshop, After Effects, Music production etc), naked chess.

7. What is your favorite ice cream?
A: Pig lip & Mermaid tears.