On Friday, October 5, 2001, at 09:12 AM, Darren Madams wrote:
> Don't make courses deliberately confusing, that's a given. Don't
> make them overly simple. Don't make them fast because fast does
> not always mean fun. Don't make them quirky or awkward. But do
> make them challenging to find the smooth way through. The north
> course from last year was like that. If you did everything right,
> it was an easy course. If you fell behind, you had a tough time
> making up time.
Well put, Darren. Variety is definitely a good thing, as is challenge
-- not "where am I" challenge, but "where do I want to place my car
through here" challenge. Courses that offer (lure?) drivers with
choices between different lines... although as an earlier poster
said, that pretty much only applies to the first run group at GGF --
I have never seen a site with that much tire pill / gravel / whatever.
I am a relative newcomer to SFR. I can't say much about "National"
courses, such experience limited to 1 Prosolo -- in my former region,
central florida, and the course was laid out by one of our frequent
course-builders, Danny Shields.
The three SFR courses I have seen have all been fun to drive, and none
particularly confusing to me, personally. (No offense to those who
have had an issue -- it happens, no matter how hard somone works to
lay it out clearly or how carefully people walk; things just won't
"gel" for every driver every day).
One difference I note here in SFR: In Florida we definitely used a lot
fewer cones! We generally used "walls" of cones only to keep a lost
driver away from hazards; other than that we had gates and pointer
cones, except for the occasional box.
I would say, variety is good. If someone doesn't understand a new
element, they should ask. Let's just keep mixing it up, and everyone
will be happy -- sometimes :-).
-- Glenn
PS: a favorite of mine is optional sections, such as optional slaloms
or a turnabout that could be taken in either direction, especially
where the slow/hard entrance makes the easier exit.... makes ya
think on the course walk, and then think some more when you blow the
entry and have to do it "backwards".....
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