AK: We’re on our final course, and once again thanks for offering up an inside look at your latest creations, Jim. Last but certainly not least is Southern Oaks – give us some background on the course.

JZ: Southern Oaks is a more championship style golf course. Many will find this course the closest thing to real golf in almost any of the GT courses we’ve created. As a whole, the course is relatively flat with thick woods surrounding every single hole. There’s a lot of water and a decent amount of sand that will come into play.

AK: How would you rate Southern Oaks in terms of difficulty?

JZ: I would say it’s certainly above average in terms of difficulty, and might be the toughest course in the latest update. On face value, a course without shortcuts and little to no elevation would seem easy, but that’s not really the case. There’s a tons of trees, a lot of water that can be found by shots that aren’t on the mark, and the greens are guarded extremely well by bunkers and mounds.

AK: A lot was made about Southern Oaks because as you said, it has no shortcuts. Can you elaborate more on that?

JZ: The term shortcut can be misconstrued in some of these instances, but Southern Oaks does have a much different feel than any other course in GT history. There are still drivable par-4s, and par-5s will still require an outstanding second shot to reach the green in two. These shots, however, will not have some of the gimmicks or tricks that there have been in the past. Players will have to use a variety of shots to shoot well, and they won’t be able to simply get by off of course memory.

AK: Another item that will resonate unique with players that have played plenty of your courses is the fact that the 18^th hole is a par-4 that is not reachable in one. What led to this unique ending?

JZ: We’re trying to avoid the sort of cookie-cutter mentality, which is why we decided to switch it up. Players have grown to expect a drivable par-4 for hole 18, but we thought that Southern Oaks would be the ideal spot to go with a different approach. The final stretch will still provide plenty of fireworks, and there will be potential to gain and lose strokes. Hole 16 is one of the tougher par-3s in the entire game and Hole 17 is a drivable par-4 that will really test a player’s skills. Hole 18 will provide a very different challenge, and is going to be a tough birdie to come by especially with a tough setup.

AK: Which would you say is your favorite hole on the course?

JZ: On Southern Oaks my favorite hole is the 11^th, and by now you’ve probably noticed a pattern in the holes I like the best. They usually involve strategic options at the tee, and rewards for well placed shots after that. This hole is a good example. It’s a par-4 and the fairway has sort of a “Y” shape. The landing area for the tee shot spans 250 yards from left to right. You can choose to hit your tee anywhere along this span. The water on the left side won’t allow deep drives so any shot hit to the left will have a longer second shot to the green. The right side has trees to contend with. If the tee shot is too far and deep, the second shot requires a fade shot around the trees and over the bunker.

What I like about this hole is that there is no “right” way to play it. I think we’re going to see players choosing different strategies based on different equipment and different conditions.

This hole represents what I think is most fun about Golden Tee. It gives the player many choices and opportunities to make good or bad decisions. That’s the real fun. Make the right decision, then execute. A well-executed shot reaffirms your strategy. There’s a lot of satisfaction when you’re successful.

AK: Jim, thanks so much for joining us. We appreciate all your help on breaking down your masterpieces!