A good way to ruin a nice walk! (Sid Meier's Sim Golf (PC))

Member Name: Kepler

Product:	Sid Meier's Sim Golf (PC)
Date:	30/01/04 (208 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very addictive, Several modes of play

Disadvantages: Annoying sounds

"Golf is a game whose aim is to hit a very small ball into an even smaller hole, with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose."
(Winston Churchill)

As you may have guessed Sim Golf is a game that requires you to build and maintain your own golf course. The game provides four levels of difficulty from easy too impossible which keeps the game nice and challenging. There are three different modes of play to choose from including Sandbox mode, which enables you to build the ultimate golf course without the constraints of financial worries. In this mode you start with unlimited funds and all the property locations available. This mode is useful for getting the hang of the game and familiarising yourself with the controls and options. The second mode of play is Championship Mode in which you can play a tournament on one of your created courses. While this mode is fun for a while the limited controls available to you means that this soon becomes a little tiring. The main part of the game is based around building and running a golf course under financial constraints.

At the start of the game you are presented with a map of the world and your first dilemma is where to build your course. The game offers various locations around the world a few of which are open to you at the start of the game. The other locations can be bought later in the game when you have made enough money to be able to afford them. Once you have decided upon your location you are presented with a plot of land on which you have to craft your golf course. You start the game with a clubhouse and some additional buildings depending on the location you chose for your course. For example, in Florida you are given a Pro Shop and if you choose the Rocky Mountains you start with a free Hotel. Both of these buildings confer certain benefits upon your course keeping your hapless patrons happy. The actual process of building your course is easy enough and follows along the sam
e click and place interfaces of most Sim games. There are various terrain features you can utilise to spice up your holes including sand traps, rocks, water and trees.

As soon as you open your first hole people start to spill onto your course and start playing. When they have finished playing a hole they will pay you a certain amount of money depending on how much they enjoyed playing it and their general happiness. With the revenue from your holes you can purchase other buildings which help to keep your customers happy such as hotels which prevent your visitors from becoming tired and snack bars to keep them from going hungry. As well as buildings you can also hire employees to help your golf club run smoothly. These come in four types, each of which is designed to cater for the different needs of your patrons. For example, you can hire a Soda dispenser to make sure that your customers do not get thirsty or a groundskeeper to ensure that the course is in good condition.

As you start to build more and more holes (up to a maximum of 18) you are given the opportunity of hosting tournaments which enables you to win money that you can use to further improve your course. Another feature of the game is the resident Golf Pro at your course. When you start the game you are given the default pro called Gary Golf who you can customise in your own image (if you are that way inclined). When you achieve certain milestones in the game (such as your course having 9+ holes) your are given the option to upgrade certain attributes of your pro to improve their golf playing ability. You can then use your pro to play in tournaments or you can save him/her for use in the Championship Mode. Your pro also helps out around the course hurrying people up and clearing out any weeds that he/she may encounter.

When you have raised enough money you leave your first golf course behind and start afresh in one of the other locations. The different locations provide differ
ent types of terrain and features such as the desert in Spain where you can purchase cactuses instead of trees.

When I first started playing this game I thought that I would get bored with it pretty quickly but as it turns out the game is quite addictive. The first night I played this game I found myself bleary eyed and still awake at three in the morning, trying to improve my course so that I could host a pro tournament. The only really annoying part is the constant stream of annoying noises that emanate from your patrons but this can be combated by turning the sound down and so is only a minor complaint. I would recommend this game to anyone who likes playing Sim games and it is not just limited to those who like golf. I don't actually play golf myself but found this game to be extremely enjoyable.

Specifications

Operating System - Windows 95/98/2000/ME/XP
Processor - 300 MHz
Memory - 64 MB RAM
Hard Drive - 300 MB
CD-DVD Speed - 4 Speed
Graphics - 8 MB PCI/AGP
Input - Mouse/Keyboard

Summary: