Sid Meier's SimGolf is a golf simulation developed by Firaxis Games in 2002, different from other golf games. In SimGolf, the player is tasked with running a golf course, designing holes, taking care of golfers and even playing. It's an underrated game that deserves a place among the best of its genre. Jan 23, 2002 SimGolf is all about realistic courses — it seems like a mode from a hardcore golf game. Matters aren’t helped by the unsophisticated championship play. Each of your golf courses has a club pro, with a few stats (power, accuracy, slice, and so on) that can be improved by entering tournaments. Yet playing in those tournaments isn’t all.
Description of Sid Meier's SimGolf Windows
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Good movies are made by good directors, not big-name studios (although certainly the studios' deep pockets are necessary to fund ambitious projects). Hence, blockbusters from Disney, Miramax, Universal or any other studio would be nothing without the talented directors and crew behind them.
Computer games are no different: great designers, not the companies themselves, are what guarantee a good game. It should come as no surprise to anyone, then, that the combined talents of Sid Meir and Will Wright - arguably two most well-known names in the industry today - would produce something special. That game is Sid Meier's SimGolf, a veritable tour de force that combines Sid Meier's skills in crafting an accessible and challenging strategy game engine with Will Wright's by-now famous digital people from The Sims (which I actually don't think is a very good game).
Sid Meier's SimGolf is essentially a golf course/club simulation that lets you design your own courses, manage the golf club, and even play your own creation. The game automatically calculates the par for every hole you design, and shows you the route golfers will take. As soon as you open your first hole, golfers will begin to appear, and it won't be long before your course is full of flying miniature golf balls and amusing speech bubbles from golfers who talk in the now-legendary 'Simese' speech The Sims fans will feel at home with.
Similar to other please-the-consumer games like Theme Park and Rollercoaster Tycoon, you will have to pay close attention to the happiness of golfers. You must hire enough employees to maintain the course, provide golfers with drinks, and even hurry along those players who take too long on the hole (thereby upsetting other golfers who are waiting to play). The more you expand your course and attract more golfers, more buildings and other options become available. In addition to a wide variety of terrain and trees to plant on the course, you will soon be able to build snack shops, marinas, resort hotels, and even holiday homes you can sell to rich members ('Silver Member' level and above). If your course is really attractive, you will even get a celebrity such as Jennifer Elopes to purchase a house - and watch their amusing antics on your course.
Similar to SimCity series of games, you will be awarded landmarks to place on the course once enough celebrities become happy customers. Although designing courses is already a lot of fun, you have a more long-term goal in the game: entice the golf championship board to host a tournament on your course. When that happens, you can use your very own pro golfer to compete for prize money in the tournament. Before you can host a championship, your course needs to conform to various specifications such as length of course, number of certain holes, etc. The number of specifications your course fulfills determines the level of prestige - and hence prize money - of the championship. Each Sim golfer has his or her own name, personality, appearance and dialogue that are fully customizable.
As great as the game is, it is the numerous subtle touches from Sid Meier that elevate it from 'outstanding' to 'must-have.' For example, you can make more money by pairing up golfers who share similar personalities (outgoing, playful, etc.). They will start the round happier and pay higher green's fees on the first hole. Golfers that you have paired up are also more likely to have a 'story' (i.e. an ongoing story between them, shown in the speech bubbles) than those automatically paired by the computer.
With plenty of nuances and a constant challenge to get the difficulty level 'just right' (i.e. neither too difficult as to frustrate golfers, nor too easy as to make them bored), golf on the computer has never been more addictive or interesting. Whether or not you play golf in real life, Sid Meier's SimGolf is a must-have if you enjoy business simulations or strategy games. Two thumbs up, and a venerable induction into our Hall of Belated Fame.
Review By HOTUD
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Comments and reviews
Mt-Player2019-08-250 point
When I download it, it just comes as a file.
Not a playable format, what am I doing wrong?
FroggieLongTongue2019-08-100 point
What's the serial number at the back of the box? :)
Floppy Waffle2018-06-154 points
You have to run this in Windows XP SP2 compatibility mode to get this to work on Windows 10
BigBird2018-05-02-4 points
I'm having a lot of trouble getting this to run on Windows 10, anyone had success?
MAM2017-01-210 point
It's the demo
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Sid Meier's SimGolf is a textbook example of how great game design can transcend subject matter. You don't need to be a golfer or even know a birdie from a bogie to enjoy this immediately addictive simulation. Like the best games, you learn how to play as you go and have fun while doing it. From the moment you pick up the mouse and design your first hole, you'll be hooked.
Best known for complex simulations such as Civilization and Alpha Centauri, Sid Meier would seem to be an unlikely designer for what might have been called 'Golf Course Tycoon' had not the 'tycoon' moniker become synonymous with lackluster budget titles. But SimGolf proves Sid Meier is more than just a master of the intricate; he's created an involving, purely fun game that doesn't require a thick manual and hours to learn how to play.
Creating a hole is as simple as laying down the tee and the green, and then filling everything in between with a variety of terrain and hazards. After completing a hole, tiny simgolfers begin to play it, occasionally offering advice and suggestions (as well as humorous non sequiturs) through their text dialogue. Each sim is an individual with his or her own skills, attitudes and desires that affect their reaction to your course. Fans of The Sims will feel right at home with these tiny golfers, as they speak the same gibberish language and sport the same distinct look.
As you complete more holes, additional options become available that add to the value of your course, such as a snack bar, pro shop and driving range. Then the need for employees arises, so workers such as groundskeepers must be hired. As you progress, the complexity level increases, but never overwhelmingly so. The overall flow of the game is extremely smooth, and designing your own personalized course is a pleasurable process that never feels like work.
In the main gameplay mode, you start out with a small selection of environments and a limited amount of spending money. If you want to create a course without having to worry about finances, the Sandbox mode allows you to do just that. By including this option, the game finds the perfect balance between providing a sufficient structure for progression while also allowing the freedom to create without restriction.
You're also actually able to play your course using a simple but effective point-and-click interface that takes place from the same isometric perspective as the rest of the game. Again, even those who don't know a thing about golf will catch on quickly, thanks to the straightforward, easy-to-learn controls. While the golfing in SimGolf doesn't come close to the level of a regular golfing simulation, it doesn't try to. It's a great bonus feature, especially since you can earn money by winning tournaments.
The truest sign of a game's greatness is how easy it is to lose track of time, and SimGolf makes it all too easy to spend hours in the creation of the ultimate course. So don't let the 'golf' in the title of Sid Meier's SimGolf fool you. Like SimCity and Rollercoaster Tycoon before it, it's destined to become a classic that will appeal to just about any type of gamer.
Graphics: The visuals are simple and max out at a 800x600 resolution. The overall look is attractive but not very impressive.
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Sound: The sound effects are basic and don't add much to the experience.
Enjoyment: SimGolf is an addictive simulation that is easy to learn and immediately enjoyable.
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Replay Value: The possibilities for creating distinct courses are numerous, leading to hours upon hours of gameplay.
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