Sid Meier is known for great games - "Railroad Tycoon" and "Civilization." These games are far from a golf management sim. The team of Sid Meier and Maxis has created a game that is far more addicting and fun then one would imagine.

Gameplay
When you start "SimGolf" you'll notice 3 different modes of playing - Sandbox, Championship, and New Game. Sandbox gives you unlimited amount of money. Finally, a developer that understands the need to have an endless supply of money! This is a great way to learn about the game, without the stress of going into debt. Championship mode you play a tournament, and new game mode explains itself.

To have a successful golf resort you'll need to build pretty, challenging (but not to challenging) golf courses. You'll also need snack buildings. Of course you'll have to build a tee and the green. There are also options to build sand traps, water, bunkers, and landmarks. There are lots of flowers and trees to grow as well.

There are a variety of buildings for you to build, almost all of them to expensive when starting out. You'll find a pro shop, tennis court, cart garage, home sites for celebrities, snacks, and of course practice areas for driving and putting. Another important part of building is changing the terrain level. Flat land isn't going to be much of a change, but add some slopes, and the course becomes more fun.

You'll have to hire employees to help make the golfers as happy as possible. You can hire a weed killer, a soda salesman, and a celebrity greeter. As you build courses, you'll have the option to hire better workers.

A fun feature of "SimGolf's" is the ability to play your own course. You take a practice run through the course, play in tournaments for large cash prizes, or play against another pro. When playing against a golf pro, money is wagered on each hole and for the complete game. This is always a good way to find areas where you need to improve.

Graphics
The moment I started playing "SimGolf" I loved the graphics. They are colorful, fun, and friendly. The closest zoom level, just doesn't seem close enough. One more level in would have been nice. However, the closest zoom the game does have does not ruin the gaming experience.

Sound
Good, but not amazing. But it doesn't need to be. You'll hear the sounds of the golfers hitting the ball, and talking to each other. For those of you who play "The Sims" some of the sounds will be familiar to you.

Conclusion
I'm not a golfer myself, and I've never been one to sit and watch golf on Sunday afternoons. "SimGolf" caught and kept my attention. You'll be surprised at how much fun it is watching the golfers cheer when they take a great shot, or become upset because they hit the ball in the sand trap once again. Kids to adults, hardcore gamers to casual gamers will enjoy "SimGolf." It's the kind of game that will keep you up late and have you up early in the morning for more.

Minimum System Requirements

• Windows 95/98/2000/ME/XP
• 300 MHz Intel Pentium II or AMD K6-3 processor
• 64 MB of RAM
• 4x CD-ROM/DVD-ROM Drive
• 300 MB free hard drive space
• 8 MB video card with DirectX 8.0 compatible driver
• DirectX 8.0 compatible sound card
• Keyboard
• Mouse