Microsoft Golf

Microsoft Golf is a golf simulation released by Microsoft in 1992. It is a version of Links: The Challenge of Golf which has been updated to run natively in Windows 3.x. It features the same gameplay as Links and is also compatible with the Links add-on courses.

Like Links, Microsoft Golf features realistic physics and graphics to recreate the game of golf. Sound effects are digitized and the game accurately recreates the courses including digitized photos of actual trees and other objects. Swinging the club in Microsoft Golf uses a system that is very common to golf games of the era; a swing meter is used to indicate the strength of the hit and its accuracy — Clicking starts the swing, a second click indicates the strength of the shot, and the final click indicates how accurate the shot is (if the timing is too early or too late the shot will either hook or slice). The game featured the ability to take mulligans, adjust the golfers stance, customize the clubs the golfer has for each round, an optional grid to reveal hills more clearly, and an overhead view of the hole or the entire course. A driving range and a practice green are also available for players to improve their golf skills without having to play a full round. Microsoft Golf included a few changes not found in the original Links, mainly by adapting the game to take advantage of the Windows 3.x interface. The game doesn't run full screen like the original and instead has each view or control panel in it's own window which players can resize and move around at will. Multiple views can be shown at once, such as a top down and the main view, along with the shot information panel and swing controls.