Has it occurred to you that:
In real golf, you have to wait for
tee-time and then usually find
yourself behind a doddering foursome
of off-duty doctors?
In computer golf, you play at your
own speed.
In real golf, the mosquitoes only
leave you alone when you're running
for cover from some fore-shouting
duffer?
In computer golf, you only have to
worry about finger-strain or the
after-effects of a bad Twinkie.
There are other advantages that
computer golf has over real golf but
they'll go unmentioned. The very
fact that you're reading this is
proof that you're too smart to blow
$50 for the privilege of walking five
miles in 100-degree weather looking
for $3 golf balls.
The author of this program knows
his golf and has made it a quite
accurate simulation of a day on the
links. The Tanglewood Country Club
has all of the features of a Nicklaus-
designed Augusta without the expense.
First, let's look at your
equipment. You have the finest
titanium-shaft Shakespeares, with 1
through 3 woods, 2 through 9 irons,
pitching and sand wedges and a
putter. When asked for your choice
of club, just enter a two-digit code
like "1W" for driver or "4I" for a
four iron. "PW" is pitching wedge
and "SW" is sand wegde. Once you're
on the green, the putter will
automatically be chosen for you.
You begin your round by entering
in the number of linksters in your
group (one to four) and their names.
Then you proceed to the first tee
where you are told the length of the
hole, the par and the type of fairway.
Enter in the code for the club
you want to use. The distance range
for each club is shown to you at the
top of the screen. As in real golf,
you should use common sense when
choosing your club. You shouldn't
use a driver from the fairway.
If your caddie offers any advice,
you should take it. He knows whereof
he speaks, having taken caddie
lessons from the great caddologist,
Bill Murray.
When using either of the wedges,
you'll be asked to enter a 1, 2 or 3
to indicate whether you want a one-
third, two-thirds or a full-power
stroke.
Generally you have more accuracy
if you don't shoot at the 'top' of
your range. There is an overlap in
the ranges of the clubs and you'll
have a better chance of an accurate
stroke if you can get there with a 5
iron rather than a 4 iron.
Everything at the Tanglewood
Country Club is randomized, but with
a realistic simulation in mind. The
range of the putter is 1 to 7,
representing a stroke of from 0 to 70
feet.
Michael Poltonavage has spent a
lot of time tweaking the random
factors and logarithms that determine
your chances of getting a good shot.
When you get in trouble the odds
are roughly 1 in 3 that you'll land
in the rough, 1 in 3 that you'll be
in a bunker, 1 in 6 that you'll be in
the woods and 1 in 6 that you'll be
in the water. From my memory of my
halcyon days as a three-digit duffer,
these odds are just about right.
Seems like I used to lose a ball or
two every nine holes, though. There
is no provision for this in this
simulation.
To return to LOADSTAR, just press
RETURN when asked for which club to
use and you'll be asked if you're
sure.
So the next time you are tempted
to don your spikes, pad your wallet
and motor over to the golf course,
think about it. You may want to
crank up your C64 instead.
