Overview
Links: The Challenge of Golf is a behind-the-back golf simulation game developed and published by Access for the PC (running MS-DOS) on May 4, 1990.
The successor to the Leader Board series of golf games, Links brings a more realistic golfing experience with digitized sprites for both golfers and environmental objects (similar to the New 3D Golf Simulation series). It also utilizes the series' signature "Swing Gauge", which controls both power and accuracy in two button presses.
The base version of the game includes a recreation of one course: the southern 18 holes of the Torrey Pines Golf Course in the U.S. city of San Diego, California. Players can install additional expansion courses (each sold separately as part of the "Links Championship Course" series). Players can also practice in a bonus "practice area" that includes both a driving range and a chipping/putting green.
Links was also ported through 1992 to the Amiga (both OCS and ECS) and the Tandy Memorex VIS, and later received a 1994 third-party Sega CD release. The SCD version, which was ported by Papyrus and published exclusively in North America by Virgin Interactive, features full-motion video for aerial "fly bys".
The game also received a Windows PC release on August 1992, published by Microsoft as Microsoft Golf (or Microsoft Golf for Windows). This version is notable for its window-based interface, with separate windows for the main view, top view, main controls, shot info, and score card. It later received a CD-ROM re-release on September 1993 as Microsoft Golf: Multimedia Edition, adding new videos (including tutorials, tips, and aerial "fly bys") and optional sound effects.
The original game received numerous updated sequels before the studio's demise in 2003, starting with its direct update (Links 386 Pro). Most expansion courses sold after the release of Links 386 Pro are backwards-compatible.
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