Links: The Challenge of Golf

Overview

Links: The Challenge of Golf is a behind-the-back golf simulation game developed and published by Access for DOS PCs 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.

Along with a bonus "practice area" (with both a driving range and a chipping/putting green), 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).

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). It also received multiple CD-ROM re-releases, some of which were bundled with expansion courses. Most expansion courses sold after the release of Links 386 Pro are backwards-compatible with the original. It later received a digital re-release via GOG by Big Finish Games sometime in the 2020's.