Yep, this game still delivers even years after ignoring it and coming back.
Anyhow. I remember this game fondly and dusted off the old CD and re-installed it. I'll tell you. Old game or not, this game is still as much fun now as it was then.
As with most Sim games time seems to speed up for me and what I think is about 1 hour of game time usually ends up 4 or 6 hours. So in typical fashion I started playing this and 10 minutes later 4 hours went by. Unlike WoW where it feels as if you grinded for 10 hours only to find out it was only an hour. Bah. This game scores big for me on many fronts. First and foremost is gameplay. While building your own golf course may seem, well, as boring as the game itself if you don't play it, it surprisingly isn't. The design aspect and goals you need to reach flow very well. There is something quite satisfying about having a hole that is voted and the most challenging or best designed. Plus the game keeps you going in a forward direction by letting you know when your course is becoming stagnant. The mini game, if you would call it that, of being able to play the course through your avatar or club pro, which you can grow straight RPG style as your course gains points is fun and refreshing. The golfers themselves are interesting enough and the AI is generally good. Not great, but good. On a few of the games where my club pro were in games against the AI, the computer opponent would shoot in a completely different direction and waste a few strokes by using unconventional pathing. If you want a realistic golf game, go play Tiger Woods 2010 or whatever is out now. Even if you aren't into golf this game should appease your inner designer and Sim. And hey, who doesn't want to be a Sim?