Sinclair ZX Spectrum

Royal Birkdale : Championship Golf

One of Britain's great golf courses is recreated in this early sports simulation. Like Ocean's other early licensed sports title Daley Thompson's Decathlon, the game is split into two individually-loaded parts, with the front 9 on side 1 of the cassette and the back 9 on side 2. Shot direction is selected by typing a compass direction value from 0 to 360, before choosing from the 10 clubs available, which include a sand iron and 2 drivers which can only be used on the tee or fairway. After this you can choose the relative percentage weight of the shot. A random wind effect can be switched on or off, affecting the game's difficulty. The release of the shot must be timed to set the level of draw and fade. Once you reach the green you will have to consider the strength of the slope. Putting involves holding the P key to start the pace meter rising, then press it again to set the final pace of the shot.