The development team behind The Golf Club is full of keen golfers and keen golf gamers. We’ve all spent a lot of time playing the Tiger Woods series over the last decade but there are a lot of other golf games out there that have influenced us. Below is a list of the favourites.

 

Peter Garcin – HB Studios Executive Producer

Links 386 (Access Software) – PC

I think I’ve got to go with Links 386 – mostly because of the absolute wow-factor the graphics had at the time. I remember sitting in my friend’s basement, booting this up on his 386 and us just ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the graphics – it “looked so real” to us. We just thought this was it – it couldn’t get any better than this. The game itself was also super solid and I can remember sinking a lot of hours into Links. The way the courses “draw” themselves was also pretty memorable.

Notable Mentions

• Sid Meier’s  SimGolf – (Firaxis) – PC

 

Anthony Kyne – Producer

Super Golf (Squirrel Software) – BBC Micro

Although definitely not the best golf game ever made, I’m going to choose Super Golf by Squirrel Software on the BBC Micro. The game play wasn’t amazing and it wasn’t even particularly revolutionary at the time, you entered the club you wanted and the power you wanted to hit the ball, all from the keyboard, and you’d watch the ball fly across the 2D course from a side on view. The reason for this being my choice though is, as a 10 year old, it introduced me to the game of golf and also inspired me to write my first golf game on the Amiga a few years later.

Notable Mentions

• PGA Golf (Sterling Silver Software) – Amiga
• Wii Golf – (Nintendo) – Wii
• Sid Meier’s  SimGolf – (Firaxis) – PC

 

Rami Alia – Technical Lead

Super Stick Man Golf (Noodlecake Studios Inc) – iOS

My favourite golf game currently is The Golf Club (wrong answer Anthony), but on mobile devices they are Super Stick Man golf and Hot Shots Vita. A lot of my golf is single player or portable lately so these games are pretty focused on making that a challenging and engaging experience.

 

Dave McFarland – Software Architect

Links 386 (Access Software) – PC

Because it was the best and it was named after my CPU!

 

Matt Lane – Senior Designer

Links 386 (Access Software) – PC

In the mid-late 90s I was really heavy into the sports game scene on PC, when PC games were still graphically miles ahead of console-based sports titles. I remember being really into the Links golf games, buying Links 386 CD and then proceeded to buy every Links course add-on I could get my hands on from local stores. I can still remember the funny jibes from Bobcat Goldthwait and the joy of playing an easy course like Troon North and scoring well below par, but then tearing my hair out playing Devil’s Island. The Links LS games came along eventually and I was pretty stoked that my old course collection was compatible with the new game. LS really took things to the next level including online play support and I remember playing the odd tournament or two in what was a pretty vibrant and competitive online community at the time. So for me, I would have to say the Links series would be my pick for favourite golf game(s), and looking back now… heck, I spent a lot of cash on each of those courses!

Notable Mention

• Leaderboard (Series) – Commodore 64 (the forerunner to the Links series!)

 

Jordan Ault – Designer

Links 2004 (Indie Built Inc.) – Xbox

I kind of feel like I’m cheating with this choice; although this title came out over a decade ago, I never had a chance to play it until recently. Devon bought a copy off eBay after it was mentioned in comparison to The Golf Club several times on our forums. We had to check it out, and now I’m smitten. I haven’t had copious amounts of time to devote to digging into the title, but from a raw gameplay perspective the Advanced Mode is incredibly rewarding to play. I love that it’s all about the feel of your swing, and—with the exception of the glowing-club head for bonus power—very light on visual swing aids.

Notable Mentions

• HB Arcade Disc Golf (HB Studios) – Wii (Technically not ‘golf’ but the first title I worked on at HB!)
• Sam & Max Hit the Road: Gator Golf Mini-Game (LucasArts) – Windows PC

 

Bryan Gorrie – Multiplayer Software Engineer

Kirby’s Dream Course – SNES

An arcaedy mini-golf game where you launch Kirby through the air and connect with enemies. Fantastical levels and power-ups galore, Kirby’s Dream Course is about as far from our game as you can get. I have very fond memories of playing this game with my father, always trying to get the best transformation first or sabotage his carefully lined up shot. The adversarial nature of the multiplayer coupled with the sheer sense of accomplishment from hitting the angle/spin needed to weave through obstacles means Kirby’s Dream Course will always be a favorite of mine.

 

Paul Connors – Course Creator Software Engineer

World Tour Golf (Electronic Arts) – PC

The golf game I probably had the most fun with would be World Tour Golf (or just known as Golf to me, since the World Tour part was really small on the splash screen) made by Electronic Arts in 1985.  I played this on the Tandy 1000, my first PC.  It played well for the time and had a wide variety of courses to choose from.  On top of that, it included a course editor, where you could design your own course, laying out each hole individually.  I must have spent hours making my own courses to play in this game.

 

John McCarthy – Senior Audio Designer

Links 386 (Access Software) – PC

The golf game that is closest to my heart is Links 386 Pro. When we bought our first PC, this came with it and was by far my favorite game at the time. It had amazing SVGA graphics, sweet nature sounds and even had some play-by-play commentary. Little did I know that in the future I would be working on a golf game (or any game for that matter). I’ve been playing this over lunch as I’ve been working on TGC and have even gotten a few commentary ideas from it.

 

Jeremy Wellard – HB Studios’ President

Leaderboard (US Gold) – Commodore 64

Leaderboard on the Commodore 64 left an indelible mark on my gaming memory. The pseudo 3D viewpoint and rewarding game mechanics seemed way ahead of anything else at the time. I loved the way it drew the hole from the green back to the tee before you could tee off. World Class Leaderboard was probably a better game but this one had, for me, the bigger impact.

Notable Mentions

• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 – PlayStation 3
• PGA European Tour – Amiga

 

Jim O’Brien – The Golf Club Grounds Maintenance Worker (Lead Artist)

PGA European Tour  (EA Sports) – Sega MegaDrive

My favourite golf game. Very fond memories of playing this. It was the first golf game I bought, released ’94  – Many great (and very late) nights with friends playing this.

 

Laura Cosham – Graphic Art

Wii Sports Resort – Frisbee Golf (Nintendo) – Nintendo Wii

I’m bending the definitions of ‘golf’ a bit, but I have to admit that Wii Sports Resort Frisbee Golf is my go-to. It’s become a family event during holidays and parties, with everyone touting their favorite play style (and occasionally mocking everyone else’s).  It’s easy to learn and finesse pays off. The only real downside is the extra-game hazard of smacking someone with the wiimote.

 

Alan Bunker – HB Studios C.O.O.

World Class Leaderboard (US Gold) – Spectrum 48k

WCL is by far the best golf game ever after TGC. It can claim to have come with the fastest growing trees in any computer game as they appeared from nothing before your eyes, best in class sound and – surely not – required skill and judgement from the player. In other words, players were rewarded by learning and improving, not by being spoon-fed, upgraded for time spent regardless of achievement, or rewarded a trophy for getting past the loading screen, like many modern day gaming experiences.

Notable Mentions

• Leaderboard.
• Monton pitch and putt, Manchester, UK.

 

Joel Thompson – Head of Animation

Hot Shots/Everybody’s Golf (Clap Hanz) – Playstation 2

Being an animator I’ve always been lured to the more cartoonish/stylized golf games.  Mario Golf was the first to really grab my attention, followed by the Hot Shots Golf series, and this is where I’ve spent most of time in the CG golf world.  Although these games do lack the realism and challenge of a more ‘sim like’ golf title that’s not what I was looking for in a golf game in the first place.  I enjoy a little silliness mixed up with my golfing experience and this is exactly what Mario Golf and Hot Shots Golf delivered!  I’ve logged my fair share of hours into the Tiger Woods PGA series as well, but it’s a game like Hot Shots that would, more often than not, get picked off the shelf first if I was looking to play a few relaxed and fun holes of golf.

 

Josh Hickey-Patriquin – Senior Animator

Waialae Country Club (T&E Soft) – SNES

Probably not my favorite golf title to play anymore, but I still keep a copy of this on hand, as it’s the first golf game I ever played. Hours passing around SNES controllers with my father and other family, playing this, would lead me to follow and play golf games socially ever since. I still think there is no better game genre to play and compete with friends. For me it all began with this game.

 

Will MacNeil – QA

Mario Golf (Nintendo) – Nintendo 64

Not the most authentic experience but I’ve had huge fun playing this over the years. Even now I find myself digging this out and playing it for hours.

 

Adam Viljakainen – Physics and Camera Software Engineer

The Golf Club (HB Studios) – PC/ PS4/ Xbox One

Yeah… I said it.