''Jack Nicklaus' Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf'' is a

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

- simulation video game developed by Sculptured Software, and published by

Accolade The accolade (also known as dubbing or adoubement) ( la, benedictio militis) was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. From about 1852, the term ''accolade'' was used much more generally to ...

beginning in 1988. It was released for

Amiga Amiga is a family of personal computers introduced by Commodore in 1985. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16- or 32-bit processors, 256 KB or more of RAM, mouse-based GUIs, and significantly improved graphi ...

, Amstrad CPC,

Apple II The Apple II (stylized as ) is an 8-bit home computer and one of the world's first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products. It was designed primarily by Steve Wozniak; Jerry Manock developed the design of Apple II's foam-m ...

Atari ST The Atari ST is a line of personal computers from Atari Corporation and the successor to the Atari 8-bit family. The initial model, the Atari 520ST, had limited release in April–June 1985 and was widely available in July. It was the first pers ...

Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness ...

(C64),

MS-DOS MS-DOS ( ; acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System, also known as Microsoft DOS) is an operating system for x86-based personal computers mostly developed by Microsoft. Collectively, MS-DOS, its rebranding as IBM PC DOS, and a few ope ...

Macintosh The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and ...

MSX MSX is a standardized home computer architecture, announced by Microsoft and ASCII Corporation on June 16, 1983. It was initially conceived by Microsoft as a product for the Eastern sector, and jointly marketed by Kazuhiko Nishi, then vice-p ...

Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in America ...

(NES), PC-88, and

Sharp X68000 The is a home computer created by Sharp Corporation. It was first released in 1987 and sold only in Japan. The initial model has a 10 MHz Motorola 68000 CPU, 1 MB of RAM, and lacks a hard drive. The final model was released in 1993 wit ...

. During 1990 and 1991, the game was released in HuCard cartridge and CD-ROM formats for the U.S TurboGrafx-16 and its foreign counterpart, PC Engine. The TurboGrafx-16 versions of the game were titled ''Jack Nicklaus' Turbo Golf'', while the PC Engine version was titled ''Jack Nicklaus World Golf Tour'' for the CD-ROM format. A

Game Boy The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same ...

version was released as ''Jack Nicklaus Golf'' in 1992. It was the first in a series of golf games named after golfer

Jack Nicklaus Jack William Nicklaus (born January 21, 1940), nicknamed The Golden Bear, is a retired American professional golfer and List of golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, golf course designer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest go ...

, and was followed by ''

Jack Nicklaus' Unlimited Golf & Course Design ''Jack Nicklaus' Unlimited Golf & Course Design'' is a 1990 golf video game developed by Sculptured Software and published by Accolade for the Amiga and MS-DOS. A Super NES version with the same golf courses, titled ''Jack Nicklaus Golf'', was re ...

'' (1990).

Gameplay

The game features

' favorite 18 golf holes, all put together in a single course, which includes holes from

Augusta National Golf Club Augusta National Golf Club, sometimes referred to as Augusta or the National, is a golf club in Augusta, Georgia, United States. Unlike most private clubs which operate as non-profits, Augusta National is a for-profit corporation, and it does no ...

, Muirfield, Pebble Beach Golf Links,

Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, England, is one of the courses in the The Open Championship, Open Championship rotation. The Women's British Open has also been played on the course five times: once prior to being ...

, and Old Course at St Andrews. Two courses designed by Nicklaus are also featured in the game: Castle Pines (Colorado) and Desert Mountain (Arizona). Additionally, the Game Boy version includes

Muirfield Village Muirfield Village is an “upscale” golf-oriented community in the central United States, located in Dublin, Ohio, a suburb north of Columbus. Origins Founded by Jack Nicklaus, it is named after Muirfield, Scotland, where he won the first of h ...

as a course. Several add-on disks were released for the computer versions to add additional courses. The game features two game modes:

Stroke Play Stroke play, also known as medal play, is a scoring system in the sport of golf in which the total number of strokes is counted over one or more rounds of 18 holes. In stroke play, the winner is the player who has taken the fewest strokes over the ...

and Skins. A

multiplayer A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...

option allows for a maximum total of four players being able to play. The player can also compete against a selection of eight different CPU players that includes Jack Nicklaus. An image of Nicklaus also appears in between holes as he gives tips to the player. ''Jack Nicklaus' Turbo Golf'', for the TurboGrafx-16, differs from the other versions. In CD-ROM format, the game has five courses, including Castle Pines. The other courses were previously featured in the game's early add-on disks:

The Australian Golf Club The Australian Golf Club is a golf club located in Rosebery, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. Although it survived numerous course location changes, it is arguably the oldest golf club in Australia. To date the course has held 20 Australian Open ...

Royal Troon Golf Club Royal Troon Golf Club is a Links (golf), links golf course in Scotland, located in Troon, South Ayrshire, southwest of Glasgow. Founding and early years The club, which now has a total of 45 holes, was founded in 1878, initially with five holes ...

, Kemper Lakes Golf Club, and St. Creek Golf Club. The CD-ROM version allows the player to take a 360-degree look around any of the courses, and Nicklaus appears in between courses to give advice about each hole. The HuCard cartridge version of ''Jack Nicklaus' Turbo Golf'' includes only one course, The Australian Golf Club, and includes eight golfer rivals, as well as Jack Nicklaus.

Release

began publishing ''Jack Nicklaus' Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf'' in 1988. It had the longest title of any software product at the time of its release. By August 1989, versions had been released in the United Kingdom for the

and PC, while other versions for the

, Amstrad CPC and

were scheduled for release that autumn. An

version had been released by late 1989. As of 1990, a

version had been published by Accolade. The

NES The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...

version, published by

Konami , is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company, video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machin ...

, was released in the United States in March 1990, while a United Kingdom release came in August 1991. Versions were also released for the

, PC-88, and

. For the U.S. TurboGrafx-16, the game was released as ''Jack Nicklaus' Turbo Golf'', in HuCard and CD-ROM formats. The game was also released for the TurboGrafx-16's foreign counterpart, the PC Engine. In the CD-ROM format, the PC Engine version was published under the title ''Jack Nicklaus' World Golf Tour'', while the game in HuCard format retained the original ''Jack Nicklaus' Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf'' title. ''Jack Nicklaus' Turbo Golf'' and its foreign counterparts were released in 1990 and 1991. The Game Boy version, ''Jack Nicklaus Golf'', was released in the United States in May 1992; it was published by Tradewest, along with an unrelated game with the same title for the Super NES.

Reception

Computer versions

The computer versions of the game received criticism for the slow load times in generating each new screen. Some criticized the computer version for including an off-disc

copy protection Copy protection, also known as content protection, copy prevention and copy restriction, describes measures to enforce copyright by preventing the reproduction of software, films, music, and other media. Copy protection is most commonly found on ...

scheme, which was deemed as difficult to use. Some critics favorably compared the game with the ''

Leader Board ''Leader Board'' (sometimes ''Leaderboard'') is a series of golf simulation video games that was developed by Bruce Carver and Roger Carver, and published by Access Software. Summary left, Teeing off on the first hole (Atari ST). ''Leader Bo ...

'' golfing game series. Some praise was given for the graphics of the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, and Commodore 64 versions. ''

Amstrad Action ''Amstrad Action'' was a monthly magazine, published in the United Kingdom, which catered to owners of home computers from the Amstrad CPC range and later the GX4000 console. It was the first magazine published by Chris Anderson's Future Publishin ...

'' called the CPC version, "Beyond a shadow of a doubt the best golf sim ever on a CPC." However, the magazine also wrote that the game would "only immediately appeal" to golf fans and people who have played computer golf games, while stating, "These limitations will unfairly cripple the game's popularity – a crime, because it's an entertaining and well-programmed sports sim." ''

CU Amiga-64 ''Commodore User'', known to the readers as the abbreviated ''CU'', was one of the oldest British Commodore magazines. With a publishing history spanning over 15 years, it mixed content with technical and video game features. Incorporating ''Vic ...

'' praised the Amiga version's gameplay but was critical of the minimal sounds, the putting, and the "agonisingly slow" computer golfer opponent. '' Zzap!64'' reviewed the Commodore 64 version and criticized the sound effects, as well as the blocky scenery and its unusual color schemes. ''

The Games Machine ''The Games Machine'' is a video game magazine that was published from 1987 until 1990 in the United Kingdom by Newsfield, which also published ''CRASH'', ''Zzap!64'', ''Amtix!'' and other magazines. History The magazine ran head to head with ...

'', reviewing the CPC and ST versions, criticized the blocky scenery and its murky colors, as well as simple sound effects and poorly animated golfer sprites. Reviewing the Amiga version, the magazine praised the digitized image of Jack Nicklaus that appears in between holes, but criticized the rest of the graphics. Tom Malcom of ''

.info The domain name info is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) in the Domain Name System (DNS) of the Internet. The name is derived from ''information'', although registration requirements do not prescribe any particular purpose. The TLD ''info'' wa ...

'' reviewed the Commodore 64 version; he called the graphics adequate and the sound "abominable," and concluded that the game, overall, was a good choice. Malcom subsequently reviewed the Amiga version; he praised the gameplay but felt the graphics were "not what they could, and should, be." He also wished there had been an option to turn off Jack Nicklaus' advice before each hole, stating that it slowed down the gameplay considerably. Bob Wade of '' Amiga Format'' praised the sound. Tony Hetherington of ''Your Amiga'' criticized bad putting controls. He called the game "perfectly playable and competently programmed," but still considered it bland. '' Amiga Action'' praised the game and recommended it, but considered ''Leader Board'' to be superior. ''

Amiga User International ''Amiga User International'' (or ''AUI'') was a monthly computer magazine published in its later years by AUI Limited, it was the first dedicated Amiga magazine in Europe and in comparison to other Amiga magazines, AUI had a more serious perspec ...

'' recommended the game for people who had not already purchased ''

Mean 18 ''Mean 18'' is a golf video game designed by Rex Bradford with graphics by George Karalias, both of Microsmiths, and released by Accolade (company), Accolade for MS-DOS compatible operating systems in 1986. It was ported to the Commodore 64, Am ...

'', a similar golf game also by Accolade. Dan Muse of ''inCider'' praised the Apple II version as "a new standard in computer golf games" and "the best sports game, period." Regarding the image of Nicklaus that appears in between holes, Muse wrote, "Okay, it's a little corny, but I like it." Michael Dashe of ''

Macworld ''Macworld'' is a website dedicated to products and software of Apple Inc., published by Foundry, a subsidiary of IDG Inc. It started life as a print magazine in 1984 and had the largest audited circulation (both total and newsstand) of Macint ...

'' praised the Macintosh version for its graphics, realistic gameplay, and variety of courses. Mike Siggins reviewed ''Jack Nicklaus' Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf'' for '' Games International'' magazine, and gave it 4 stars out of 5, and stated that "In the end, this is an excellent game that is badly let down by one feature: the painfully slow screen updates." Mike Siggins reviewed ''Jack Nicklaus Golf – Additional Courses Vol II'' for '' Games International'' magazine, and gave it a rating of 7 out of 10, and stated that "It is good to see Accolade supporting the program with these high quality course disks but their assumption seems to be that there is nothing wrong with the product. This I find hard to understand and would suggest, unless you aren't bothered by round of computer golf taking a couple of hours, that you don't bother buying any more add-on disks until the problem is attended to."

Other versions

The NES and TurboGrafx-16 versions were also criticized for slow reanimation. '' Raze'' reviewed the NES version and stated that because of its easy gameplay, it was more fun to play it with other people rather than alone. ''

Mean Machines ''Mean Machines'' was a multi-format video game magazine published between 1990 and 1992 in the United Kingdom. Origins In the late 1980s '' Computer and Video Games'' (''CVG'') was largely covering the outgoing generation of 8-bit computers l ...

'' criticized the NES version for its blocky scenery, stating that it hampered gameplay. The magazine also criticized the golfer sprite, the "average" sound effects, and the lack of music, and concluded that it was a "very tedious golf sim, which only die-hard fans of the genre should take a chance on." The ''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...

'', reviewing one of the game's versions, wrote, "Great for golfing enthusiasts and good for those who are new to golf." Chip and Jonathan Carter, writing for the ''

Philadelphia Daily News ''Philadelphia Daily News'' is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper is owned by The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC, which also owns Philadelphia's other major newspaper ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. The ''Dail ...

'', reviewed the TurboGrafx-16 cartridge version and stated that additional courses would have been nice, although they praised the gameplay and graphics. ''

GamePro Gamepro.com is an international multiplatform video game magazine media company that covers the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software in countries such as Germany and France. The publication, GamePro, was originally la ...

'' reviewed the TurboGrafx-16 CD-ROM version and recommended the game for golf fans, but criticized the slow reanimation and stated that the game did not offer much to distinguish it from other golf games.

References

External links

''Jack Nicklaus' Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf''
at

MobyGames MobyGames is a commercial website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes nearly 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms. The site is supported by banner ads and a small ...

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