MicroProse Golf (or Greens as it also is known) is one of the most-underrated golf games of the 1990s. Granted, it wasn’t one of the flashiest games out there, but it had some of the most solid graphics and true-to-life gameplay of any golf game on the market. The game had isometric maps of every hole, and even came with pull-out maps of each of the six (!) courses that were in the game. Each course had a different characteristic, and this made the gameplay ever-changing.
This game was one of the first to feature a real-time leaderboard that had players with differing skill levels. There always seemed to be one or two players that struggled during a tournament, and there was always a couple that were expected to post a decently low score, so the game was always challenging without being impossible. The terrain also made a difference, but that seemed (to me) to be one of the few downfalls of the game. If a ball came to rest in a divot or the light rough, the distance and accuracy were seriously impeded. If this occurred in real life, one wouldn’t have nearly as much difficulty making clean contact with the ball. This, as I said, was one of the only
drawbacks, if that can even be considered one. The camera angles were spot-on, as I remember watching my best shots from multiple camera angles, just to find the best one (especially on the shots that flew into the cup without rolling).
The game also featured a handicap system that updated as you played, and your characteristics also updated accordingly. You were able to hit the ball farther as you progressed, and once you reached “scratch” status, you could play in the “Head-to-Head” matches against computer players that were tougher than ordinary tournament foes. These players were seriously difficult (I won’t spoil anything by saying this, but the #1 ranked opponent has the ability to go sub-60 against you in a strokeplay match), so when you get to him, you’d probably better be on your game.
Overall, though, this is a game that any Amiga (or golf) fan should have, simply because of the great game dynamics for the time. Remember, this was in the early 1990s, so there weren’t any Tiger Woods games out that took graphics to the next level. Greens didn’t have anything extremely flashy, but it was just rock-solid in everything. I’d take that over something that was only good in one part any day. My rating: 9.5/10
