There are six courses that are included in the game, Avaria, Princeville, Chateau Whistler, Westfields, Mesa Rosa, and an updated version of St.Andrews. Each course was created using global positioning satellite (GPS) points and Microsoft claims that all courses are accurate to the centimeter. This can give golf enthusiasts the opportunity to "virtually" golf on some world-renowned courses that they may not otherwise get a chance to try.

Links 2001 comes complete with The Arnold Palmer Course Designer which allows the player to design courses using the same tools used by the Links 2001 design team. The course designer is a program that allows players to customize a course or to recreate a course of their liking. The player is provided with over 1,400 types of trees, shrubs, and 3D objects to choose from. Everything from course size and shape to environmental climate and season can be specified. This program is rather complex and it is doubtful that many happy Links2001 purchasers will take the time and energy to design an entire course.

Links 2001 has full multiplayer capability and can be played over a LAN,TCP/IP, or over the Internet. The most interesting element of multiplayer is that Microsoft plans to host the Virtual Golf Association Tour that will allow Internet players to compete for $100,000. This may turn out to be the largest multiplayer event to date. There will also be a series of monthly golf tournaments where online gamers can compete for real money. A novel feature in the online component of Links2001 is "simultaneousness", which allows online golfers to observe the ball flight of their competitors in an overhead view. The end result is faster and more gratifying online play.

Links2001 is an exciting addition to the sports genre. The fact that there is a Virtual Golf Association Tour for $100,000 and several monthly competitions with monetary prizes brings Links2001 to the level of real sport as opposed to casual gaming. The game itself has a realistic feel and appearance, making it inviting and pleasant to play. The characters, along with their comments and antics, give the game depth and personality. The Arnold Palmer Course Designer is an innovative contribution, difficult and unintuitive as it may be. In all, Links2001 is a dynamic product of great quality that would make a formidable addition to any sports gamer's collection.

Overall Score: 90%

System Requirements:

Pentium II 266 Mhz or greater.
Win 95/98
48 MB of Ram (64 recommended)
250 MB minimum hard drive space.
Quad speed CD-Rom drive.
4 MB video card