Sid Meier's SimGolf is a computer game created by Sid Meier, Firaxis Games, and Maxis in 2002. In the game, players must successfully design golf courses and play them with their default professional golfer, Gary Golf (though this player can be customized in a number of different ways). Played in a near-isometric dimetric view, the game runs on fairly low system specs, and only at an 800x600.
- Sid Meier's SimGolf, free and safe download. Sid Meier's SimGolf latest version: Build your own golf resort - then compete in championships!
- Mar 18, 2002 4) Sid Meier's SimGolf, like all Sid Meier games, is a STRATEGY game. As such there are a bunch of different ways to 'beat' the game. You could try and fulfill all the professional accomplishments.
- Sid Meier's SimGolf is a golf simulation developed by Firaxis Games in 2002, different from other golf games. In SimGolf, the player is tasked with running a golf course, designing holes, taking care of golfers and even playing. It's an underrated game that deserves a place among the best of its genre.
Sid Meier’s SimGolf is a golf game where you do not have to actually like golf in order to enjoy it. This early 00s title was one that ignored for many years, but I really wish that I gave the game the attention it deserved back then as I have had a lot of fun with it. If you want to play a strategy game that is about building a golf game, this is the game for you.
Building A Golf Empire
The idea of the game is that you have inherited this land where a Golf course can be built, but nothing has actually been done! The game has you building a golf course from scratch and you also have a pro golfer that you can customize. The basic goal of Sid Meier’s SimGolf is to build a full golf course and a country club that people have fun with all the while making money.
Haven’t I Seen You Before?
With the “Sim” in the title, you will not be surprised to know that this game has a very “Sims” style to the presentation. The game is viewed from an isometric point of view and it has a very simple type of art style. This was done intentionally as the idea of this game was that even lower-end computers would be able to run it back in the day. Still, with the primitive visuals, there is a real charm to the game.The sound on the other hand flat out sucks. The music gets repetitive after about 10 minutes and it feels like you hear the same sound effects over and over again!
Golf Course Maker
Sid Meier’s SimGolf starts you off with 100 grand. You can pick from any different locations all over the world to start your golf empire. Each one will have a different terrain, Vegas for example is more dessert based and San Diego will offer you more green, Hawaii more water, and so on.
Making your course is very easy. The game has a tile base system where you need to design the holes so that they are fun to play, but also look cool. It is the kind of game that looks very, very complex, but it is actually quite easy. While the game gives you a limited amount of money at the start it is very forgiving in this regard. Making a course is just as much fun as building a house in The Sims.
Gary Golf And The Game Modes
Another part of the game has you taking care of your golfer. This part of the game has RPG elements as your golfer will get improved stats as you play. You can then enter him in competitions where you can make more money. This is a lot of fun and adds another element to the game.
As well as the main game mode, you also have a sandbox mode where you can just screw around and create a dream golf course without the worry of keeping your bank balance in the black. You can also play a tournament too, but I found this aspect of the game to be a bit underrealized in all honest.
I have to say that Sid Meier’s SimGolf is a very strange game, but it somehow works. It is the kind of game that is not going to rock your world and be super exciting the whole time you play it. However, it is a game that you just keep on playing it, it is a game that can put you in a real Zen state, and before you know it a few hours have passed. If you want to try a strategy game that is very different, I recommend you give this one a try.
Final Score
Pros:
- The game is very addictive
- The visuals while basic have a lot of charm to them
- It is very easy to get into
- The sandbox mode is fun if you want to mess around
- It does also have RPG elements as well as strategy ones
Cons:
Sid Meier's Simgolf Patch
- The sound is pretty brutal
- The game overall Is not all that exciting
- > >
- Sid Meier's SimGolf
Description of Sid Meier's SimGolf
Read Full DescriptionGood movies are made by good directors, not big-name studios (although certainly the studios' deep pockets are necessary to fund ambitious projects). Hence, blockbusters from Disney, Miramax, Universal or any other studio would be nothing without the talented directors and crew behind them.
Computer games are no different: great designers, not the companies themselves, are what guarantee a good game. It should come as no surprise to anyone, then, that the combined talents of Sid Meir and Will Wright - arguably two most well-known names in the industry today - would produce something special. That game is Sid Meier's SimGolf, a veritable tour de force that combines Sid Meier's skills in crafting an accessible and challenging strategy game engine with Will Wright's by-now famous digital people from The Sims (which I actually don't think is a very good game).
Sid Meier's SimGolf is essentially a golf course/club simulation that lets you design your own courses, manage the golf club, and even play your own creation. The game automatically calculates the par for every hole you design, and shows you the route golfers will take. As soon as you open your first hole, golfers will begin to appear, and it won't be long before your course is full of flying miniature golf balls and amusing speech bubbles from golfers who talk in the now-legendary 'Simese' speech The Sims fans will feel at home with.
Similar to other please-the-consumer games like Theme Park and Rollercoaster Tycoon, you will have to pay close attention to the happiness of golfers. You must hire enough employees to maintain the course, provide golfers with drinks, and even hurry along those players who take too long on the hole (thereby upsetting other golfers who are waiting to play). The more you expand your course and attract more golfers, more buildings and other options become available. In addition to a wide variety of terrain and trees to plant on the course, you will soon be able to build snack shops, marinas, resort hotels, and even holiday homes you can sell to rich members ('Silver Member' level and above). If your course is really attractive, you will even get a celebrity such as Jennifer Elopes to purchase a house - and watch their amusing antics on your course.
Similar to SimCity series of games, you will be awarded landmarks to place on the course once enough celebrities become happy customers. Although designing courses is already a lot of fun, you have a more long-term goal in the game: entice the golf championship board to host a tournament on your course. When that happens, you can use your very own pro golfer to compete for prize money in the tournament. Before you can host a championship, your course needs to conform to various specifications such as length of course, number of certain holes, etc. The number of specifications your course fulfills determines the level of prestige - and hence prize money - of the championship. Each Sim golfer has his or her own name, personality, appearance and dialogue that are fully customizable.
As great as the game is, it is the numerous subtle touches from Sid Meier that elevate it from 'outstanding' to 'must-have.' For example, you can make more money by pairing up golfers who share similar personalities (outgoing, playful, etc.). They will start the round happier and pay higher green's fees on the first hole. Golfers that you have paired up are also more likely to have a 'story' (i.e. an ongoing story between them, shown in the speech bubbles) than those automatically paired by the computer.
With plenty of nuances and a constant challenge to get the difficulty level 'just right' (i.e. neither too difficult as to frustrate golfers, nor too easy as to make them bored), golf on the computer has never been more addictive or interesting. Whether or not you play golf in real life, Sid Meier's SimGolf is a must-have if you enjoy business simulations or strategy games. Two thumbs up, and a venerable induction into our Hall of Belated Fame.
Review By HOTUD
External links
Captures and Snapshots
Screenshots from MobyGames.com
Comments and reviews
Johnny2021-05-270 point
The Windows ISO version requires CD key :(
Gill2021-02-260 point
I Everyone.
I Followed all the instructions, Mount, patch, nocd, service pack 2. I open game and the screen goes black and tries to resize and crashes.
Any idea what went wrong?
Danidius2021-02-080 point
Thanks so much Clyde! I got to play this gem of a game again.
Thanks myabandonware too!
Olback2021-01-25-2 points
Clydes instructions worked for me
NeedsHelp2020-09-112 points
So, when i try to install or uninstall it says it has had a 'catastrophic failure'. Can anyone help me?
admin2020-08-310 point
Converted the image to .iso for easier use
Svenska2020-08-310 point
Clyde's 3-step instructions on 2020-08-27 worked for me, but I needed to take an additional step before I could mount the disk image. I had to convert the .bin file within the 'ISO Version' download to an .iso file. To create the .iso file, I used the freeware 'WinBin2Iso,' which is available here: https://www.softwareok.com/?Download=WinBin2Iso.
Hope this helps others!
Clyde2020-08-274 points
1st: ------------------
- Download the 'ISO VERSION';
- Then mount the disk image (I use daemon tools lite works great and its free);
- Right click your new drive and select 'Open AutoPlay'
- Install the game and use game key provided in this comments section;
2nd: -----------------
- Download the game patch and no-cd patch;
- Install the game patch first;
- Then swap out the installed golf.exe for the one provided in the no-cd patch download;
3rd: -----------------
- Change compatibility to WinXP (serv pack 2) and set to Run as Administrator;
AND YOUR DONE! :)
david2020-08-210 point
OK, I'm not so bright.
Can someone please provide instructions on how to install on Win10? I downloaded the 4 files below.
Can't figure out what the ISO-version is.
I unzipped the RIP version and assume this is the installed location.
I ran the Patch file and installed it in the same RIP folder as golf.exe
I ran the compatability check (XP patch 3 was the only option on my comp).
No dice.
Thanks for your feedback!
dkab2020-08-101 point
In Windows 10, set golf.exe to run in compatibility mode for Windows XP (Service Pack 2).
m_ar2020-08-050 point
unable to get past the second layer of game menus (selecting where you'd like to build your course) without the game becoming non-responsive. Win10
admin2020-07-250 point
Thanks Clyde, I think the 'demo' was a full RIP, I extracted the patch and noCD, they are now in separate downloads.
Clyde2020-07-240 point
Hi everybody!,
So i discovered a fix by accident. After i couldn't get the full game to work, I said f*** it and downloaded the demo. In the zip file I noticed two extra files; One being a patch for the FULL GAME and the other being a 'no-cd patched' exe game file..... So I said 'What the hell!' and first ran the patch update (I still had the full game installed [p.s. I have windows 10 and have experienced the black screen to desktop with no error]) then I exchanged the 'golf.exe' file with the one in the 'SIMGOLF.102.ENG.MYTH.NOCD.ZIP' folder........... and OMG IT WORKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
------- I hope this helps others
Your Friend,
Clyde!!!!
Babylovesim2020-07-23-1 point
your download requires some conversion and loaded to a disk. this had a download, that was just a small program. my disk drive isnt working, so i cant download this.
Tandoori2020-05-111 point
I found the solution. You'll need a no cd patch to get it to work on Windows 10. Apparently for some security reasons Windows 10 doesn't allow accessing virtually mounted drives or something.
Tandoori2020-05-110 point
Like some others, I can't run this on Win10. Installed using the serial number provided but not able to start even with Windows XP SP2 compatibility mode,
That Guy2020-05-08-1 point
Yeah, unfortunately, this copy of an amazing game will not run in Windows 10. The serial number will get you through installation (Thanks PQXF) but it just wont run. Anyone have some insight?
pqxf2019-12-188 points
Here's a serial number for the full version 2495-6442747-3576919-6013
Use UltraISO to convert from B6I/B6T to BIN/CUE
Mt-Player2019-08-251 point
When I download it, it just comes as a file.
Not a playable format, what am I doing wrong?
FroggieLongTongue2019-08-101 point
What's the serial number at the back of the box? :)
Floppy Waffle2018-06-153 points
You have to run this in Windows XP SP2 compatibility mode to get this to work on Windows 10
BigBird2018-05-02-13 points
I'm having a lot of trouble getting this to run on Windows 10, anyone had success?
MAM2017-01-21-6 points
It's the demo
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