PGA Tour Golf
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PGA Tour Golf

PGA Tour Golf is a golf video game and the first in the PGA Tour game series. It was developed by Sterling Silver Software and released in 1990 for MS-DOS. It was initially published by Electronic Arts, which subsequently released versions of the game for Sega Genesis and Amiga in 1991, followed by a version for the SNES in 1992. By 1994, Tengen had published versions for Sega's Master System and Game Gear consoles. PGA Tour Golf received generally positive reviews for its realism, sound, and camera. Several critics considered the computer versions to be the best golf game available at the time of its release. It was followed by PGA Tour Golf II.

PGA Tour Golf features three real golf courses: PGA West, TPC Avenel, and TPC Sawgrass. It also includes a fictional fourth course, Sterling Shores. Various game modes are featured, including Tournament, Driving, Putting, and Practice. In Tournament, the player competes against a total of 60 unseen players, whose statistics are displayed on a scoreboard. The player can watch a replay of any golf shot, and good shots are automatically replayed. The game includes variable wind conditions which affect where the ball will land.

Before starting each course, the player is given a three-dimensional view of the hole, and the camera pans from the hole to the player's starting position. To further aid the player, an overhead map of the course is shown before starting each hole and after each shot. Upon reaching the green, the player views the area as a three-dimensional contoured grid to study the uneven terrain for better putting. The player also receives advice from PGA golfers. The Amiga and Master System versions include a multiplayer option. A 1994 U.K. re-release of the Amiga version includes the three courses from PGA Tour Golf II, as well as three additional tournaments.

PGA Tour Golf was developed by American company Sterling Silver Software, and was initially published by Electronic Arts, which released the game for MS-DOS computers in July 1990. The following year, Electronic Arts released versions for Amiga and Sega Genesis (also known as the Mega Drive). The Genesis version was released in the U.S. in April 1991, followed by a U.K. release the next month. A Macintosh version had also been released in the U.S. by the end of 1991.

In March 1992, Electronics Arts published a U.S. version for the SNES. It was also released in the U.K. By 1994, Tengen had published versions for Sega's Game Gear and Master System consoles. The latter version is a conversion of the Genesis version, which was converted from the computer version. In the U.K., The Hit Squad published re-releases for the Amiga in 1994 and 1996, while a 1997 Amiga re-release was published in the U.K. by Guildhall.

The game's music was composed by Rob Hubbard.

The computer versions received positive reviews, with several critics considering it the best golf game available at the time of its release. The computer versions were mostly praised for their graphics and realism, including the ball movements and wind conditions. The sound was mostly praised across various platforms, as was the variety of options. The camera and various perspectives were also praised. The Amiga and Genesis versions received some praise for the fast loading times of each new screen. Amiga Action stated that PGA Tour Golf stood out from other golfing games with its various features, while concluding that it could appeal to non golf fans. Phil Campbell of Australian Commodore and Amiga Review believed the game was better than Mean 18, with superior graphics, improved views of the course, and more game options.

The One, reviewing the DOS version in 1990, stated that the game had a perfect balance of realism and simplistic gameplay. The One reviewed the Amiga version of PGA Tour Golf in 1991, giving it an overall score of 92%. They called it a "brilliant conversion" of the PC version, and further expressed that it "has retained the energy and playability of the original PC version." The One criticises the 'fly-by' feature as 'jerky', as well as the game's frequent disk-accessing, although noting that the latter can be disabled though settings, and expresses that these grievances cause "nothing major [to be] lost from the gameplay." The One praises PGA Tour Golf's sound effects and attention to detail, furthermore stating that "PGA Tour Golf is the best golf game currently available."

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