Jack Nicklaus' Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf
| Company type | Video game |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Founder | Sculptured Software |
| Products | Golf simulation video game |
Jack Nicklaus' Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf is a golf simulation video game created by Sculptured Software and initially published by Accolade, Inc. in 1988. It was made available on a variety of platforms such as Amiga, Amstrad CPC, [[Apple IIGS|Apple IITemplate:Sc]], Atari ST, C64, MS-DOS, Macintosh, MSX, NES, PC-88, Sharp X68000, and Game Boy.
From 1990 to 1991, the title was adapted for the U.S. TurboGrafx-16 and its Japanese equivalent, the PC Engine, distributed on HuCard cartridges and CD-ROMs. The TurboGrafx-16 editions were marketed as Jack Nicklaus' Turbo Golf, whereas the PC Engine CD-ROM version carried the name Jack Nicklaus World Golf Tour. In 1992, the Game Boy adaptation was released under the title Jack Nicklaus Golf.
This release marked the beginning of the commercially successful Jack Nicklaus golf game franchise, which continued with Jack Nicklaus' Unlimited Golf & Course Design in 1990.
Gameplay
The game combines Jack Nicklaus' preferred 18 golf holes into one course, featuring iconic holes from renowned venues such as Augusta National Golf Club, Muirfield, Pebble Beach Golf Links, Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, and the Old Course at St Andrews. Additionally, it includes two courses designed by Nicklaus himself: Castle Pines in Colorado and Desert Mountain in Arizona. The Game Boy version incorporates an extra course, Muirfield Village. For computer platforms, multiple expansion disks were released to increase the selection of playable courses.
Players can choose between two modes: Stroke Play and Skins. Multiplayer options support up to four participants. Competitors face off against eight computer-controlled golfers, including Jack Nicklaus, who provides advice between holes.
The TurboGrafx-16 iteration, Jack Nicklaus' Turbo Golf, presents notable differences from other versions. Its CD-ROM edition offers five courses, featuring Castle Pines alongside additional courses from earlier expansions such as The Australian Golf Club and Royal Troon Golf Club. This version enables 360-degree views of each course and includes Nicklaus delivering guidance between holes. Conversely, the HuCard cartridge release contains only one course—the Australian Golf Club—and offers eight computer opponents plus Nicklaus himself.
Release
Published by Accolade in 1988, Jack Nicklaus' Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf was distinguished at launch for having one of the longest software titles at that time. By August 1989, UK editions for the Commodore 64 and PC were available, with versions for the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, and Atari ST slated for release later that year. The Apple IITemplate:Sc version arrived by late 1989, followed by a release on the Macintosh platform in 1990. The NES adaptation, published by Konami, debuted in the United States in March 1990 and reached the UK market in August 1991. Additional versions were also launched for the MSX, PC-88, and Sharp X68000 systems.
For the U.S. market's TurboGrafx-16, the game appeared as Jack Nicklaus' Turbo Golf in both HuCard and CD-ROM formats. The Japanese counterpart, the PC Engine, featured a CD-ROM edition titled Jack Nicklaus' World Golf Tour, while its HuCard release retained the original name. These versions became available between 1990 and 1991.
The Game Boy version named Jack Nicklaus Golf was published by Tradewest in May 1992 in the U.S., coinciding with an unrelated SNES game sharing an identical title.
Computer versions
The computer editions were criticized for lengthy loading periods when transitioning between screens and for a complicated off-disc copy protection mechanism. Some reviewers favorably likened the game to the Leader Board series. The graphics received commendation on platforms such as Amiga, Amstrad CPC, and Commodore 64.
Amstrad Action described the CPC edition as "undoubtedly the finest golf simulator available on a CPC," although it acknowledged that the game's appeal might primarily attract golf enthusiasts and seasoned players. CU Amiga-64 lauded the gameplay on Amiga but pointed out shortcomings in sound effects, putting mechanics, and sluggish AI opponents. Both Zzap!64 and The Games Machine criticized the sound design, pixelated backgrounds, dull color palettes, and poorly animated golfer characters across all versions. While The Games Machine appreciated the digitized likeness of Jack Nicklaus, it considered other graphical elements subpar.
Tom Malcom from .info described the Commodore 64 visuals as sufficient but labeled the audio as "terrible," ultimately deeming it a solid option overall. Upon reviewing the Amiga version later, he praised the gameplay but suggested graphical enhancements and recommended adding an option to disable Nicklaus' advice to accelerate play.
Bob Wade of Amiga Format complimented the sound quality, whereas Tony Hetherington from Your Amiga criticized the putting controls but regarded the game as competently programmed, though somewhat uninspiring. Amiga Action endorsed the title but preferred Leader Board, while Amiga User International recommended it mainly for players who had not yet acquired Accolade’s comparable Mean 18.
Dan Muse of inCider hailed the Apple IIgs version as "setting a new benchmark in computer golf games" and called it "the best sports game, period," appreciating Nicklaus' inter-hole portrait despite its somewhat cheesy nature. Michael Dashe from Macworld praised the Macintosh edition for its impressive visuals, authentic gameplay, and diverse course selection.
Mike Siggins of Games International awarded a score of 4 out of 5 stars, describing it as an excellent game limited by slow screen refresh rates. In his review of Jack Nicklaus Golf – Additional Courses Vol II, he rated it 7 out of 10 but cautioned buyers against purchasing further expansions until performance issues were resolved.
Other versions
The NES and TurboGrafx-16 editions were criticized for sluggish animation during replays. According to Raze, the NES version’s straightforward gameplay made multiplayer sessions more enjoyable than solo play. Mean Machines pointed out blocky environments that impaired gameplay, disparaged the golfer sprite, average sound effects, and absence of music, concluding that it was a "tedious golf simulator" primarily suited for dedicated fans of the genre. The Chicago Sun-Times praised one iteration as excellent for golf enthusiasts while remaining accessible to beginners.
Chip and Jonathan Carter from the Philadelphia Daily News reviewed the TurboGrafx-16 cartridge version, commending its gameplay and graphics but lamenting the lack of extra courses. GamePro recommended the TurboGrafx-16 CD-ROM release to golf aficionados but criticized its slow replay animations and noted few distinguishing features compared to other golf games.