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Down in the bunker, things are not looking good. I've been hacking away at this golf ball with my sand wedge and getting nowhere fast. My opponent, out of trouble on the green, laughs.

My only previous experience of golf has been on the crazy folf course or pitch 'n putt. I don't even like watching it on television. So why am I playing Ariolasoft's new golf simulation program? The answer is simple - I like it.

It allows you to play four of Britain's top championship courses - The Belfry, Wentworth Old Course, Sunningdale and Royal St George's. You can also design and create your own courses. They can be as simple or as complicated as you want.

Up to four people can play. Each starts with a 28 handicap. The right hand side of the screen is taken with a plan view of the hole in play, showing the tee, fairway and green.

The top left hand part of the screen gives a 3D view of the hole. Below this is a window giving information of clubs available, position of the feet etc.

For the actual shot, an animated map appears on the screen. Pressing the Fire button makes him swing the club. Pressing the button at the appropriate point during the swing will decide the strength of the shot.

Wind speed, temperature and ground conditions can all be selected.

Ariolasoft launched the game at Wentworth where the club stalwarts, after what appears to be a few suspicious glances at the computer, were soon playing the game.

The odd thing about Golf Construction Set is that, although it was designed in Britain by Tigress Marketing, it was programmed in Hungary - by people who had never seen or played golf!

Like Ariolasoft's other home-grown game Think?, Golf Construction Set is better than most of their American imports.