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Pull on those Plus Fours, pull down that golf cap and prepare to tee into action. World Tour Golf offers armchair golfers the opportunity to play eighteen world famous golf courses, from St Andrews to Shinnecock Hills, plus a specially designed course. A construction set also allows the player to design courses, and save up to a maximum of twenty-five per disk.

The program offers a range of options from the main activity screen. Practice is available on the driving range, putting green or by playing a sample hole. A course proper is selected from one of the nineteen provided. Additionally, there's the option of playing a match or stroke game against up to three other players.

Each course is loaded separately and includes a variety of hazards, such as trees, hills, water and bunkers. A green can also be wet or dry, sloped or flat, which affects the speed and movement of the ball.

The playing screen is divided vertically and provides both overhead and Leaderboard-style viewpoints. Fourteen clubs are available, from Driver to Sand Wedge, each selected from joystick. Shots are directed via a moveable cross-hair, and the stroke is controlled from a Swing Meter, accessed by pressing the Fire button.

A further three presses are required to initiate the backswing, set the desired strength of shot and finally set the hook or slive on contact with the ball.

Once near the flag, the overhead viewpoint changes to that of the green itself, and the putter is automatically selected. Putts are made by simply aiming the shot and determining the strength of shot required.

Golf games are now quite widespread on the C64. When they're well implemented (as with the Leaderboard series) they can move addictive because of the multiple possibilities of final scores and the ways in which they're attained.

World Tour Golf is moderately compulsive to play, but the sound, graphics and animation aren't as effective as the Access simulations, nor is the ball movement as realistic. World Tour Golf deserves minor recognition for its novelty value, since there's a whole load of options (the player and course customisations are particularly impressive), and the on-screen presentation is interesting in that it provides both map and 3D views at the same time. However, the strained and unrewarding gameplay does nothing to make you want to tackle the wealth of courses available.

No prizes for guessing the standard comparison for World Tour Golf. The Access version is far superior in every way. True, there are more options with Electronic Arts' effort, but these do nothing to enhance the gameplay itself.

I don't really care what my character's name is, or how far he can drive, when the action of making a stroke is so poorly represented. The incredible accuracy of the Leaderboard series made them very enjoyable to play; you actually believed the stroke had been made in three dimensions.

World Tour Golf fails dismally: the ball wobbles around like a Cruise missile with its guidance system up the spout, and even putting has been made finnicky and unrealistic. Until Access' simulations can be clearly surpassed, I don't see the point of creating another also-ran.

Presentation 86% Excellent instruction booklet, useful and interesting option and good on-screen layout.

Graphics 58% Reasonably drawn landscapes, but the animation is weak and the ball's movement terrible.

Sound 5% Pathetic effects.

Hookability 59% The appeal of options and user-friendly control system is partially destroyed by the naff graphics and animation.

Lastability 40% The poor gameplay and lack of realism causes a level of antipathy which even the wide range of options doesn't redeem.

Overall 55% A rough-hewn simulation which offers no real competition to the Leaderboard series - many of which are now available on compilation tapes.