(*) RENEGADE PRESENTS (*) (*) A ROUGH GUIDE TO SENSIBLE GOLF (*) GENERAL TIPS : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AIMING THE BALL : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This isn't actually as easy as it sounds. You see, the CPU will automatically line you up with the hole in a direct line -- irrelevant of any hazards that might by in the way. Therefore, if you're a petulant sort of person you'll end up either eating sand or treading water. The solution is to pay a bit of attention to the overhead map. More often than not you'll find that you won't be able to play a shot directly towards the hole, but in a series of staggered shots, skirting any nasty obstacles. Remember, you get penalised one shot for each that ends up in the water. SWERVING THE BALL : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ By now you're probably acquainted with the draw and fade of the ball when you miss-time a shot. Because, if you're like me, it probably happens quite a lot. However, you can use this rather nifty function to great effect to swerve the ball around an obstacle. Quite often you'll have to do this when you've hit a poor shot and ended up in the rough. To swerve the ball, point the cursor to the left or right of the hole you're aiming for. Now start your shot and when you reach the red zone at the bottom of the Welly-o-meter, stop it either early or late. So, if you've pointed the cursor to the right of the hole, stop your down swing early. All things being equal, the ball should perform a neat arc in the air. PLAYING A BUNKER SHOT : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The important thing to remember here is that sand can decrease the power of your shot. Therefore, always hit the ball slightly harder than you would on the grass. The other thing to remember is that you'll need a fairly lowly iron to clear the sand. You can try hoofing your way out of a bunker with a two or there iron, but you'll have to be exceptionally accurate on the welly-o-meter. READING THE GREENS : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you've ever played golf for real then you'll know that putting greens are, quite literally, sods. You can carefully line your shot up, choose exactly the right amount of power, and take into account the wind and green speed, but there's usually some git of a lump that sends your ball off course at the last minute. Therefore it's wise to carefully examine all those little arrows that adorn the green. Believe me, you'll be tempted to simply whack the ball at the hole and hope for the best. And you'll miss. If the arrows are pointing towards you from the direction of the hole then you're playing uphill and will have to hit the ball that little bit harder. Conversely, if they're pointing away from you you'll have to hit it a bit softer to allow for roll. If they're pointing diagonaly towarts or away from you, then you'll have to curve the ball around the slope by pointing the cursor at the opposite side of the hole. After a bit of practice you'll be sinking 'em like sevvie. AUGUSTO : ~~~~~~~~~ HOLE : 13 YARDS : 381 PAR : 5 CONDITIONS : FINE Dont't even try to reach the narrow causeway here - even if you make it, you'll roll straight into the water at the other side. Instead, hit the ball at about 10 o'clock using a full-strength 1 wood, then go more or less straight up, and across to reach the green in three for an easy birdie. CASABLANCA : ~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOLE : 6 YARDS : 195 PAR : 4 CONDITIONS : DANDY It's easy enough to go round the trees and hit the green in two for a fine birdie, but if you switch to a 1 wood and hit it at the maximum power, you can just about sneak over the water ( try to catch the mud to slow it down ) and run the green for a fairly easy eagle chance. DUSSELDORF : ~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOLE : 1 YARDS : 179 PAR : 4 CONDITIONS : IDEAL Aim slightly of the left, where the green island bulges down slightly. Hit your 3 iron at full power and you'll just make the edge of the grass, leaving a simple chip to the green for another birdie. Don't use a bigger club or you'll overrun and land in the water on the other side. GENEVA : ~~~~~~~~ HOLE : 3 YARDS : 329 PAR : 4 CONDITIONS : DAMP There's no advantage in going the hard way up the right-hand side - just use your 1 wood and belt the ball to the upper corner of the triangular patch of grass on the left. From there, even somebody who thinks Cannon Fodder II is too hard could easily chip to the green for an soft birdie. LADBROKE GROVE : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOLE : 10 YARDS : 213 PAR : 3 CONDITIONS : SOGGY The default club here ( the 2 wood ) should just clear the water, but you'll run into the bunker. Use the 1 wood instead, which should leave you an easier fairway shot, or even on the green if you get a lucky bounce on the edge of the bunker. LAS VEGAS : ~~~~~~~~~~~ HOLE : 7 YARDS : 410 PAR : 5 CONDITIONS : BRIGHT You can follow the fairway here and still be on the green in three for a birdie, but the narrow strip of grass on the right of the central bunker is nicely placed for a big 1 wood shot to the upper edge of the water, from where you can easily reach the green with a 2 or 3 wood and give yourself an almost certain egale. LYON : ~~~~~~ HOLE : 7 YARDS : 410 PAR : 5 CONDITIONS : MOIST The clearing up the right hand side is a red herring - follow the fairway with your first shot and you'll have a very good chance of clearing the left-hand forest with your 1 wood, and hitting the green in two for an eagle. MADEIRA ISLAND : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOLE : 8 YARDS : 372 PAR : 4 CONDITIONS : DREAMY Aim a little to the right of the default position - you'll still clear the lake comfortably, and you won't risk rolling into the water or mud - as you will if you hit the ball straight up what looks like the safer path. Aiming right will leave you a risk-free shot to the green for yet another birdie. MADRID : ~~~~~~~~ HOLE : 17 YARDS : 342 PAR : 5 CONDITIONS : LUSH Aim for the right-hand corner of the third lake, and use 2 wood ( or 3 wood if your aiming's even slightly dodgy ). For the second shot, pick the 2 wood again ( or 3 iron if you're right at the water's edge ) and whack it full strength to clear the last lake and almost certainly end up on the green for the chance of an eagle. MAUI : ~~~~~~ HOLE : 12 YARDS : 259 PAR : 3 CONDITIONS : FAB Move the aiming cursor about three notches to the left of the starting position, and do a full-power 1 wood shot to get through the awkwardlyangled gap and hit the green for a birdie putt. MELBOURNE : ~~~~~~~~~~~ HOLE : 10 YARDS : 275 PAR : 4 CONDITIONS : CLAMMY A full-power shot will just sneak over the central lake, so aim just to the right of the small upper lake and smack it with all your might. You mightbounce off the shallow water, but you'll make it all right. OAKVILLE : ~~~~~~~~~~ HOLE : 18 YARDS : 227 PAR : 4 CONDITIONS : SODDEN It looks deceptively temping, but no matter how well you hit it, there's no way on Earth you'll make it across those trees. Go the easy way and you'll still be on the green in two for a birdie. It's not a par 4 for nothing. PITTSBURGH : ~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOLE : 1 YARDS : 412 PAR : 4 CONDITIONS : PASTORAL Aim four notches to the left of the default position, and go at it full tilt with your 1 wood. Don't worry about the bunker - you'll trundle to a halt just short of it, leaving a simple little shot to the green. And then, of course, it's birdie time again. PUERTO RICO : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOLE : 1 YARDS : 374 PAR : 4 CONDITIONS : HEAVENLY Don't be tempted to gain an advantage by trying for the left-hand fairway - those trees are placed to hurt you. A full-power 1 wood up the right will leave you plenty of scope for a 3 wood second shot to the green for one more birdie. ROME : ~~~~~~ HOLE : 14 YARDS : 327 PAR : 4 CONDITIONS : SHOWERY It looks dodgy, but in fact you'll reach that little left-hand patch of fairway easily with your 1 wood. However, try to hit the first half of the red bar of your Welly-o-meter, as a maximumpower shot may very well run on into the top lake and cost you a penalty stroke. At last. SAFFRON WALDEN : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOLE : 18 YARDS : 227 PAR : 4 CONDITIONS : BLEAK It looks deceptively tempting, but no matter how well you hit it, there's no way on Earth you'll make it across those trees. Go the easy and - hang on a minute. There's something funny going on around here. SINGAPORE : ~~~~~~~~~~~ HOLE : 6 YARDS : 396 PAR : 4 CONDITIONS : DIVINE Not for the nervous, this one. Aim directly at the foor of the bridge with your 1 wood and you'll roll safely onto the wooden surface for a comfy second shot to the green and a birdie. If you're not that confident, a fullstrength 2 wood might just get you close enough, but it'll be trickier. SINTRA : ~~~~~~~~ HOLE : 10 YARDS : 168 PAR : 3 CONDITIONS : GENTLE The default 4 iron won't give you enough oomph to clear the river here. Use the 3 iron on absolute maximum power ( if you're good ), or the 3 wood ( which will leave you a harder second shot ) if you're a little bit on the unreliable side. ST ANDREAS'S : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOLE : 4 YARDS : 265 PAR : 4 CONDITIONS : DREICH Down, down-towards, towards and press all three punch buttons while holding - oh no, sorry. You'll never reach the island from the tee, so go up the fairway like any normal person. You'll still get a birdie, so stop whining already. SUTTON : ~~~~~~~~ HOLE : 9 YARDS : 327 PAR : 4 CONDITIONS : NORTHERN Despite appearances, you CAN actually clear this one with your 1 wood, but only if you hit the last two pixels of the power meter. Use the default aiming and you'll leave yourself a straightforward shot to the green for a birdie. The faint of heart can follow the fairway, but it's a near-certain route to a par at best. TARPON SPRINGS : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOLE : 1 YARDS : 352 PAR : 5 CONDITIONS : CHEERFUL A nice easy one here. Aim for the dead centre of the big island-type thing, and then a full blooded 1 wood shot will run conveniently to the edge of, but no into, the horseshoe lake. Your 3 wood will then clear the top lake for a potential eagle. TENERIFE : ~~~~~~~~~~ HOLE : ? YARDS : ??? PAR : ? CONDITIONS : BORING There are no intreesting holes on the Tenerife course. But there's a hole anyway, just in case you get bored. THOMASTOWN : ~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOLE : 3 YARDS : 219 PAR : 3 CONDITIONS : SWAMPY Just kidding. Hit the ball in the hole that sort of thing. TOKYO : ~~~~~~~ HOLE : 18 YARDS : 227 PAR : 4 CONDITIONS : DEJA VU It looks deceptively tempting, but - LOOK, JUST THAT OUT, ALRIGHT ?