Other Greens

If you'd prefer a different, more traditional approach to miniature golf, consider Hole-in-One Miniature Golf from DigiTek Software (8910 North Dale Mabry, Executive Center, Suite 37. Tampa, Florida 33614:813-933-8023: $29.95). There are two courses, each with 18 holes. If you want to play course 2, you must complete course 1 at par or better. The holes are viewed from above with varying shades of green indicating different levels. Up to four people can play, and the game keeps everyone's score on an automated scoreboard.

The 18 holes in each course are fairly standard fare except for a few surprises (check out the magic hole). The graphics are good, with a lot of scenery including trees hot dog stands and streams. But the overhead view often makes it hard to tell how the hole is set up. In fact, in some cases, the path from the pad to the hole is invisible because it's hidden under a bridge.

The interface is strange. In most golf games, you move the pointer behind the ball (as if the pointer represented the golf club). However, in Hole-in-One, you move the pointer to the place you want the ball to go. This is certainly easier, but it's also less realistic. Also, the menus are concealed until you press the right mouse button.

Other features are odd too. For example, if you retry a shot, you don't get the stroke back. So you spend two strokes for each shot you try again. Also, top scores aren't saved to disk. And an option called Contour which shows you a side view of the hole isn't available on some holes where it's needed.

Hole-in-One is a pretty traditional game of miniature golf. It's fun once you've learned how some of the difficult holes work.

—David Plotkin