Leaderboard

Leaderboard from 1986 by Access Software was among the first golf simulations that tried to emulate a real golf swing instead of simply hitting the ball with a single button. The player sets the power and accuracy of the shot using a three-stage system – starting the swing motion, reaching the top of the backswing, and the moment of impact with the ball – where even a slight timing error causes a slice or a hook and sends the ball off the fairway into the rough or straight into the water, forcing the player to play the next shot from a much worse position.

On the Commodore 64, the game offers several professional eighteen-hole courses with varied terrain, water hazards, and bunkers, and the player has to pick the right club for the distance and the conditions on the green, since choosing a weaker or stronger club drastically changes the ball's trajectory and landing. Accounting for wind strength and the slope of the green added strategic depth to the game, since reading the hole correctly was often more important than the power of the shot itself, and experienced players could save strokes through smart shot planning. The sound of the club striking the ball and the crowd's applause after a good shot round out the tournament atmosphere and reward the player for a precisely executed stroke, while a botched shot is met with the crowd's quiet disappointment.

At the time, Leaderboard was considered one of the most accurate golf simulations on home computers, and its swing system influenced many later golf games, which adopted and further developed the same three-stage principle. On the Commodore 64, the game is still appreciated for its faithful handling of golf rules and can still keep players entertained by hunting for the ideal strategy on every hole, though today's players need patience with its slower pace and fewer visual effects than they're used to from newer sports titles - but anyone willing to spend a little patience will still enjoy its take on golf even after all these years.

Why play it: For patient golf fans who don't mind a slower pace and fewer effects than newer titles, offering an honestly crafted three-stage swing and the search for the ideal strategy on every hole.