Golden Bear Challenge

[Still Linksing]

Here is a game that runs absolutely perfectly on Win 10.
I've just started messing with it again and it's such a great game!
Bringing it to your attention.

One of the things I really like, you can set the swing meter speed. You can also set the penalty for missing the snap not just on an overall basis but individually for:

Full shot accuracy
Sand play
Around the Green
Putting

You adjust these things by adding or removing "Skill Points."
I have included a screenshot from the relevant menu screen in the game. You can also remove skill points from full shot power so you can hit shorter distances if you wish.

User courses? There are tonnes of them. I actually have way more for GBC than Links. I think somewhere around 900!

[Guitarzan]

I used to play GBC a lot when it first came out. I quickly got the hang of it and it became too easy and so I stopped playing years ago. I had it running on W10 as well, but my first round after years of not playing yielded a 9 under 63 at Shoal Creek. So yeah, beautiful game, brought back good memories but no challenge at all. I find that TW07 is also on the easy side, but not quite as much as GBC. Links is still the sim that excites me and befuddles me all the time, especially the putting in L2001 where you have to hit it pretty well dead center most of the time.

[Still Linksing]

I used to play GBC a lot when it first came out. I quickly got the hang of it and it became too easy and so I stopped playing years ago. I had it running on W10 as well, but my first round after years of not playing yielded a 9 under 63 at Shoal Creek. So yeah, beautiful game, brought back good memories but no challenge at all. I find that TW07 is also on the easy side, but not quite as much as GBC. Links is still the sim that excites me and befuddles me all the time, especially the putting in L2001 where you have to hit it pretty well dead center most of the time.

Set skill points to zero and use the fast or ultra fast swing meter. Don't use the trajectory thingy just move the golfer's stance to aim. Control distance using the swing meter like Links. Kill the PIP. That would toughen things up for anyone I would think. If you want to go even further, you kill the overhead but I wouldn't like to do that myself but I'd be happy to do all the rest.

I'm not far from finishing up my Links 2000 season and intend to move onto another golf game. Think I might go to Links 2001 next. I remember it was more of a challenge than 2003 as you mention. I thought it was tougher all-round, not just on putting. I remember complaining about 2003 being too easy in the Microsoft forum! lol
Tournaments are easier to set up as well. Haven't played 2001 since Links 2003 was released. Looking forward to 2001 and playing some 2001 courses I really enjoyed back then I haven't played since. 2001 I have to play on the XP machine unless I want the software renderer. To be honest, if no other computer was available, the software renderer isn't all that bad.

Tiger Woods games I've given up on. May try 2008 but 2003 doesn't work. All versions tend to give a memory error which isn't hard to get around on Win 10. I got TW2003 running but the Truswing doesn't work. I can move the mouse really fast and it'll register 67% power. Shame, 2003 was a good game.
I noticed the TW forums died really fast after Win 10 release. I think many could not get the games going again.

PGA 2000 needs to now go to the XP machine because all animations in the game don't display properly after a Win 10 update.

That leaves Links 2003 and GBC as the only old time golf games that still work on a modern system without issue.

[pmgolf]

I found a free download of GBC6 here:

https://www.oldpcgaming.net/jack-nickla ... challenge/

Pete

[Still Linksing]

I found a free download of GBC6 here:

https://www.oldpcgaming.net/jack-nickla ... challenge/

Pete

If anyone who doesn't have it wants to try it, I can post instructions on how to install. I can also upload the extra patch for it so it runs on later versions of Windows 7/8/10.
It's not a difficult process to install and the game works flawlessly on later operating systems. There is also a HD patch but I've never used it, I can upload that too. Just post in this thread.

I also have 255 real course files uploaded on the internet. Some might be the same version of a course by a different designer or a v2 of the same course by the same designer. Anyhow, there are still lots of them. They are all the better courses as well. There was a site that had reviews and ratings when I downloaded many of these but it's gone now. I didn't download anything below a 7/10 so the courses should all be quite good. Some courses were from another site that I only downloaded after viewing screenshots. I downloaded the course if it looked good.

Just checked, there's 5.42gig worth.

[Guitarzan]

Yeah, for GBC courses anything by Brian Silvernail and Scott Chesney is great and Terry Armstrong did all the Links courses for it as well. There are a couple of other designers whose names escape me but there are a lot of great tracks out there. The course designer is pretty easy to use so that encouraged a lot of good designs.

As for TW, if you can get hold of TW07 and apply the widescreen fix, it works flawlessly in W10. I want to finish out my PGA career by, as the game states, becoming the greatest golfer of all time by winning all four majors in the same year. It's a tough task to be sure.

Links 2001 works for me in W10. I set the mode at 3 and set software mode to 0 in the regedit box and Bob's your uncle. Always liked the video captured animations better than the 3D. Playing with Weir, Arnie, Stadler and others is the best. If only Fuzzy could've carried over....
Of all the Links, 2001 is the hardest IMHO. If L2001 had shadows it would be perfect, the odd rubber cup not withstanding

The cherry on top would be to get LS2000 to work on W10 and I'm hoping someone can find the Holy Grail on that one. Like I said in another post, I got it right to the point where I can swing a club but the meter freezes so maybe it's an old video codec that just isn't compatible.

[Still Linksing]

Links 2001 works for me in W10. I set the mode at 3 and set software mode to 0 in the regedit box and Bob's your uncle.

Doesn't work for me. I can get 1280x1024 resolution which is what I want but not hardware acceleration. Means I'm limited to 16 bit color. It's still not bad but I'll use the old PC for 2001 to get 32 bit color and have it running perfectly.
It could be Win 10, the newer drivers or newer card that stops the reg edit working. Until someone else tries to install it and gives some feedback on their hardware I can only guess.

The cherry on top would be to get LS2000 to work on W10 and I'm hoping someone can find the Holy Grail on that one. Like I said in another post, I got it right to the point where I can swing a club but the meter freezes so maybe it's an old video codec that just isn't compatible.

I have little faith we will ever see Links 2000 work on a modern system again. There are a multitude of issues with the LS versions. I got the same result as you but even though it works all the way to the swing meter, getting it working beyond that is going to be a task. I've tried many things. There is some software which I believe is the best option to get Links 2000 working. I have contacted the software guru as he knows the software the best and he agreed to try and make the game work. He started working on Links 2000 but immediately hit problems. He's been quiet a few days now with no further progress.
A virtual machine is an option but I'm not sure it will work there either. I already tried a straight install into XP using a VM on my Win 7 PC and 2000 didn't work. There is tinkering you can do with a VM too but options are very limited.

[jrr12121]

Guys,
Can you share all the patches for this game. Tried installing in Windows 10 and is working, however I think you would need to install the patches to get the 1080p resolution. Can't seem to register in their community. Highly appreciate the help.