LS 2000 was developed by Access Software. Because of a limited development period, few new features were added to the game in relation to its predecessor. Links LS 2000 was completed in September 1999, and was released in North America the following month. The game was released as a set of three CDs, and was published by Microsoft, which purchased Access Software earlier in 1999. Links LS 2000 10-Course Pack is an add-on program for Links LS 2000 and its predecessor. It features additional courses for tournaments. It was completed in January 2000, and was released the following month. Links LS Classic, released in November 2000, is a version of Links LS 2000 that includes 21 championship courses. In November 2000, a Macintosh version of the game was released. It was ported to Macintosh by Green Dragon Creations, and was published by MacSoft, also in a set of three CDs. Contests In November 1999, Microsoft launched the "Links LS 2000 Hole-in-One Sweepstakes," in which players would try to make a hole-in-one on the seventh hole of the game's Mauna Kea course. The winner would receive a two-person trip to Hawaii, a five-night stay at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, $500 of spending money, and a round of golf on the real Mauna Kea course. In June 2000, Microsoft announced its "Father's Day on the Fairway Sweepstakes", in which two grand-prize winners would compete against each other in real golf and a game of Links LS 2000. The winner would get to play a round of golf with Arnold Palmer, while 100 first-prize winners would receive a free copy of Links LS 2000. Reception The game received favorable reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings. Critics viewed it as a minimally upgraded version of its predecessor, and were hopeful that Links 2001 would be more of a substantial update in the series. Tony Wyss of GameSpy described the game as Links LS 1999 but with more multiplayer options, as well as "minimal feature improvements that keep it from being great." Wyss considered it "an extremely difficult game to assess as a reviewer," recommending it for first-time players of a golf video game while stating that owners of Links LS 1999 might want to reconsider before purchasing it. Sports Gaming Network also considered it a difficult game to review because of its similarities to the previous game, and likewise recommended it