for beginning computer golfers. William Abner of Computer Games Strategy Plus considered it a "terribly difficult game to rate," praising its gameplay, its features, and calling it "one of the finer" golf simulations available, while noting its similarities to the previous game. Paul Rosano of Hartford Courant wrote that because of its $50 price, the game was difficult to recommend to owners of its predecessor, but stated that for players who "haven't updated since "Links 98" or earlier, there is definitely enough to warrant a purchase." Tom Ham of PC Accelerator wrote that the game "feels more like an upgrade than a full-fledged product – still not a bad thing." Stephen Poole of GameSpot wrote that the game's additional features "are so unimpressive both in quantity and quality that there's simply not much reason for owners of the previous version to get excited," further stating that the game felt more like an add-on course bundle. Jeff Lackey of Computer Gaming World wrote that the game "appears to be a meager repackaging of its predecessor" with "just the barest minimum of additions necessary to justify the new package and name." Critics believed that competitors such as Jack Nicklaus 6: Golden Bear Challenge and PGA Championship Golf 1999 Edition were superior to the game, with Poole writing that "the days of simply assuming the latest iteration of Links is the best golf sim around are long gone - especially if the series doesn't begin to evolve more quickly than it has in the past couple of installments." Lackey cited the game's lack of a course designer as one of its disadvantages against competitors, and noted that additional courses could not be downloaded for free, as with rival games. Martin Korda of PC Zone considered the lack of a course designer to be significant, calling its absence almost unforgivable. Sports Gaming Network considered the absence of a course designer to be the game's "biggest, most glaring omission," stating that such a feature "has become virtually mandatory in the golf sim world these days" and that it would have significantly improved the game's replay value, while writing, "Its absence is sorely felt, particularly as this version of the game offers so little else that is new." The graphics received a mixed reception, with criticism going towards the game's golfer animations, and the lack of moving water. Some praised the graphics, including Michael L. House