Sensible Golf - Guide

 GENERAL TIPS :
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 AIMING THE BALL :
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  This isn't actually as easy as it sounds. You see, the CPU will
  automatically line you up with the hole in a direct line --
  irrelevant of any hazards that might by in the way. Therefore, if
  you're a petulant sort of person you'll end up either eating
  sand or treading water.

  The solution is to pay a bit of attention to the overhead map.
  More often than not you'll find that you won't be able to play
  a shot directly towards the hole, but in a series of staggered
  shots, skirting any nasty obstacles. Remember, you get penalised
  one shot for each that ends up in the water.


 SWERVING THE BALL :
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  By now you're probably acquainted with the draw and fade of the
  ball when you miss-time a shot. Because, if you're like me, it
  probably happens quite a lot. However, you can use this rather
  nifty function to great effect to swerve the ball around an
  obstacle. Quite often you'll have to do this when you've hit a
  poor shot and ended up in the rough. To swerve the ball, point
  the cursor to the left or right of the hole you're aiming for.
  Now start your shot and when you reach the red zone at the bottom
  of the Welly-o-meter, stop it either early or late. So, if you've
  pointed the cursor to the right of the hole, stop your down swing
  early. All things being equal, the ball should perform a neat
  arc in the air.


 PLAYING A BUNKER SHOT :
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  The important thing to remember here is that sand can decrease the
  power of your shot. Therefore, always hit the ball slightly harder
  than you would on the grass. The other thing to remember is that
  you'll need a fairly lowly iron to clear the sand. You can try
  hoofing your way out of a bunker with a two or there iron, but
  you'll have to be exceptionally accurate on the welly-o-meter.


 READING THE GREENS :
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  If you've ever played golf for real then you'll know that putting
  greens are, quite literally, sods. You can carefully line your shot
  up, choose exactly the right amount of power, and take into account
  the wind and green speed, but there's usually some git of a lump that
  sends your ball off course at the last minute. Therefore it's wise
  to carefully examine all those little arrows that adorn the green.
  Believe me, you'll be tempted to simply whack the ball at the hole
  and hope for the best. And you'll miss. If the arrows are pointing
  towards you from the direction of the hole then you're playing uphill
  and will have to hit the ball that little bit harder. Conversely,
  if they're pointing away from you you'll have to hit it a bit softer
  to allow for roll. If they're pointing diagonaly towarts or away
  from you, then you'll have to curve the ball around the slope by
  pointing the cursor at the opposite side of the hole. After a bit
  of practice you'll be sinking 'em like sevvie.



 AUGUSTO :
 ~~~~~~~~~

  HOLE  :  13
  YARDS : 381
  PAR   :   5

  CONDITIONS : FINE

  Dont't even try to reach the narrow causeway here - even if you
  make it, you'll roll straight into the water at the other side.
  Instead, hit the ball at about 10 o'clock using a full-strength
  1 wood, then go more or less straight up, and across to reach
  the green in three for an easy birdie.


 CASABLANCA :
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  HOLE  :   6
  YARDS : 195
  PAR   :   4

  CONDITIONS : DANDY

  It's easy enough to go round the trees and hit the green in two for
  a fine birdie, but if you switch to a 1 wood and hit it at the
  maximum power, you can just about sneak over the water
  ( try to catch the mud to slow it down ) and run the green for a
  fairly easy eagle chance.


 DUSSELDORF :
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  HOLE  :   1
  YARDS : 179
  PAR   :   4

  CONDITIONS : IDEAL

  Aim slightly of the left, where the green island bulges down slightly.
  Hit your 3 iron at full power and you'll just make the edge of the
  grass, leaving a simple chip to the green for another birdie. Don't
  use a bigger club or you'll overrun and land in the water on the
  other side.


 GENEVA :
 ~~~~~~~~

  HOLE  :   3
  YARDS : 329
  PAR   :   4

  CONDITIONS : DAMP

  There's no advantage in going the hard way up the right-hand side - just
  use your 1 wood and belt the ball to the upper corner of the triangular
  patch of grass on the left. From there, even somebody who thinks
  Cannon Fodder II is too hard could easily chip to the green for an
  soft birdie.


 LADBROKE GROVE :
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  HOLE  :  10
  YARDS : 213
  PAR   :   3

  CONDITIONS : SOGGY

  The default club here ( the 2 wood ) should just clear the water, but
  you'll run into the bunker. Use the 1 wood instead, which should leave
  you an easier fairway shot, or even on the green if you get a lucky
  bounce on the edge of the bunker.


 LAS VEGAS :
 ~~~~~~~~~~~

  HOLE  :   7
  YARDS : 410
  PAR   :   5

  CONDITIONS : BRIGHT

  You can follow the fairway here and still be on the green in three
  for a birdie, but the narrow strip of grass on the right of the central
  bunker is nicely placed for a big 1 wood shot to the upper edge of the
  water, from where you can easily reach the green with a 2 or 3 wood
  and give yourself an almost certain egale.


 LYON :
 ~~~~~~

  HOLE  :   7
  YARDS : 410
  PAR   :   5

  CONDITIONS : MOIST

  The clearing up the right hand side is a red herring - follow
  the fairway with your first shot and you'll have a very good
  chance of clearing the left-hand forest with your 1 wood, and
  hitting the green in two for an eagle.


 MADEIRA ISLAND :
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  HOLE  :   8
  YARDS : 372
  PAR   :   4

  CONDITIONS : DREAMY

  Aim a little to the right of the default position - you'll still
  clear the lake comfortably, and you won't risk rolling into the
  water or mud - as you will if you hit the ball straight up what
  looks like the safer path. Aiming right will leave you a risk-free
  shot to the green for yet another birdie.

 MADRID :
 ~~~~~~~~

  HOLE  :  17
  YARDS : 342
  PAR   :   5

  CONDITIONS : LUSH

  Aim for the right-hand corner of the third lake, and use 2 wood
  ( or 3 wood if your aiming's even slightly dodgy ). For the
  second shot, pick the 2 wood again ( or 3 iron if you're right
  at the water's edge ) and whack it full strength to clear the
  last lake and almost certainly end up on the green for the chance
  of an eagle.


 MAUI :
 ~~~~~~

  HOLE  :  12
  YARDS : 259
  PAR   :   3

  CONDITIONS : FAB

  Move the aiming cursor about three notches to the left of the
  starting position, and do a full-power 1 wood shot to get through
  the awkwardlyangled gap and hit the green for a birdie putt.


 MELBOURNE :
 ~~~~~~~~~~~

  HOLE  :  10
  YARDS : 275
  PAR   :   4

  CONDITIONS : CLAMMY

  A full-power shot will just sneak over the central lake, so aim
  just to the right of the small upper lake and smack it with all
  your might. You mightbounce off the shallow water, but you'll
  make it all right.


 OAKVILLE :
 ~~~~~~~~~~

  HOLE  :  18
  YARDS : 227
  PAR   :   4

  CONDITIONS : SODDEN

  It looks deceptively temping, but no matter how well you hit it,
  there's no way on Earth you'll make it across those trees. Go
  the easy way and you'll still be on the green in two for a birdie.
  It's not a par 4 for nothing.


 PITTSBURGH :
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  HOLE  :   1
  YARDS : 412
  PAR   :   4

  CONDITIONS : PASTORAL

  Aim four notches to the left of the default position, and go
  at it full tilt with your 1 wood. Don't worry about the
  bunker - you'll trundle to a halt just short of it, leaving
  a simple little shot to the green. And then, of course, it's
  birdie time again.


 PUERTO RICO :
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  HOLE  :   1
  YARDS : 374
  PAR   :   4

  CONDITIONS : HEAVENLY

  Don't be tempted to gain an advantage by trying for the left-hand
  fairway - those trees are placed to hurt you. A full-power 1 wood
  up the right will leave you plenty of scope for a 3 wood second shot
  to the green for one more birdie.


 ROME :
 ~~~~~~

  HOLE  :  14
  YARDS : 327
  PAR   :   4

  CONDITIONS : SHOWERY

  It looks dodgy, but in fact you'll reach that little left-hand patch
  of fairway easily with your 1 wood. However, try to hit the first
  half of the red bar of your Welly-o-meter, as a maximumpower
  shot may very well run on into the top lake and cost you a penalty
  stroke. At last.


 SAFFRON WALDEN :
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  HOLE  :  18
  YARDS : 227
  PAR   :   4

  CONDITIONS : BLEAK

  It looks deceptively tempting, but no matter how well you hit it,
  there's no way on Earth you'll make it across those trees. Go the
  easy and - hang on a minute. There's something funny going on around
  here.


 SINGAPORE :
 ~~~~~~~~~~~

  HOLE  :   6
  YARDS : 396
  PAR   :   4

  CONDITIONS : DIVINE

  Not for the nervous, this one. Aim directly at the foor of the
  bridge with your 1 wood and you'll roll safely onto the wooden
  surface for a comfy second shot to the green and a birdie. If
  you're not that confident, a fullstrength 2 wood might just get
  you close enough, but it'll be trickier.


 SINTRA :
 ~~~~~~~~

  HOLE  :  10
  YARDS : 168
  PAR   :   3

  CONDITIONS : GENTLE

  The default 4 iron won't give you enough oomph to clear the river
  here. Use the 3 iron on absolute maximum power ( if you're good ),
  or the 3 wood ( which will leave you a harder second shot ) if
  you're a little bit on the unreliable side.


 ST ANDREAS'S :
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  HOLE  :   4
  YARDS : 265
  PAR   :   4

  CONDITIONS : DREICH

  Down, down-towards, towards and press all three punch buttons
  while holding - oh no, sorry. You'll never reach the island
  from the tee, so go up the fairway like any normal person. You'll
  still get a birdie, so stop whining already.


 SUTTON :
 ~~~~~~~~

  HOLE  :   9
  YARDS : 327
  PAR   :   4

  CONDITIONS : NORTHERN

  Despite appearances, you CAN actually clear this one with your
  1 wood, but only if you hit the last two pixels of the power meter.
  Use the default aiming and you'll leave yourself a straightforward
  shot to the green for a birdie. The faint of heart can follow the
  fairway, but it's a near-certain route to a par at best.


 TARPON SPRINGS :
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  HOLE  :   1
  YARDS : 352
  PAR   :   5

  CONDITIONS : CHEERFUL

  A nice easy one here. Aim for the dead centre of the big island-type
  thing, and then a full blooded 1 wood shot will run conveniently
  to the edge of, but no into, the horseshoe lake. Your 3 wood will
  then clear the top lake for a potential eagle.


 TENERIFE :
 ~~~~~~~~~~

  HOLE  :   ?
  YARDS : ???
  PAR   :   ?

  CONDITIONS : BORING

  There are no intreesting holes on the Tenerife course. But there's
  a hole anyway, just in case you get bored.


 THOMASTOWN :
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  HOLE  :   3
  YARDS : 219
  PAR   :   3

  CONDITIONS : SWAMPY

  Just kidding. Hit the ball in the hole that sort of thing.


 TOKYO :
 ~~~~~~~

  HOLE  :  18
  YARDS : 227
  PAR   :   4

  CONDITIONS : DEJA VU