A GOOD WALK SPOILED?

Ever wondered what the hardest round of golf in the world would look like? Today Microsoft reveals it would mean teeing off in South Carolina, chipping in at Carnoustie, and holing up in Hawaii.

To celebrate the launch of Links 2001 from Microsoft, students and staff at the University of Central Lancashire's Myerscough College, the UK's foremost college for golf studies and course design, were asked to compile the hardest 18 holes in golf. As Mark Twain said, 'Golf is a good walk spoiled', and for most club golfers it almost certainly would be on this course.

Including the12^th from Augusta, one of the most famous par-3's in the world and also the 15^th at Royal Lytham, the hardest hole on the site of this year's Open, the Myerscough students' Par 73 course should strike terror into the heart of even the most professional golfer. It was compiled after researching tournament records, studying legends, and picking the brains of professional golfers the world over, from Saudi Arabia to the US.

This latest instalment of the award-winning Links series features the Arnold Palmer Course Designer which allows PC golfers to recreate any hole in the world with the same tools used by the Links 2001 programming team - ideal for following the Masters hole by hole, or getting some practice in on your local pitch-and-putt.

Players can tweak every inch of fairway with the Course Designer and create tunnels and arches with full control over each point on the course. Additional courses can also be downloaded from fans' sites, visit - www.microsoft.com/games/links2001 for details. The Myerscough College Course will soon be available for download.

Richard Daniels, Course Tutor, said: 'We have been very impressed by the capabilities and scope of the course designer and have decided to incorporate it into the student's curriculum. In fact, I'm rather worried I may have done myself out of a job!'

The course in full:

Hole Course Name Yards Par Legend
1 Harbour Town, South Carolina 414 4 A tight narrow fairway - the wind makes this a tricky first hole
2 Pine Valley, New Jersey 367 4 Lots of water, lots of sand, not a lot of green!
3 Troon North, Arizona 564 5 A very long par 5 in spectacular settings
4 Riviera CC, California 236 3 The wind makes this very long par 3 even trickier
5 Castle Pines, Colorado 443 4 Water - need we say more?
6 Bay Hill, Florida 558 5 Another very long par 5 - flanked by water
7 Carnoustie, Scotland 412 4 The second hardest hole at last year's Open
8 Pebble Beach, California 431 4 Playing over the Pacific made this the hardest hole of the 2000 US PGA Tour
9 Kiawah Island (Ocean), S. Carolina 494 4 Site of the 1991 Ryder Cup and more than a few disasters!
37
10 Pinehurst CC (no. 2), North Carolina 613 5 An incredibly long tree-lined par 5, with very deep bunkers
11 TPC Sawgrass, Florida 529 5 Play your second over water and try and avoid the 200-yard long bunker!
12 Augusta National, Georgia 155 3 The most famous par 3 in the world - Amen Corner
13 Kiawah Island (Ocean), S Carolina 465 4 When the wind picks up, it's even trickier to avoid the water
14 Muirfield Village, Ohio 363 4 Miss the green and you're stuffed - simple as that
15 Royal Lytham, Lancashire, UK 463 4 The hardest hole on the site of this year's British Open
16 Cypress Point, California 219 3 Play over the Pacific - and watch out for the wind
17 St Andrews Old, Scotland 461 4 Both Rocca and Duval have watched Championships disappear on this hole
18 Ko'olau GC, Hawaii 448 4 A spectacular par 4 one of the most beautiful and difficult courses in the US
Out 3716 36
In 3919 37
TOTAL 7635 73

Links 2001 is available now priced around £29.99