"The Skins Game at Bighorn" is an interactive golf game featuring film-accurate graphics of the Bighorn Golf Course in Palm Springs, California. I found this to be a very entertaining game.

Installation:  No problems. The game installs quickly and painlessly through the Windows Program Manager (File/Run). The game comes on CD-ROM, but took up approximately 13.5 MB hard disk space (almost all of this is for the animated golfers' swings).

Documentation:  The booklet in the CD jewel case contains installation instructions and adequately describes the features of the game.

The Product:  "The Skins Game at Bighorn" can be played one of two ways: Regulation Play (scored stroke-by-stroke like a regular game of golf) or Skins play (follows the rules of the televised "Skins Game"). In the "Skins Game" each hole, also known as a "skin", is worth a certain amount of money which increases on some holes. The player with the lowest score for that hole wins the "skin" and the money for that hole; if players tie on a hole, the prize money is added to the next hole. If playing this game alone, you might as well play Regulation Play, since the "Skins Game" only has meaning when played against an opponent. It is definitely a lot of fun when played against other players, and the competition can be fierce!

You can chose to play as either male or female (both are right-handed), and the potential yardage for each golf club adjusts automatically depending on gender. Up to four people can play in each game, indicated as "Player 1", "Player 2", etc. (it would be nice if you could input actual names). You may customize the clubs you carry in your bag, up to a total of 14 clubs. Based on your distance from the hole, a default club and alignment will be selected for you, but can be changed based on your preferences or strategy. There is a window which shows wind direction and speed. Before beginning a hole, "Pooch" (your caddy) will tell you about the hole and give you advise. You can get additional advice by clicking on a menu item; I found the advice to range from very good to almost useless, depending on the situation (I seemed to get better advise after my first shot on each hole). When you move the mouse cursor to the upper portion of the screen, you are shown the approximate direction of the hole and the default aim (which can be changed). I found that the best way to control aim is to go to hole layout, where you are given a graphical depiction of the entire hole, including all hazards; by moving the marker, you get an immediate reading on distance to the hole. This is a desert course, and most of the hazards are sand traps, but there are a few water hazards. On this game, accuracy is critical; because this course is in a desert and each hole is pretty much by itself, you must stay in your own fairway. You can expect a lot of out-of-bounds shots with the associated penalty stroke before you get familiar with the interface. There is an option for a "fly-over", which runs a short movie of a helicopter fly-over for each hole at Bighorn (the graphics are a little grainy, but this was neat anyway).

The swing is controlled by a combination of three mouse clicks on the swing bar or the golfer: one to start the swing, the second at the height of the swing, and the third (at "zero" on the swing bar) to end the swing. You have to be careful to click on the "zero" to end the swing. If you go beyond zero, you will "slice" (hit to the right); clicking before zero will result in a "hook" (hit to the left). I had trouble with timing the swing initially, but after some practice I got the hang of it. After I got used to the interface, I found that I was a better golfer on the computer than in real life (I had a couple of birdies the first time I played 18 holes). When putting, the "break" (direction and degree of slant) is indicated. I also found putting to be somewhat forgiving.

Graphically, "The Skins Game at Bighorn" is impressive. Each of the 18 holes is represented by actual photography from the Bighorn course where the green grass of the golf course is surrounded by desert, including saguaro cacti. The physics of the shots look pretty good, although the close-up action of the ball could be better.

Included on the CD-ROM is a product called "GolfAmerica: The Leading Computerized Golf Guide". GolfAmerica is a database of golf courses in the United States, with various related information (phone numbers, green fees, number of holes, hazards, access information, etc.) provided for each course. Information for hotel chains is also provided. The databases appears comprehensive and, for the most part, accurate. All-in-all, Golf America looks to be a valuable resource for planning golf trips.

Bottom Line:  I had a lot of fun with this game. The graphics are very good, and the game is easy to learn once you master the interface for the swing. It has good replay value, especially when played with a friend. For avid golfers, the GolfAmerica database provided on the CD is worth having.

System Tested On:  IBM compatible PC (Gateway 2000) with a 80486-DX2 at 66 Mhz; Windows 95; 8 Mb of RAM & 420 Mb hard drive; mouse

Minimum System:  PC-compatible, 486 or better (33Mhz CPU), MS Windows 3.1, 6MB RAM, 5MB free disk space, VGA (256 colors), Soundblaster-compatible audio, 2x CD-ROM drive (and, not indicated, but you will need a mouse)

The Griffin Fathom Company (distributed by Interplay Productions, 17922 Fitch Avenue, Irvine, California  92714; phone 714-553-6678)