Zany Golf

Did You Know?

• The game was reviewed in 1989 in Dragon #144 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser, receiving 5 out of 5 stars.
• Compute! described Zany Golf as 'a moderately challenging game with topnotch graphics and sound'.
• Will Harvey was pursuing his advanced degrees at Stanford University at the time of development.

Gameplay

At the start of the first hole, each player receives five strokes. After completing a hole, remaining players gain additional strokes equal to the par of the next hole. A player eliminated by running out of strokes leaves the game, while others continue. Play ends when all players are eliminated or the last hole is finished, at which point the scorecard appears. On all versions except the Genesis port, the mouse controls the shot: clicking the ball, pulling back opposite the intended direction, and releasing. Fairies occasionally appear on the course; hitting one awards 1 to 5 bonus strokes. A timer bonus may also be available, granting up to four bonus strokes for finishing a hole quickly. If a fairy or timer bonus is present, it is announced before the first shot. Up to four players take turns, with player 1 using a red ball, player 2 blue, player 3 black, and player 4 white. After a player's turn, their ball is replaced by a colored X mark that cannot be disturbed by other balls. On the Pinball and Energy holes, multiple players can cooperate to hit required targets; once hit, those targets need not be struck again. The Hamburger Hole (par 3) features a bouncing hamburger covering the hole, reached by bouncing the ball off a squirting ketchup bottle; clicking the mouse button makes the hamburger bounce higher with more clicks. The Pinball hole (par 3) begins as a pinball game with flippers; two drop targets must be hit to activate an escape chute, and hitting both targets and the chute leads directly to the hole and grants a 1-stroke bonus.

Ports

The Sega Genesis edition omitted the Magic Carpet hole due to the lack of a mouse or pointing device. The Mystery bonus hole from computer versions was renamed Knockout Nightmare and placed after Ant Hill. The DOS version used a code wheel for copy protection, prompting the player before the Hamburger hole to rotate the wheel to a specific position to continue. The original Apple IIGS version used the 32-voice Ensoniq audio chip for music and sound effects, while ports significantly reduced music quality and limited or removed sound effects.