<s>
Links	B-Application
2003	I-Application
is	O
a	O
golf	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
Game	O
Studios	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Links	B-Application
series	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
in	O
2002	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
follows	O
Links	B-Application
2001	I-Application
and	O
was	O
followed	O
by	O
Links	B-Application
2004	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Links	B-Application
2003	I-Application
introduces	O
a	O
golf	O
swing	O
method	O
that	O
works	O
in	O
real	O
time	O
as	O
the	O
player	O
makes	O
the	O
shot	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Links	B-Application
2003	I-Application
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
"	O
according	O
to	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Links	B-Application
2003	I-Application
features	O
six	O
golf	O
courses	O
:	O
Gleneagles	O
,	O
Ocean	O
Club	O
at	O
Cabo	O
del	O
Sol	O
,	O
Lodge	O
at	O
Kauri	O
Cliffs	O
(	O
New	O
Zealand	O
)	O
,	O
Cambrian	O
Ridge	O
,	O
The	O
Tribute	O
at	O
Otsego	O
Club	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
fictional	O
oceanside	O
location	O
of	O
Skeleton	O
Coast	O
set	O
in	O
Africa	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Courses	O
from	O
previous	O
Links	B-Application
games	O
can	O
be	O
converted	O
for	O
play	O
in	O
Links	B-Application
2003	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Links	B-Application
2003	I-Application
also	O
includes	O
the	O
Arnold	O
Palmer	O
Course	O
Designer	O
1.5	O
,	O
allowing	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
create	O
custom	O
golf	O
courses	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Links	B-Application
2003	I-Application
includes	O
lessons	O
for	O
beginner	O
players	O
,	O
and	O
advice	O
is	O
offered	O
throughout	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Various	O
multiplayer	O
options	O
were	O
offered	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
release	O
,	O
including	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Gaming	I-Application
Zone	I-Application
,	O
and	O
tournaments	O
arranged	O
between	O
players	O
through	O
e-mail	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
the	O
online	O
Links	B-Application
Tour	O
allowed	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
compete	O
against	O
up	O
to	O
63	O
other	O
golfers	O
in	O
tournaments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Links	B-Application
2003	I-Application
was	O
announced	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
on	O
February	O
27	O
,	O
2002	O
,	O
at	O
the	O
International	O
Games	O
Festival	O
in	O
Las	O
Vegas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
Links	B-Application
series	O
to	O
feature	O
3D	O
polygonal	B-General_Concept
golfers	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
the	O
digitized	O
FMV	B-Application
golfers	O
featured	O
in	O
previous	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
golfers	O
are	O
made	O
of	O
approximately	O
7,500	O
polygons	B-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
García	O
and	O
Parnevik	O
participated	O
in	O
motion	B-Application
capture	I-Application
sessions	O
to	O
create	O
their	O
onscreen	O
golfers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Links	B-Application
2003	I-Application
was	O
completed	O
in	O
early	O
September	O
2002	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
later	O
that	O
month	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Links	B-Application
2003	I-Application
was	O
accompanied	O
by	O
a	O
separate	O
game	O
titled	O
Links	B-Application
2003	I-Application
Championship	O
Courses	O
,	O
which	O
features	O
the	O
same	O
courses	O
and	O
also	O
includes	O
20	O
courses	O
from	O
previous	O
Links	B-Application
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
,	O
Links	B-Application
2003	I-Application
and	O
Links	B-Application
2003	I-Application
Championship	O
Courses	O
were	O
released	O
on	O
October	O
11	O
,	O
2002	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
bundle	O
set	O
,	O
consisting	O
of	O
Links	B-Application
2003	I-Application
and	O
Links	B-Application
2003	I-Application
Championship	O
Courses	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2003	O
under	O
the	O
title	O
Links	B-Application
2003	I-Application
Championship	O
Edition	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Links	B-Application
2003	I-Application
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
"	O
according	O
to	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Chris	O
Johnson	O
of	O
Sports	O
Gaming	O
Network	O
criticized	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
an	O
atmospheric	O
golfing	O
environment	O
,	O
and	O
wrote	O
,	O
"	O
This	O
creates	O
the	O
rather	O
odd	O
predicament	O
that	O
Links	B-Application
2003	I-Application
does	O
some	O
things	O
much	O
better	O
than	O
other	O
golf	O
simulations	O
but	O
fails	O
miserably	O
at	O
others	O
-	O
so	O
much	O
so	O
that	O
it	O
detracts	O
greatly	O
from	O
the	O
overall	O
gameplay	O
value.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Mahood	O
called	O
it	O
a	O
"	O
much	O
overdue	O
"	O
feature	O
,	O
and	O
Dan	O
Morris	O
of	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
wrote	O
,	O
"	O
With	O
a	O
mouse-swing	O
as	O
natural	O
and	O
lifelike	O
as	O
the	O
one	O
in	O
Links	B-Application
2003	I-Application
,	O
the	O
series	O
is	O
reawakened.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Jeff	O
Lackey	O
of	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
wrote	O
that	O
Microsoft	O
"	O
has	O
delivered	O
a	O
solid	O
game	O
with	O
Links	B-Application
2003	I-Application
,	O
and	O
with	O
the	O
new	O
RTS	O
,	O
it	O
has	O
retained	O
its	O
title	O
as	O
the	O
king	O
of	O
the	O
golf	O
sims.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Links	B-Application
2003	I-Application
was	O
nominated	O
for	O
PC	O
Gamers	O
"	O
2002	O
Best	O
Sports	O
Game	O
"	O
award	O
,	O
but	O
lost	O
to	O
Tiger	B-Application
Woods	I-Application
PGA	I-Application
Tour	I-Application
2003	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
also	O
nominated	O
for	O
the	O
2003	O
Interactive	O
Achievement	O
Awards	O
for	O
"	O
Computer	O
Sports	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
lost	O
to	O
Madden	B-Device
NFL	I-Device
2003	I-Device
.	O
</s>
