<s>
Microsoft	B-Application
Golf	I-Application
2001	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2000	O
golf	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
final	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Golf	I-Application
series	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
successor	O
to	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Golf	I-Application
1999	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
uses	O
the	O
same	O
game	O
engine	O
as	O
Links	B-Application
LS	I-Application
2000	I-Application
(	O
1999	O
)	O
,	O
part	O
of	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
Links	B-Application
series	O
of	O
golf	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	B-Application
Golf	I-Application
2001	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
was	O
marketed	O
as	O
a	O
basic	O
golf	O
game	O
with	O
limited	O
features	O
,	O
intended	O
for	O
casual	O
players	O
and	O
beginners	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
critics	O
noted	O
similarities	O
between	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
Links	B-Application
LS	I-Application
2000	I-Application
,	O
and	O
believed	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
appeal	O
to	O
its	O
target	O
demographic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	B-Application
Golf	I-Application
2001	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
is	O
similar	O
to	O
Links	B-Application
LS	I-Application
2000	I-Application
,	O
and	O
features	O
seven	O
courses	O
,	O
most	O
of	O
which	O
are	O
already	O
featured	O
in	O
previous	O
Links	B-Application
games	O
and	O
add-on	O
disks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	B-Application
Golf	I-Application
2001	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
features	O
ten	O
game	O
modes	O
,	O
five	O
of	O
which	O
are	O
absent	O
from	O
Links	B-Application
LS	I-Application
2000	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
also	O
offered	O
multiplayer	O
through	O
MSN	B-Application
Gaming	I-Application
Zone	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
has	O
three	O
swing	O
methods	O
,	O
including	O
Easy	O
Swing	O
and	O
PowerStroke	O
,	O
both	O
previously	O
featured	O
in	O
Links	B-Application
LS	I-Application
2000	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	B-Application
Golf	I-Application
2001	O
was	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
,	O
which	O
owned	O
the	O
rights	O
to	O
the	O
Links	B-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	B-Application
Golf	I-Application
2001	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
uses	O
the	O
same	O
game	O
engine	O
as	O
the	O
1999	O
game	O
Links	B-Application
LS	I-Application
2000	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Golf	I-Application
2001	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
was	O
released	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
on	O
August	O
24	O
,	O
2000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	B-Application
Golf	I-Application
2001	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
received	O
"	O
mixed	O
or	O
average	O
reviews	O
"	O
according	O
to	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
critics	O
viewed	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Golf	I-Application
2001	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
as	O
a	O
basic	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
Links	B-Application
games	O
;	O
several	O
noted	O
similarities	O
between	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
Links	B-Application
LS	I-Application
2000	I-Application
in	O
particular	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kevin	O
Rice	O
of	O
Daily	O
Radar	O
considered	O
it	O
a	O
"	O
continuation	O
of	O
Links	B-Application
LS	I-Application
2000	I-Application
with	O
very	O
minor	O
changes	O
,	O
"	O
but	O
stated	O
that	O
this	O
was	O
"	O
not	O
really	O
a	O
bad	O
thing	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Brett	O
Todd	O
of	O
Computer	O
Games	O
Magazine	O
called	O
the	O
game	O
"	O
really	O
nothing	O
more	O
than	O
a	O
repackaged	O
Links	B-Application
LS	I-Application
2000	I-Application
offered	O
at	O
a	O
bargain	O
basement	O
price	O
,	O
"	O
while	O
stating	O
that	O
this	O
"	O
is	O
both	O
good	O
and	O
bad.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Shawn	O
Nicholls	O
of	O
AllGame	O
considered	O
the	O
courses	O
to	O
be	O
"	O
blatantly	O
artificial	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
inconsistent	O
"	O
with	O
the	O
appearance	O
of	O
the	O
golfer	O
,	O
while	O
Gordon	O
Goble	O
of	O
Gamecenter	B-Operating_System
felt	O
that	O
the	O
golfer	O
characters	O
could	O
have	O
been	O
better	O
animated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
a	O
few	O
minor	O
deficiencies	O
,	O
Lafferty	O
praised	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Golf	I-Application
2001	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
for	O
its	O
simple	O
gameplay	O
and	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
the	O
golf	O
game	O
that	O
will	O
enable	O
families	O
to	O
play	O
together	O
and	O
give	O
the	O
newer	O
players	O
a	O
chance	O
to	O
succeed.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Steinberg	O
stated	O
that	O
lifelong	O
golfers	O
should	O
stick	O
to	O
the	O
Links	B-Application
games	O
,	O
as	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Golf	I-Application
2001	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
"	O
lacks	O
serious	O
challenge.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Sports	O
Gaming	O
Network	O
criticized	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
an	O
off-line	O
tournament	O
mode	O
,	O
a	O
feature	O
that	O
was	O
present	O
in	O
Links	B-Application
LS	I-Application
2000	I-Application
.	O
</s>
