UTour Golf
Encyclopedia
UTour Golf was an online golf
game developed by Gusto Games and published by Groove Media Inc
. The game was released through SkillGround
: an online, skill-gaming
platform owned by Groove but closed its doors in 2009 and the domains are now dormant.
Players may compete in single and multiplayer games for free, or challenge others to cash games where the winner collects a cash prize. This is not considered gambling
, as the outcome is based on skill
. Despite this fact, the service is still restricted within 13 states of the United States
.
Free play is supported by advertising
, displayed both before the game starts, and during play on billboards presented within the game. Cash play has no advertisements outside of game play, and is supported by a rake placed on wagers.
The first sweep controls the power; the closer to the right end of the shot bar, the more power the shot will have. The second sweep controls the accuracy; the closer to a center line near the left end, the more accurate the shot will be.
Game play is also affected by such issues as wind
, weather
, club type, pin and tee locations, and grass roughness. These affect accuracy, how far the ball will fly, and how far the ball will roll.
Players are also matched on the site by a ranking system. This system provides a numerical estimate of a player’s skill level. By viewing the skill level of an opponent, a player may decide to accept or refuse challenges. A handicap
system is also available where strokes may be forfeited to an opponent to allow players of different skill levels to compete on a more even playing field.
The game also provides detailed statistics, though these are only available to the player, and are not publicly shared.
, Match Play
, or Stableford Plus
rule sets.
Mini-games based on driving ranges and putting challenges are also available.
These include:
UTour also holds contests geared towards cash rewards for Players' Club members, an example of which is the 2008 Cup Classic
It was initially launched in a beta format, and has subsequently been upgraded. In November 2007, the following features were added:
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
game developed by Gusto Games and published by Groove Media Inc
Groove Games
Groove Games was a Canadian developer and publisher of computer and video games. Established in 2001, Groove Games had published more than 20 retail game titles on the PC, Xbox, and PlayStation 2 platforms....
. The game was released through SkillGround
SkillGround
SkillGround is an online gaming platform created by Groove Media Inc. Players are able to compete for free, or wager for cash.Free games are supported by advertising before and during gameplay; cash games are supported by collecting a rake on prizes, with no advertising displayed before the game...
: an online, skill-gaming
Game of skill
A game of skill is a game where the outcome is determined mainly by mental and/or physical skill, rather than by pure chance.One benefit of games of skill is that they are a means of exploring one's own capabilities. Games encourage the player to look at, understand, and experience things...
platform owned by Groove but closed its doors in 2009 and the domains are now dormant.
Players may compete in single and multiplayer games for free, or challenge others to cash games where the winner collects a cash prize. This is not considered gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
, as the outcome is based on skill
Skill
A skill is the learned capacity to carry out pre-determined results often with the minimum outlay of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills...
. Despite this fact, the service is still restricted within 13 states of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Free play is supported by advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
, displayed both before the game starts, and during play on billboards presented within the game. Cash play has no advertisements outside of game play, and is supported by a rake placed on wagers.
Game Play
Game play is based on a three click system. The user must click at certain times as a progress bar sweeps from left to right, then back from right to left.The first sweep controls the power; the closer to the right end of the shot bar, the more power the shot will have. The second sweep controls the accuracy; the closer to a center line near the left end, the more accurate the shot will be.
Game play is also affected by such issues as wind
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
, weather
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
, club type, pin and tee locations, and grass roughness. These affect accuracy, how far the ball will fly, and how far the ball will roll.
Players are also matched on the site by a ranking system. This system provides a numerical estimate of a player’s skill level. By viewing the skill level of an opponent, a player may decide to accept or refuse challenges. A handicap
Golf handicap
A handicap is a numerical measure of an amateur golfer's playing ability based on the tees played for a given course. It is used to calculate a net score from the number of strokes actually played, thus allowing players of different proficiency to play against each other on somewhat equal terms...
system is also available where strokes may be forfeited to an opponent to allow players of different skill levels to compete on a more even playing field.
The game also provides detailed statistics, though these are only available to the player, and are not publicly shared.
Rules
UTour offers different game modes based on traditional golf rules. Players may compete under the Stroke PlayStroke play
Stroke play, also known as medal play, is a scoring system in the sport of golf. It involves counting the total number of strokes taken on each hole during a given round, or series of rounds...
, Match Play
Match play
Match play is a scoring system for golf in which a player, or team, earns a point for each hole in which they have bested their opponents; this is as opposed to stroke play, in which the total number of strokes is counted over one or more rounds of 18 holes...
, or Stableford Plus
Stableford
Stableford is a scoring system used in the sport of golf. Rather than counting the total number of strokes taken, as in stroke play, it involves scoring points based on the number of strokes taken at each hole...
rule sets.
Mini-games based on driving ranges and putting challenges are also available.
Contests
UTour has offered a number of partner sponsored tournaments with prizes generally consisting of golf-related trips or golf equipment.These include:
- A trip to the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational – Sponsored by Golf.com
- A trip to Maui Hawaii – Sponsored by Sports IllustratedSports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
(SI.com) - A trip to Las Vegas – Sponsored by GolfLink.com
- New golf clubs – Sponsored by Callaway GolfCallaway GolfCallaway Golf Company is a global sporting goods company that designs, manufactures, markets and sells golf equipment, golf accessories and golf lifestyle-related products in more than 70 countries worldwide...
UTour also holds contests geared towards cash rewards for Players' Club members, an example of which is the 2008 Cup Classic
History
UTour Golf was released both through UTourGolf.com and SkillGround.com in August 2007. SkillGround had been previously released in December 2006.It was initially launched in a beta format, and has subsequently been upgraded. In November 2007, the following features were added:
- HandicapGolf handicapA handicap is a numerical measure of an amateur golfer's playing ability based on the tees played for a given course. It is used to calculate a net score from the number of strokes actually played, thus allowing players of different proficiency to play against each other on somewhat equal terms...
– Players of varying skill levels could compete more fairly by forfeiting strokes. - One Hole Option – Players could compete in single hole matches.
- Player Created Tournaments – Players could challenge their friends to closed tournaments.
- Driving Range Mini Game – A new game play mode modeling a driving range was available in single player and tournament game types.
- Increased Statistics – The statistics tracking feature was extended from cash players to both cash and free players.