As usual, there are many side elements that round out the game as a business simulator.  It is very important to manage your money carefully.  It doesn't take nearly as much strategy as other games do (thank goodness!), but it is still difficult enough to provide a challenge for experienced gamers.  Every money-making outlet you build has a consumer price point that can be altered to your liking.  Greedy gamers who increase their prices too high will lose business.  On the other hand, those who lower their prices too much will end up losing money.  The object is to gain money consistently throughout the entire game.  This goal cannot be achieved if you spend every penny you have on something shiny and new.

The old saying is true: it takes money to make money.  Early on in the game, you realize that there are a lot of extra expenses that must be taken care of to continue running your golf resort.  Those "extra" expenses include: animal control (gophers will steal the golf balls and chase away your customers!); greens keepers; rest rooms; golf clubs rentals and so on.  If you don't have all of these things, your customers may become bored/tired/frustrated and leave the resort.  There are ways to bring them back, but only if you have money, and you must have customers to make money!  This is where most simulation games fail because they become too difficult too quickly.  The one exception is Golf Resort Tycoon 2.  The challenge is there, but the frustration is not.

When you've finally completed the golf course of your dreams, Golf Resort Tycoon 2 will take you deeper into the game by allowing you to play golf on your own home-made course!  Obviously, the gameplay in this mode is nowhere near the quality of Hot Shots Golf 3, but it is a pretty cool addition.

One gripe I have with Golf Resort Tycoon 2 is its speed, or lack thereof.  My computer surpasses the minimum requirements in almost every aspect, and yet the game slowed down to a snail-like pace.  The more I progressed, the slower the game moved.  I don't understand this.  Slowdown should not be a part of this game.  I have double the amount of ram required to play GRT2, more than 500mb of free space and a Pentium III 600 MHz processor!  Personally I think it's a joke that Golf Resort Tycoon 2 requires 32mb of ram.  The graphics are cruddy sprites with very little detail and even less animation.  All things considered, GRT2 could be ported to the Game Boy Advance!  (Which would be very cool if you ask me.)

Whether you're a hardcore or casual gamer, Golf Resort Tycoon 2 is an excellent buy.  Great gameplay is always appealing, and the well-proportioned level difficulty should gain a lot of praise from casual gamers who are sick of the current batch of cheap Tycoon games.  If all of Activision Value's games were this good, no one would ever want to pay $50 for a new game again.  Activision deserves credit for releasing such a high-quality game at a low price.  I know that PC games are generally cheaper than console games, however, the quality is almost always lower than that of a PlayStation 2 title.  Aside from the bland graphics, Golf Resort Tycoon 2 is like a console game.  I have not had this much fun with a simulation game since Sim City 2000 was released on the PSone in 1996.  Six years is a long time to wait, but I couldn't be happier now.

Golf Resort Tycoon 2 is so much more than a simulation game.   I can't think of any other game that allows you to build a golf course and then experience it first-hand.  I don't like golf much and I can't stand most golf games, but I love GRT2.  I'll probably drive you insane if I praise it anymore, so take my advice and play it for yourself.  You don't have to buy it today and you don't have to buy it tomorrow, but you're going to leave the house at some point, and you should not return without a great game to play.  Stop searching through the bargain bins at Office Depot, because Golf Resort Tycoon 2 is the best bargain you'll ever find.

Install: Easy

Gameplay: 8.5
I never thought I'd play another simulator as good as Sim City 2000.  I'm so glad I was wrong!  Golf Resort Tycoon 2 may not look or sound like a next-gen title, but the gameplay is top-notch.  This would make a great GBA game.  Are you listening, Activision?

Graphics: 2 
One word best describes GRT2's graphics: yuck.  I wasn't expecting GeForce 4-style visuals, but come 'on!  The graphics are hideous, and their framerate is even worse.

Sound: 6.5
GRT2's sound effects are generic, but the music is pretty good.

Difficulty: 7
GRT2's difficulty is not too high or too low -- it's just right.

Concept: 7 
The base of Golf Resort Tycoon 2 is not a whole lot different from other Tycoon games, however, the result is a really, really good game.

Multiplayer: N/A

Overall: 8.5
As if the gameplay alone wasn't enough to sell this product, Golf Resort Tycoon 2 retails for only $19.95!  At a price that low, no one should say "no" to Golf Resort Tycoon 2.