Relaxing and filled with charm, for me it was *the* game to sit back and relax with. I fondly remember how the first plot would start out barren and little-by-little it would fill with activity, golfers becoming more and more lively as you start hearing them react to their shots, sometimes with joy, sometimes disappointment at a missed shot, but never lacking good vibes and whimsy.
Also, you could always have a go at playing golf yourself and engage in some RPG-like upskilling, or just focus on the mgmt sim aspect w/o the game ever trying to be pushy about it.