I always felt this was by design of the software, it does not always give you the kickback, maybe designed to help a player not doing so well?

It is very consistent on third ball, I think it is by design as well, like TheLaw points out, P-Law is not really known for ball save timers or gimmes, I think if TAF had ball save timers, the game would be a touch too easy.

Overall I think NGG is a pretty polished rule set, another update would have been nice and may have, as the OP stated, pushed this game into the top 10-20, but I think it is the theme that keeps it down.

Change the theme only slightly to Caddyshack, easy top ten. The voice of Rodney Dangerfield alone would have propelled this game to beyond greatness, imagine Chevy Chase, Bill Murray and Ted Knight quotes as well. The quotes from that movie were awesome, Bill Murray chasing the gopher, priceless!

I agree, I personally love the gophers theme, but I have had people tell me they love the theme and others tell me they hated it. Caddyshack may have grabbed more of the people who do not like golf but did love the movie and characters. This may be the only case I can think of where a licensed theme may have actually done better, popularity wise, then a non-licensed theme.

Of course, I am only basing that theory on the fact most everyone in my age group knows of and loved Caddyshack.