Fore!
Tiger Woods has lent his name to an extensive series of golfing simulators over the years but this one is the first in the franchise and stands as pretty representative of the entire series. This title marked an evolution of EA's own PGA Tour series, already popular with armchair golfers and numerous improvements are evident here that warrant closer inspection for fans. The mechanics are basically the same as earlier golf games, with the usual swing meter to control your shot, along with a new system making use of the mouse. The game itself plays out over three 18 hole courses, with accurate recreations of Pebble Beach, Sawgrass and Summerlin to enjoy, while there are several real life golfers to take control of, each with their own unique skills, or you can create your own. Several game modes are on offer here, including practice, shoot out, skins, foursomes and more, with multiplayer for up to four people also available, making this a pretty exhaustive lineup of options. As far as golf games go, this is very much standard stuff which doesn't really break any new ground but which simply offers a nicely relaxing simulator. The visuals are pretty sharp, with Tiger himself looking rather chuffed with himself (and why not?), while the courses are recreated in pleasing, if unsurprising detail. The control methods are pretty easy to pick up but difficult to master, and it is quite a challenge to get round each course with a good score. Really, this is neither better nor worse than any other golf game on the market but if you've exhausted them all, you should still enjoy this one.
