In an age where Tiger Woods is king, it's good to have a fun alternative from professional golf.
While some will complain that this game is too childish or too outdated, it needs to be understood that this is meant to be seen as a playful alternative from the more "serious in nature" Tiger Woods golf franchise. Strength and power are not the keys to winning and enjoying this game... it's about the timing of your swings and the accuracy of your shots. There are no "Tiger Visions" in this game to give you an automatic Eagle/Birdie... there are no "Equipment Modifiers" so that you can slug a ball 350 yds. straight down the fairway with 15 mph winds flying East to West. This game is about selecting your equipment wisely... selecting your character wisely... and making those shots as accurate as possible.
Personally, I rank the Hot Shots franchise above the Tiger franchise for those reasons. Actual hand-eye coordination and mathmatical calculations are needed to succeed in this game... and not button-mashing and over-powering add-ons and power-ups. The only reasons that HSGF! did not get a higher ranking from me is because of its online play... nothing drags a game down more than horrendous loading times. Though it's great that you can play a 16-man tounament online... it shouldn't have to take you nearly an hour to complete it.
For those who are looking to button-mash and just jack up a character to where he/she can slug a ball a mile and will end up in the cup... this game is not for you. But if you are actually looking to use your head and want a good laugh/chuckle through some whimisical characters, then I highly recommend the "amateur" alternative to the "professional."