Beautiful
Ok, so I have to give reasons why. Well first and foremost we'll look at the graphics. To be honest, I'm yet to come across any game in any genre that looks as realistic as Tiger Woods 2004. 17 of the world's greatest courses are digitally recreated to near perfection. With the graphical settings on full (the game should ONLY be played with the settings on full), the level of detail is outstanding. Individual blades of grass are visible, the spray of the ocean is finely detailed, the movements of divots/grains of sand when you take a shot are completely believable, and the virtual recreations of PGA tour pro's are so accurate that you'll have to check whether you're looking at your computer monitor or the TV screen.
Gameplay is fantastic, with the "true swing" mouse method of taking shots tuned to perfection. To nail your shots using the mouse requires the same considerations as taking a shot in real life - a smooth back swing, followed by a swing that is controlled, properly paced, straight and fluid. The little nuances that would affect your swing in real life, such as deviance or hesitation will accurately affect your in-game swing. The recreation of a golf swing is as perfect as you can get without plugging your 4 iron into your PC.
Tiger Woods 2004 also sells on its new "game face" feature, that allows you to create characters within the game. This feature is remarkably detailed, with the ability to alter miniscule details on your character. You use sliding bars to proportion the slightest details of your creation. It is possible to accurately recreate yourself on the screen to such realism matched only by the character creation facility within The Sims 2. The one feature that you cannot control is height. The only reason that I pick up on this is that in every other respect the facility is perfect, meaning that omisions are glaringly obvious.
There are a variety of different modes that you can play in, from career mode that will take you through a whole host of competitions from amateur to PGA pro, allowing you to earn money and improve your golfers stats along the way; to simple one off rounds or practice sessions. It is also possible to play in PGA seasons, entering different tournaments and progressing from season to season.
The sound in Tiger Woods 2004 is good, with realistic effects that blissfully are not overused. The crowd are accurately represented and applaud and cheer realistically. The commentary is well scripted and delivered, though at times a little inaccurate - particularly as regards to putts. This can be overlooked though. The music during menu screens is pleasant, non-intrusive, and will take you away to lazy days on beautiful golf courses.
There are no bugs in the game, which is pleasing, though in all honesty what we expect from EA Sports as leaders in the sports sim market.
So in all this is a fine game, and undoubtedly the best golf sim I have played to date. Graphically it is in a class of its own, offering unparalleled realism. The sound is pleasing, and the new features such as "game face" are really well implemented. The "true swing" method of taking shots has been perfected in Tiger Woods 2004, meaning that this is the closest you'll get to a round of golf without actually setting foot on the course!