An incredibly enjoyable golf experience.
Gameplay:
I will start with the most important aspect of any golf game. The first thing to do is to create a new character. The character customization in this game is far more detailed than any other game to date. You can choose hair style and color, eye color, skin tone, all the way to how muscled your legs are and whether your teeth are white or discolored. Once you've created a character, it's time to get started. There are a variety of game modes, from stroke play to match play to tournament play. There is also a world tour where you travel from region to region, squaring off against golf's greatest. There are a variety of courses, such as TPC Sawgrass and Pebble Beach, and also some completely unique courses such as the Highlands. The club is swung by tilting back either analog stick and pushing it forward the moment your backswing is at its highest. This will maximize distance. Tilting back to the left or right will make the ball draw or fade. As you progress through the world tour or tournament season, you will make more and more money, which can then be used to increase your attributes (power, ball striking, putting, etc.) or to buy new equipment or clothes. There are tons of brand-name clubs offered up in the game, as well as brand-name clothes, jewelry, shoes, etc. You can even buy your character a lucky tee to stick behind his ear, or sports tape for the finger.
Graphics:
Very solid for a game that is so aged. Much more solid graphics than later iterations of the game, in my opinion. Very realistic courses. The active weather system showcases great-looking rain effects, which can fall down in horizontal sheets if wind speed is great. Character models are also very advanced, and the tiniest customized details of your character can be seen at any time out on the course.
Sound:
Not a big deal in golf games, the sound in this game is also very solid. David Feherty and Gary McCord are humorous announcers, and I still sometimes hear new sound bytes from them that I have never heard. The sound as a great swing hits the ball, or the sounds of the ocean swells are nicely done.
Tilt:
Obviously, this game has a great value and can be played for years to come. The greatest joy in this game is character customization, as you create your character and watch him grow as you earn more money and change his equipment and clothes. You can make him look like some comic loser, or you can make him look like a professional golfer. The world tour is also a fun and interesting addition, although it doesn't last long enough. You are awarded for accomplishing certain things with trophy balls, which come with a money bonus. The most difficult trophy balls are called "Tracking Tiger" trophy balls, and you can spend four or five tournament seasons trying to win all of these trophy balls. So if you are the type of person who needs to do everything in a game to be happy, you will spend a long time on this game.
This is such a good game. The Tiger Woods games from other years pale in comparison to the superiority of this one. The amount of customizable clothes and equipment and body types can lead to years of enjoyment. It's always fun to change things up by giving your golfer different duds, or by giving him a mullet. Try this game out, you will not regret it.