A cute and functional Wii golf game with lots of content... it's certainly fun enough to overlook its faults.
It really is an average game on the surface, though. The graphics and music are rather simple... and many of the areas and cutscenes have sketchy framerates or even slowdown. The character designs are of the rather-generic, cutesy-anime type, but there's plenty of costumes to dress them up with. You can buy extra equipment and accessories and level them all up to some degree. One of the better parts of this game is that there's always stuff to unlock or buy... you'll have fun earning loot and spending it on new clubs or improving your character's power by leveling-up his t-shirt.
The game plays a bit oddly, too... but it does create a functional arcade golf experience. Courses are of the bizarre fantasy type, from beaches with giant mushrooms an lighthouses to a fleet of battleships. There's plenty of challenging shots to make, and the game gives you a variety of powers and options to encourage making daring trick shots. Not terribly realistic to pull crazy mid-air hooks through a pyramid formation, but temptation to pull the unthinkable is always there and the punishment for failure is usually an OB... just the way it should be.
Controlling the game with the Wiimote was the main draw. I think this makes the game really fun. It's certainly playable and hands-down better than Wii Sports golf. I'm a pretty good PangYa Wii golfer now... even if my swing isn't exactly like a true golf swing. Putting is a little less realistic (I often do it with one hand and a greatly exaggerated motion) but once you learn PangYa's new grid system, you'll find it can be managable.
THE VERDICT
SSG is the first true Wii golf game, and to be fair... it's adequate.
It's got its problems. The menus are a little clunky, there's some decent load times. AI difficulty can vary wildly. Much of the games other elements (gameplay, graphics, sound) are standard, if not mediocre. To play a round of golf takes a long time, too. Between the multiple buttons that must be hit, the physical act of standing up and taking the shot, the practice swings... the game just takes longer than a normal golf video game would. A four-player 18-hole match would be an easy way to kill a whole day!
But! For some reason, I'm addicted. The game always gives you a new challenge and playing golf on the Wii is a lot of fun. Of the several Wii games I've tried... I probably play this one most of any.
I'd say get it if you can tolerate the cutesy anime style... and have the patience to learn how the menus and the interfaces work. Those looking for a more real-life golf experience, or those with less experience on video games might find SSG a little to bizarre and clunky.
In the end... the Wii really makes this game something special, and since there's no other golf games on the horizon... it will stay that way for quite some time.
+Solid gameplay made better by Wii controls
+Plenty of challenges and loads of stuff to unlock
+Lots of courses, from tame to utterly crazy
-It's a pretty average game overall
-Generic graphics, music, character designs
-Long load times, frame rate drops, slowdown