Well, I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later - I finally reviewed a golf game. Back in the day (a.k.a “the mid 90s”) I recall playing Pebble Beach Golf for the Genesis, and was absolutely floored by the high-res, photo realistic sprites before me, especially the spectacular views of the nearby ocean. Fast forward several years, and after dabbling a bit with Hot Shots Golf for the original PS, I now find myself with this project before me. Personally, I don’t understand the utter obsession with golf these days, especially among an increasingly younger age group. Watching a bunch of middle-aged white guys smack little white balls to and fro on lavish courses… it just doesn’t strike me as that “exciting.” I prefer the three-yards-and-cloud-of-bloody-dust TD, or a rim-rattling dunk. Of course, then Tiger Woods came into the picture and changed the entire image of golf, ushering in the aforementioned youth movement, to where golf is now - cooler and hipper than ever. I suppose it’s a good thing I come in with a fresh, analytical approach, rather than being just a fan boy of the various incarnations of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007. I just hope my disdain for golf stays in check (no promises!).

Graphically, the character models truly stand out and are amazingly lifelike - especially the facial expressions. Little touches like dimples, tiny forehead wrinkles and the faint shadow of a beard, really help push the realism to the max. Fans of golf attire should be going ga-ga over this title as well, as its wide array of polos, khakis, visors, caps, shoes and more are presented here with great authenticity. Animation is always key in sports games and EA does a splendid job here as well, with smooth strokes, deft putts and a myriad of celebratory exclamations we have come to know and root right along with, such as Tiger’s classic “Fist of Triumph.”

Courses are pretty nice looking as well, complete with lush greens, a sprinkling of woods and shrubbery, and the foreboding water and sand traps. The skyline is also rather gorgeous as well, with a full variety of cloud formations. Soft breezes stir the trees and the sun shines down on the patient “athletes” below. Overall, the visuals are top notch and very polished.

On the audio end of things, we have a good showing here as well. The broadcast team of Gary McCord and David Feherty provide spot-on commentary, often in those renowned hushed tones golf announcing is famous for. They will rip you for a wild bogey, or cheer you on for a near hole-in-one, and show a bit of good cheer at times. Rounding out the sound department, the soundtrack provides a dutiful backdrop to the game, but isn’t overly impressive. Also, the ambient noise of the surrounding green, from the lively fans shouting praise, to the various animal noises making a home on the multi-million dollar course, all bring you into the surroundings that much more.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007 has a wide variety of play modes to dive into; Match Play, Stroke Play, Skins, Practice, Alternate Shot, Best-Ball and more. These modes offer a ton of replay value, and should keep you busy for weeks and months to come. New to this year’s addition are the Bloodsome and Greensome, team-based events where you (or the CPU/opponent) get to choose where you start based on your initial shot. This throws in some strategy elements in relation to where you should plan your attack towards the hole, and what angles are best for this and whatnot. Sometimes it may be wiser to take a ball farther away, if it is out of the rough for instance, rather than closer and have to deal with obstacles. You can play most if not all of these modes on a nice choice of venues, from the Riviera, The K Club, Pebble Beach, Kiawah Island, The National and more - over 21 in all.

One of the cooler features that actually took me by surprise was the Create-A-Pro feature, where you can customize your entire body in every minute detail possible, eventually taking on the rest of the pro circuit in Tournament play. Along the way, you get experience and these can be spent on upgrading such things as power, accuracy, short game and luck to name just a few. This RPG element is a welcome addition indeed. Money also supplies those spiffy shirts and fancy equipment to keep you on the top of your game (and looking sexy too). You can even bust out into the Team Tour mode, where you gain defeated opponents to your roster. This mode was pretty addictive, going after the big names and adding them to your team. Juggling the newly acquired players with the older, obsolete ones is a good part of the fun and strategy, and becomes important if you want to keep advancing. If you don’t want to delve into your own personal golf adventure, you can always use the 21 playable professionals, from the likes of John Daly, Vijay Singh, Stuart Appleby and of course, Tiger Woods. Even Annika Sorenstam makes an appearance! (*drool).

Moving onto the multiplayer elements, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 is pretty chock full of options here as well. The previously mentioned Bloodsome/Greensome can be played here, along with One Ball (knock around a ball closest to the cup wins). On top of this, you can play in tournaments, both ranked and unranked. Lastly, there is a cool ESPN ticker feature that keeps up to date with the latest sports stories around the world.

With most EA sports games - and sports titles in general - there is usually an adjustable difficulty, and sure enough, we have a plethora of tweakability here in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07. Some options include A.I. ability levels, swing distance, wind strength and more. Along with the ability to customize the gaming experience, there are several handy video tutorials that help guide you through the basics and various features of this latest edition. For people not used to golf, understanding the fundamentals may take a bit of time, but remember to pour through the manual and perhaps visits a few websites to pick-up some real-world tips. Veteran golfers and those used to the series should be right at home as usual. Overall, with the ability to adjust the options to your liking, and the many learning aids included, you shouldn’t have any issues here.

The basics of control are intuitive and work well for the genre. You use the left analog stick to adjust your swing, but you can also throw in some fade or draw depending on how you handle the right analog stick. Putting is equally easy, with a nice overlay and expert caddy advice on where to place each attempt. In regards to the camera, no real complaints here. You can adjust it on the fly, and it doesn’t get stuck in any odd places.

Overall, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 is a great golfing game that combines a terrific sensory package, a host of gameplay modes, and solid production values from EA Sport’s veteran development team. If you call yourself any kind of golf aficionado, or just want a break from the meat grinder of FPS/RTS/contact sports of the gaming world, you should definitely take this one for a few holes.