PC Golf Games

[Chris]

I wrote this for a friend who is going to build a cabinet just to play the PC version of Golden Tee, and wanted another golf game to go with it.  I thought someone here might find this useful as well..

Okay, I spent all last night playing golf, trying the demos or full versions of:

• Links 2003
• PGA Championship Golf 2000
• Tiger Woods 99
• Tiger Woods 2002
• Tiger Woods 2003

Here's the verdict:

Links 2003: I played the demo, which is nine holes.  Yes, it has a Golden Tee style swing now, but it feels nothing like Golden Tee.  Far too simulation-oriented to even approach a Golden Tee experience, and that was on the easiest skill level!  The flow was also bad, as there was far too much mousing around just to go from shot to shot.  I am not going to put this in my cabinet.

PGA Championship Golf 2000: There was a lot to like about this game!  It is also simulation oriented, but not so much so as Links.  If you slam the ball too hard, you're almost certainly going to hook into the woods or toe the ball just a few feet.  On one occasion, when I really slung the ball hard, I actually whiffed and missed the ball entirely!  I tried a Golden-Tee style move, pulling the ball down and to the left on the backswing, and my golfer got so twisted around he actually fell on his butt!  Playing a little more carefully would let me hit reasonably straight, but I didn't gave to concentrate as much as Links on being perfect.

This one was promising.  I'm not going to put it in my cabinet as my main golf game, but since the demo has a full 18-hole course, I'll leave the demo game installed for those who like a challenge.

Tiger Woods 99: I have the full version of this.  This one had the most "arcadey" experience, with short music cues after each shot and a big display of yards hit flying in after each shot.  This one would have been perfect... except it's version of TrueSwing requires you to move the trackball right and left, not back and forth!  Ugh!

Tiger Woods 2002: This one was very promising.  The flow and presentation isn't as arcadey as Golden Tee, but the swing is pretty close!  The demo plays only three holes, though, and the system requirements are a bit high.

Tiger Woods 2003:  This three-hole demo felt exactly the same as TW 2002, but with better graphics and sound, with lower system requirements!  In addition, it has a great Career Mode:  You start with $3200 for equipment, and you have to play the tour, earning more money for better equipment and working your way up to better competition, along with other golf events that must be completed to progress.

This was the only one I played over and over. The only problem here was that most of my shots were great fairway shots, even when I wasn't being particularly careful.  This turned the game into essentially a putting contest.  Now, the demo was stuck on the lowest skill level; hopefully higher skill levels will reduce the problem.  There were also some annoying graphic glitches, but hopefully the full version and patch will get around those.  

So I'll probably put the full version of Tiger Woods 2003 and the demo version of PGA Championship Golf 2000 in my cabinet.  I wish I could get TW99 working with a vertical swing, though...

--Chris

[SirPoonga]

I have the full version of pga 2000.  It is a good golf game.  It requires skill to hit the ball, not just rolling the trackball  Plus, I like what you said about doing a golden tee style swing, I laughed at that.  You can puposely hook it and such, just don;t go to the extreme of golden tee golf.  The only thing I don't like about the game is putting.  it is really hard to judge distance and strength to put using the mouse.  And it's an old golf game.  new golf games FINALLY got a good putting grid.  Mario golf is newer and it has a good putting grid that moves so you can see the entire slope.  My favorite grid is Hot Shots golf for the ps2.  It's a stationary grid, but there is a little dot on each sections that moves according to the slope.

[Chris]

I notice that PGA 2000 Platinum comes with 32 courses now!  I think I'll have to play another round of demos again... I may have to put both PGA 2000 and TW 2003 on there...

[SirPoonga]

Yeah, I shuld see if I can find tha courses again and burn them to CD.  Right now it is hard to find pga 2000/titanium courses.

I've also found out that pga 2000 is easier with a ball mouse than an optical.

[Sprucemoose]

Where do I find Golden Tee PC?  I have found the free demo version, but not the full version.  How many courses does the full version have?  Thanks for the help.

[Chris]

The full version only has three courses; an additional three
courses are available for purchase.  Most computer stores have it with the budget jewels cases; mine was in a double jewel case with Viva Soccer for $9.99.

--Chris