It’s nice to play a game free from pulsating soundtracks and excessive explosions. Most games I play add tension to my life. Tiger Woods replaces that tension with the soothing sounds of ocean waves and birds in the sky. It’s better than one of those nature CDs. When you add the beautiful scenery to the serene sounds you have the perfect recipe for relaxation. The courses look fantastic. Everything has been rendered to scale in incredible detail. Sometimes I would just stop and take in the view.

In talking about serenity and relaxation, I don’t want to suggest that this game is boring. In fact, Tiger Woods PGA takes all of the boring elements of golf out and streamlines the game. Playing through 18 holes of golf goes remarkably fast. If you want to be aggressive with your play, there is a lot room for that here. This is one of the few games that I’ve played that can be different things for different people. You could take a Happy Gilmore approach sans the Bob Barker confrontation, if that’s what you’d prefer. I personally enjoyed taking my time.

I really liked the controls for this game. There are a few comprehensive tutorials that will help get you started. The learning curve for basic moves is pretty low, so you’ll be up and playing in no time. Your swing centers around the analog stick. Not only do you have to time your swing for the right amount of power, but you also have to hit your ball square on by pushing the stick straightforward. If the stick goes a little to the right or left you could slice the ball. The other controls for positioning your club and choosing the right swing are also simple and straightforward.

The on-screen menus combined with the tutorials and instruction manual give you enough background that you can play this game knowing absolutely nothing about the sport. Some of the finer points may be missed by the rank amateurs, but this is golf for dummies in the best sense of the word.

The hardest part of any golf game I’ve ever played has been reading the green when you need to put. TW solves this by exaggerating the lie of the ground and superimposing a grip with the press of a button. I was impressed by how accurately the ball reacts to the little hills and valleys of the putting green. When you make that 25 foot put, you really feel like you’ve accomplished something.

You can choose from six golf pros, but I don’t understand why anyone would want to settle for anything less than Tiger. I guess some people do have a thing for underdogs. The character animations are incredible. Every now and again I forgot that I wasn’t watching a video game. When he would crouch down to read a green or pump his arm in triumph after a really long putt, I really believed that it was Tiger on my screen. The only real criticism that anyone could offer against this game is the lack of courses that you get to play. TW for the PS2 only offers three courses to choose from: Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, and Poppy Hills. The courses are so meticulously realized that you can overlook this omission of additional courses, but it does cut down a little on the replay value of the game.

The game gives you the option of playing your standard 18 holes, tournaments, and skins. There’s also a nice "play now" option that drops you right into the middle of a game with some very specific obstacles to overcome.

I doubt that you will find a more engrossing golf game out there. The only real criticism I have of Tiger Woods PGA 2001 is the lack of courses (on-line play would have been nice too, but that’s a long way off). Also, with everything that the PS2 can do, I found the amount of animation lacking. I know that eye candy doesn’t make a game, but it can be nice every now and again. A few spectators on the green, or even a caddy, would have been welcome touches. I also wouldn’t have minded having a bird’s eye view of the entire course. These are little criticisms that shouldn’t keep you from buying the game if you are interested in experiencing the strangely addictive serenity of golf on the PS2. I’m not going to go out and buy my own set of clubs because of this game, but I have to admit that after a few rounds I was quite tempted.