This was the first version of the series
to exclusively feature the analog swing that would later be the best part of the series.
Here it is obviously in its infancy as it still has a meter to gauge your power. There are
a few different swings here that would be excised from later version. Spin is controlled
in the air though it is done while the ball is in flight. Later releases would rely on
bottom mashing to achieve this. It's hardly realistic either way, but the arcade roots of
the series are apparent even in this edition.
Putting is much more of a chore here (not to mention more realistic) that it would be later. Pressing X or the triangle button will give you a better look at the green, but here it is all up to you to make sure that you've aimed exactly right.
Various modes of play are available including scenarios, PGA Tour, tournaments, skins, match play, and stroke play. The PGA Tour will send you into various tournaments and other assorted modes of play. You will play as one of the PGA's finest as there is no create-a-player. The scenarios will put you into various tight situations and it's up to you to make it out.
Looking at the game shows where it came from. The textures on the
courses are ugly, blurry, and hard to look at. The grass texture is completely
unrealistic. The player models are accurate and look nice, but they are certainly dated
compared to what we have today. Sound is sparse with very little commentary or crowd
sound. Ambient sounds are few and far between. Almost all of the golfers have a few voice
bits to add some variety, but these quickly wear thin.
There is very little reason to revisit this game. It still plays a decent version of golf, but when 2002 (not to mention later games as well) did everything so much better, it's hard to go back. This may appeal a bit more to those who enjoy more realistic golf, but the wealth of features offered by other games in the series adds a lot more replay value for the money.
