PGA Championship Golf 2000

There must surely be a limiting factor to a game where you hit a ball towards a little hole, while taking into account wind direction and terrain. PGA Championship Golf begs to differ. Included within it are a host of comprehensive features to satisfy even the most anal of golf fans.

Starting with a preview of the game, FMV clips take you through all the ways in which to execute each type of shot with the mouse. The game features both the mouse-swinging (TrueSwing) control method and a welcome return of the dated but popular three-click system. In order to master the game, you can use the practice ranges from one of the seven PGA courses available to practice driving, chipping and putting, as well as attempting any of the 18 holes. Once you've mastered your skill shots, it's time to move on to the tournament mode. Choose one of the 12 different types of contest (Match, Medal, Ryder Cup etc), your opponents, weather conditions, rules, ball size, number of holes (among other options), and you're away. If you get bored with the courses provided, there's a course designer so you can have a go at creating your own holes. Another nice feature is the inclusion of Readyplay, which enables you to play simultaneously with your opponents, rather than waiting for each one to take their shot. LAN and Internet play is also available.

The in-game graphics are smooth, if not spectacular, although it's a shame that the crowd are so static; they can also stand right in front of your golfer when he takes a shot, which is a little sloppy. However, PGACG is a very solid and engaging game, with more options than the Muller Corner range and adequate ball physics to boot It's not in the same league as Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf, but it's still worth a look.