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I bought Tiger Woods 2005 for my dad for Christmas. He’s in his 60′s, and TW’05 might be the first “toy” he’s received for Christmas since his Red Ryder Air Rifle, with which he nearly put his eye out.

Anyway! We loaded up the game on his recently-purchased no-frills Dell computer and began playing immediately. He, my brother-in-law, and I played a few rounds and were able to understand most of the controls right away. As with TW’04, this version utilizes “True Swing” controls, where you roll the mouse back to pull back your club, and then push the mouse forward to swing. The mouse-swing determines how hard you hit the ball and if there is any slice or pull, and after several months of game play I can report that it is quite accurate (sometimes frustratingly accurate) and a great representation of a golf swing.

After playing a few rounds, my dad decided to create his own golfer. I am convinced that this was his favorite part of the game because he was laughing so hard he was hiccupping. “Game Face II” allows you to create a character who comes very close to looking like your own doppleganger. My dad’s golfer looks just like him, and my golfer looks almost exactly like me (except for he’s lost the twenty or so extra pounds).

When you start out with your golfers career, you have only a certain amount of money with which to buy attributes (your golfer’s abilities) and equipment. There are several different ways to earn money; skills challenges, tournaments, and the legend’s tour (match play against everyone from a middle-aged Vegas card-dealer to Palmer, Nicholas, and Tiger himself). There are also trophy balls that earn you cash… your first birdie, par, 300-yard drive, sub-60 round, bogie-free round, and hole-in-one are some trophy balls to put in your case, and when you get them, you’re rewarded with some extra spending dough.

As your golfer’s attributes improve, golfing lessons will be made available for a fee. If you pass the lesson, then new options or toolbar controls are added to the golf screen, including pitch, punch, flop, power, and chip shots, and sliders that will help you control how far your ball will fly or how much spin will be put on it when it hits the green.

I love the instant replays. If you strike a really good ball and it’s going to come close to the hole, the screen will narrow to a widescreen format and the “camera” closes up on the pin. This is where my dad and I pray that the ball plops right on the rim of the cup and drops in for an ace or a double-eagle. Then you get to see the shot replayed from the ball’s point-of-view, or from an invisible crane camera. You have the option of saving your replays to show your own dad later!

I brought up the fact that my dad’s computer is an “economy” version (it was $400 new) because there was a pop-up warning when we first ran the game that reported his video card didn’t meet the minimum requirements for the game. There were very few areas where this effected play, but recently I brought over a higher-end Dell laptop to his house and we tried the game on that. The difference was night-and-day. It was incredibly similar to watching golf on TV… but I imagine this is the case with most game software, so it’s hard to single this out as a fault with TW’05. I just thought it note-worthy.

I have not experienced some of the issues others have had with the game, such as the competitor who decides to use a lob wedge on a long par four or five. What I do agree with, however, is some of the issues people have with the commentary. Sometimes it is dreadfully inaccurate. I’ve made countless shots that have either gone in the hole or achingly close, and the commentator says “whoa, that’s going to come up well short” or “that might make the front of the green… not a horrible shot.” Those comments are irritating, but what gets my dad is when they tell you that a putt looks dead straight when it fact it’s as sharp a right or left slope as found on any mountain ledge.

But the biggest thing for me about Tiger Woods 2005 is this: In the middle of the winter, my dad was able to sit down at his computer and hit a golf ball. When my mom told me on the phone that my dad said to her “it feels just like I’m actually on the golf course” my day was made. He plays for at least a little while every day, and he enjoyed the game so much that I purchased TW’04 for his birthday last week, and I’m beginning to plan for the computer upgrades necessary for his computer for when TW’06 comes out later this year.

About the only reason why I don’t give TW’05 a 5-star rating is that even though it is full of features and challenges, there simply needs to be more. The game is so much fun, but there comes a time when there is nothing else on which to spend the money you win, not enough courses, not enough challenges once you pass a certain level. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 is an excellent, excellent game, but once you’re completely hooked, there’s nothing more to achieve.

Still, and I must restate this, my dad and I have a blast when we get together and play a round or two. My wife has been a TW’05 widow for the past month or so when I break out my game, and more than once the next morning I’ve woken up groggy for work because I’ve had so much fun. If you’re looking for a game that can be PLAYED by grown-ups (i/e, you don’t wield a laser-cannon and shoot everything in sight at 90-MPH ’til you have a siezure) then by all means, give TW’05 a try, at least to rent, and don’t be surprised if you put an order on this page soon thereafter.
Rating: 4 / 5

First, let me start off by saying that I am no computer dummy. I have been around computers for over 20 years. It’s safe to say that I know what I am doing. Secondly, I have a very high-end, very powerful gaming computer, on which I have played many large and complicated games. I have never had one freeze up on me, EVER! This game freezes up at least 75% of the time. I choose a game mode, and when I go to tee off, it freezes on the loading screen. It has nothing to do with my graphics card, because I am able to practice and I have managed to play a few amateur games. However, I am now stuck, because everything that involves making money that I try to do causes the game to freeze. TW 2004 NEVER did this on my computer, and I loved that game. This game is great, when I can play it, but EA really didn’t work out the kinks on this. Shame on them.
Rating: 1 / 5