The Golf Pro

The Golf pro swing control system is brilliant: you hold the mouse button down and move your mouse from side to side to represent the natural golf swing. It's the first game to do a decent job of this (Cendant's effort came out first, but its control method was letdown by substandard animation and, well, by being a bit crap).

The handicap system means that you can't play at professional difficulty level until you earn it (you start as a beginner or amateur and move up as you improve), but once you hit pro level you may regret It -all the on-screen swing aids disappear. Judging a shot entirely by the ptayer's movement is bloody difficult Even with visual aids, doing everything by feel means it takes practice to become proficient, and It can be frustrating. But there are good practice facilities and tutorials. Presentation throughout is immaculate, the only minor flaw being that the pre-rendered courses mean you can be aiming the ball without looking from behind the player, which is occasionally unhelpful with dose-range shots There are two good courses - one, St Mellion, designed by Jack Nicklaus, doesn't appear in his own game. Overall though, The Golf Pro is excellent and well worth buying - if you're prepared to practice.