Good, but not as great as it could have been.
So when Tiger Woods 07 came out, I hoped it would fit that bill, but it didn't quite make it.
First the good. I enjoy the Tour version, allowing one to play through a number of Tour events to earn money and build up their stats (after creating your own golfer). The golf courses are nice looking and offer different challenges. As you upgrade your golf skills it becomes easier to compete, which I like. The fact that I could not win right out of the gate felt right.
There are other modes, such as Arcade, which has you playing games where you hit for accuracy and things like that, but I have not played them much as this is not what I was looking for when I got this. They may be good, but read other reviews for info there.
The bad: swing mechanics. First, let me qualify that by saying they are OK...I never enjoyed playing golf games at friends houses using an analog stick. It was TOO easy (getting a birdie on the first hole one ever plays does not suggest a challenging game). On the Standard setting for 07, it feels challenging, and requires a steady swing to hit it straight.
Where it does not work as well is that it does not allow for a natural golf swing. I golf (poorly), and when I swing a club back, my wrist bends, or "breaks" on the backswing (as it does for most golfers). When you do this in the game, it reads that you have started your forward swing, and you end up with a shot at 60% power or less that likely slices. This requires you to modify your backswing to prevent this, making it an unrealistic swing.
My other major complaint, more towards Nintendo than EA, is no online multiplayer. Nintendo needs to catch up ond this one, although it is well known they are saving the premier of it for one of their franchises (Pokemon).
All in all, I am glad I got this game, and while it has room to improve, I can't imagine playing a golf game with an analog stick again.