I can't beleive I'm actually going to recommend this game.
And TW 08 has a critical bug, too -- the game freezes everytime the ball stops moving and waits for the crowd noise to play out. this seriously sucks because you must look at a frozen game 5 - 10 seconds between shots. (and you can't simply turn the crowd noise off, too -- only mute it -- whether you have a crowd or not).
The graphics are lame, esp. by today's standards and look like TW 04 just dressed up a little.
BUT -- dang it! -- i've been wired to this game for the last two weeks, hooked. having some of the best times of my life with a golf game. and it makes me angry that i actually like this game, because i so much want to hate EA for the terrible thing they've done to us.
i like this game because -- for the PC -- it's much more simmy. and it comes with 14 real courses, that are reasonably varied and exiting to play -- although there are a couple unfair pin placements here and there.
most important: it is also possible to have stats that compete with the AI golfers. i simply kept all my attribute points to zero, aside from 75 given to strength, and i use the stock EA clubs and ball -- and my stats are 275 off the tee, 70% fairways, 60% greens, 1.6 putts per hole, 60% scrambling. and i'm currently rated 10th overall with the AI golfers.
i love the PGA tour that i compete against and am having a great balance battling the AI just to get into the top 10. i've won just one tournement and it was an epic battle at Riviera that ended in a sudden death playoff.
Fantastic. i'm hooked, and, unfortuanly, must recommend this game to other simmy golf fans out there, because there is a diamond in the rough that can be enjoyed.
now if EA would just overhaul the graphics, take out the bugs, and make the game HARDER to play -- they'd have a wonderful hit on their hands.
So EA -- DO THIS.