In keeping with the old adage about not fixing things that ain't broken, Tiger Woods makes an appearance on Gamecube with a follow-up to several very, very successful games. What makes Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 such a great experience has to traced back to a commitment to looking and sounding like the real thing. To say PGA Tour 2003 is a golf sim is like saying Anna Nicole Smith is a scary freak. The only real question I keep asking myself is why anyone would ever feel the need to buy another golf game, ever.

Ironically, the chatter in PGA Tour 2003 almost trumps great graphics as the strongest contributor to why this game is so strong. Nobody in the room with their eyes closed would be able to tell there's a video game on the screen as opposed to a televised match of golf. From the announcing done during the flyover to the little comments made on each shot, PGA Tour 2003 has that ESPN experience nailed down. Tiger offers his voice talent, but the play-by-play is where things really shine. Sure, you'll be tempted to turn off the volume when you shank a ball into the sand, but you'll be glad to hear the praise and the applause when you sink a long putt or hit a long drive. I can tell you truthfully that within the first few hours I sank a Double Eagle and did a Hole in One, and the announcers went friggin' wild. But, then I went 6 over par, and that sucked hard.

Visually, all the eye candy you could ever want is here. The player choices are all over the map, including Tiger himself, various other golf pros and some downright strange characters. Each character usually has an alternate outfit, so you can customize extensively. Also, as you rack up points, you trade them in for player ability points and also 'tools of the trade' upgrades for club heads, shafts, gloves... everything. Controlling the camera during play is done in several ways, and at any point you have the option to do a fly-over showing the entire course ahead of you, or just pull the camera up above to see the course ahead for your next shot. A nice green-cam does a little bug's-eye view of where the hole lies in relation to your position, and periodically, when you really crank the ball, you'll get a video montage that shows you hitting from a bunch of different angles, looking like nicely edited footage. You can also do a bit of this yourself in saved replays, which you store separately from your normal game save. Other neat extras include a kickin' sound track you can turn off or set up as a jukebox to pump tunes throughout your game.

Just highlighting the different modes in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 should illustrate why this game will keep you busy for as long as it takes to ship next year's masterpiece. A quick-play option lets you just jump in with a golfer and start swinging, but you'll still have to earn your Tour Card by playing through a basic tutorial section. The very 'analog' control in PGA Tour 2003 takes a little getting used to, but the basics of play haven't changed in an eternity. Golf is golf, after all. Learning how to control the play mechanics doesn't take long, thankfully.

After a little time in Practice Mode (or not, if you're a seasoned pro), you can create a profile and get into the action. The character you create is fairly superficial, but the stats you rack up in the game are for the long haul. You can always go in and choose a different character model and outfit, but you'll keep your records and any specials you've earned as long as you don't delete the player profile. Tiger Challenge covers a lot of ground, and has a slew of sub-modes that unlock courses, golfers and lets you earn mo' money. You'll also be able to jump into Scenario Mode, which presents a specific challenge you have to overcome, and you'll be judged by the kind of results you were able to achieve instead of a score by stroke or holes. Stroke and Match Play Modes as well as Skins Mode are easy ways to knock out one course or even 9 holes if you don't have time for a full Tournament. Also, these are good ways to earn extra money. You can customize these modes considerably with other players to compete against, either CPU or Human. Speed Golf is a really funny mode that forces you to physically RUN after you hit the ball, going for the next hole. True golf purists may find this annoying, since between holes it looks more like an action game than a golf sim, but we all need some variety from time to time, don't we? Skillzone Mode is an expansion to Scenario, and contains mini-games you can use to hone your skills. My Tour is basically a gameplay 'jukebox' that lets you create a custom course comprised of all your favorite holes to play during any of the other modes. In the last main mode, which isn't really a mode at all, you can play through a Tournament and receive a ranking and code you can then use on EA's Web site to find how you stack up against the World. The main disappointment I have over this release for this console is the lack of true Internet play, but EA's workaround at least gives you a chance to see how you rank. And, isn't golf a pretty solitary sport, anyway?

The courses play like a dream, and present some nice challenge. You'll have a chance to not only sample some of the world's premier courses, but also to play some Fantasy courses. Beyond just unlocking courses and golfers, you'll be rewarded for special shots with a Tournament Ball. These stay in your trophy case, which you can view along with your other accomplishments like 'longest drive' and others. The Caddy assistance is great, and you can toggle how you'd like it to appear during play. The Caddy will suggest ways to attack the ball, and the announcer will give you a strategy on how to approach the green, describing the lie and any peculiarities in the course. The analog swing-control is very sensitive, but over time and with the help of a corrective 'spin' feature you'll have no problem whacking out some huge drives. And, with all the equipment to unlock and the upgrades you can make to your character, the game grows with you.

Using analog control is always a mixed blessing. The GC happens to have a fairly touchy analog stick, with small increments. It's easy to send the ball to the left or right too often at first, but that is a big part of golf, so maybe it was intentional. And, in putting, you'll spend a great deal of time figuring out just how to adjust for lie and distance. Some of it you can do through a character's characteristics, but skill is still the main thing. The beauty of a game like golf is that practice really does make perfect, so working out all the kinks on a few courses will eventually have you shooting under par and playing like a pro. Some of the challenges in Scenario and Skillzone require serious control, so players will have to work up to the later courses. And, it's almost a guarantee that by the time you're playing on the more advanced courses, you will have literally earned them and proven yourself on lighter-weight holes. Golf is a hard game, and this is much more toward the 'sim' side of things than any Hot Shots Golf business, so you can't expect to just pick up Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 and be a master.

Being a golf simulation is about more than just creating realistic courses, letting you play famous golfers and putting brand names or real-life announcers in the mix. No, the best golf games for true fans are those that really offer the experience of playing golf. We've all seen the unique controllers, the simulated shooting range complete with video screen at the Arcade. So, how does this end up working on Gamecube. Very simply, the trick is in the stick. Using the analog stick to simulate the swing is a great way to immerse you quickly in the game, since you're actually going through the motion required to make the swing. Pull back for too long, and you sap the power; forget to follow through and you get a wimpy roll. If you nail a shot, or even if you're going to be a little off, you can provide some nice spin in any direction to make the ball go where you want it to. Drawing or Fading the ball can be a real trick, since the best results are achieved by a diagonal up-down motion in the analog or C-Stick. If you thought pulling straight back and forth was hard, wait until you try to get the Draw or Fade. In putting, like most golf games, power in the hit changes to the science of reading the green. Your Caddy will tell you how to adjust your target, but since there aren't readily available markers on the green, you'll have to judge distances by eye. Caddy advice can seem a little less useful than you might like. Selecting clubs is easy, and you can also cycle through some shot styles to help determine the way you'd like the ball to handle in the case of a chip shot or when using a wedge. Finally, getting more power to boost your drives is done by pounding repeatedly on the Z button, which also controls spin once the ball is in the air, based on your follow-through.

This is THE golf game to own, and anything else will be in your library merely because it features funny characters, fantasy themes or something truly original like some weird blend of golfing and another genre. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 is just another step in the annual release cycle as far as PS2 and PC owners go. But, for Gamecube owners out there, especially those who haven't sampled the series elsewhere, get ready to have your world rocked. The best golfer in the world has his name and image on what continues to be the best golf game in the world.