Now that nearly every other sport has had it's shot on the PSP, it's golf's turn. Tiger Wood's PGA Tour brings EA's popular golf series to the handheld in what is essentially a smaller version of the 2004 version of the game. Everything you'd expect from the series, from graphics to gameplay, managed to find their way into the game, though it does contend with some AI and long time issues that can blemish the experience.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I am once again amazed at how great the game looks and am still floored that this is on a handheld. Graphics are easily the most impressive thing about the game, even if the details have been slimmed down. Character models have received the biggest hit, but still look great. You can still tell who is who and even get a sense of their "mood" (so to speak). Courses have also received a bit of a reduction, mostly in terms of texture quality, but still retain their realistic look. I'm not enough of a fan of golf to say if the courses accurately reflect their real-life visages, but I've yet to hear any hardcore golf fans complain, so I'm sure that's a good sign.

My favorite graphical aspect of Tiger Woods was the inclusion of the "Game Face" feature. This mode is basically a set of sliders and modification attributes that let you put yourself, or a fanciful likeness of yourself, into the game and match up against the pros. The system isn't as deep as it is in the consoles, but there's still enough available that you can make a reasonable likeness of whoever you're going for.

One of my main reasons for not liking golf is that you have to remain quiet during a match. For anyone who knows me well enough, this really isn't me. Tiger Woods reflects this by limiting the musical tracks to only showing up in menus. In game, you're treated to calm, soothing ambient sounds of the green and the commentary of David Feherty and Gary McCord. Commentary is nice and is as close to a real-life telecast as you could expect from the current generation of systems. Feherty takes on the "funny" side of the duo, while McCord is the straight man.

Tiger Woods features most of the modes found in the console versions and, like any good handheld, finds a balance between modes that are made for when you have only a few minutes to play, or for when you want to relax with a longer game.

Legend mode is the longer playing of the game's modes. Here, you take your custom golfer and play in head-to-head match ups, beginning as a rookie and leading all the way up to a match with Tiger himself. If you're not looking for a standard match, you can also take on the Legends challenges, which present you with scenarios that you must complete. These challenges are tough, but worth completing since they will make you much better at the game.

Working your way through both of these modes will earn you cash prizes and sponsorships. Money can be used to either purchase new equipment in the Pro Shop that will have a hand in enhancing your performance, or it can be used increasing your character's stats. EA has done a great job of balancing out the bonus each gives you, so there's no one thing you can purchase and dominate. The lack of good equipment will handicap even the most skilled of players, while those with only the best in gear will still suck.

Several quick-play game modes are available and can be played alone or with a friend using the PSP's WiFi capabilities. Match types include skins games, matches and longest drive competitions. A speed-golf game, called Bingo Bango Bongo has also been included. This mode is more for impatient players who want to just run through a game instead of sticking with the otherwise leisurely pacing of the game. In addition to just being a speed game, Bingo Bango Bongo also rewards players for having the longest drive or getting the ball closest to the hole without it actually going in.

Legends mode flows nicely, and represents a nice, gradual difficulty ramp up. There are, however, a few difficulty spikes that will have you screaming "cheap". During these moments just remember, you're holding a $250 piece of electronics equipment, so try and resist the urge to send it flying into a wall like you would a $20 Dual Shock controller. The spikes are also rather inconsistent, since one match will give you the game of your life, while the next will be a breeze.

I know I've said in past reviews that I'm trying my hardest to get used to the analog nub, and really I've been trying, but for whatever reason, mastery of that little black dot of plastic has eluded me. Of course, this didn't help my chances in Tiger Woods much, but I still managed.

Tiger Woods takes the console version's analog swing mechanic and brings it to the PSP with few problems. The guiding principal behind the system requires you to pull back on the stick and then up to release. A perfectly timed, and straight, swing will send the ball cruising while any deviation will shank the ball off course. I was glad to see that the system is more forgiving than in the console versions, which actually helped increase my enjoyment in the game. As you swing, you can also press the right shoulder button and add a little more power to the swing.

Other than those nasty difficulty spikes, the one issue holding Tiger Woods back from total domination are load times. There are a few tweaks you can reportedly make to cut these load times down, though I was never able to get them to work well. Either I'm doing something wrong, or there's some real damage control going on with the game's fans.

These issues aside, Tiger Woods PGA Tour is still a remarkable game of golf and worth the purchase. It's more of a sim than arcade game, so if you're looking for something with more of an arcade feel them you may want to check out Hot Shots Golf.