I have played dozens of golf games dating back to golf on the Commodore-64. Some games have been completely pathetic, while others have been relatively good. I bought Tiger Woods 09 for the Wii basically because I like to try most every golf game that hits the market. My expectations for this game were actually fairly low, as EA has not exactly put out killer software for the Wii.

Having put in over 30 hours with Tiger Woods 09 I can safely say that this is the most fun console golf game I have ever played. Not only is the game incredibly deep with an absolute ton of modes of play, but it also sports a great online component. The developers really did a good job of making TW09 a truly fun multi-player experience.

What makes Tiger Woods 09 such a great game is the control. The 1:1 swing mechanic can be tuned in a variety of ways. It takes some getting used to in terms of shot strength, but once the user gets it down the game is butter. As far as putting is concerned, this is the best putting system in a golf game, no questions asked. Yes, the putting system may seem confusing at first, but after spending some time with it the user will realize that putting in TW09 is as close to real-life putting yet seen in a golf game. Everything from the clearly visible slope on the greens to the depth of resources the putting system provides to the user makes hanging out on the green a joy.

As to be expected, the graphics of the Wii version of Tiger Woods 09 are not as detailed as those of the 360/PS3 versions, but they are still not too shabby. I particularly like the way the undulations and elevation changes on each hole are depicted.

Finally, EA smartly included an “All-Play” level of difficulty that allows inexperienced or less-skilled gamers to be able to be competitive. Of course, there are standard and advanced difficuly levels as well. This allows someone who has never played the game or is not very good to be able to play with a seasoned TW pro and still have fun without being blown out of the water. I like to play on the hardest difficulty level, but when someone comes over to the house they still have fun since they can play on the easier mode.

Overall, Tiger Woods 09 is exactly the type of sports game Wii owners deserve. It wonderfully takes advantage of the controller technology, offers a ton of modes of play and customizations, and has a high fun factor. Get this game and spend some time learning to play it properly. You will not be sorry.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 All Play for the Wii is an excellent golf simulation. I have read the complaints about the putting. Listen, putting was far too easy on ealier iterations. Putting on Tiger 09 can be mastered, but guess what? Doing so takes effort and practice and touch and hard work–just as putting in real life does. The satisfaction from becoming skilled and consistent is just what a golf game should demand. In like manner, mastering the full or partial swing takes time and effort. Good, golf is a difficult and demanding sport,a humbling experience. Tiger 09 for the Wii is terrific, a golfer’s delight, if not a gamer’s delight. Buy it, master it, and experience the satisfaction for learning how to do something difficult very, very well.

I’ll save a long review and just dive in on how to deal with the putting.

The putting is initially awful BUT, I repeat BUT you CAN EASILY fix it. For each putt you’re given a maximum putt distance meter.

So if it’s 10 feet to the cup the game sets your maximum backswing of 100% to go 10 feet. I.e. pull all the way back on the putt for a 10 foot putt and the ball will go 10 feet assuming a flat surface.

The problem is the game doesn’t recognize grade. Just like in real golf that’s up to you the user to control for.

If you push up or down on the d-pad you can adjust this putt meter. I do this for all of my putts because I don’t want to get a 100% backswing everytime, there’s no margin for error.

So say I have a 10 foot putt that is slightly uphill, I push up on the d-pad and this little aiming arrow that is above the cup will move away from my player and adjust the putt meter from 10 feet to 15 feet or 20 feet or whatever I want.

Say I stop the putt meter at 20 feet for my 10 foot putt now i can whack the putt at 80% to 85% (there’s some touch involved it is golf–well video game golf–after all) and instead of barely rolling 10 feet with a 100% swing for the 10 foot putt meter I now have enough power to hit the ball 12 or so which if I’ve paced it right and aligned it right will be plenty to get the ball in the hole.

It’s a long explaination that takes 10 seconds to demostrate in the game. Problem solved and a very good is saved from being ruined by crappy directions in the manual.