Video game review: Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09

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Editor's note: The latest version of Tiger Woods' video game, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09, debuts this week. To review the game, PGATOUR.COM turned to SI.com's hard-core gamer, Jacob Luft

Like a golfer overhauling his swing, the Tiger Woods video game franchise went in for a 10-year tune-up this year. The result is Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09 (XBOX 360, PS3, Wii), a refreshing remake that should satisfy those gamers who had requested more from the title the past few years.

A screengrab from Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09.

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Perhaps in an effort to interject new blood into the franchise, the Tiger Woods 09 team went to the same person that the champ himself turns to: Hank Haney. Woods' own coach serves as your personal swing guru from start to finish in Tiger Woods 09, which is actually the 11th annual edition of this EA Sports dynasty. (The PGA TOUR series itself dates further back but Woods didn't sign on until '98.)

Via Haney, you find out after each round what you did right and what you could have done better. Then he puts you back on the course and makes you retry the exact same shots that you chunked during the round until you get them right; take three strokes to get out of a bunker, and rest assured Haney will put you right back in the sand as soon as the round is over.

Show improvement, and you'll get a boost to your attributes, or talent level, which is always changing according to your performance. This "My Skills" feature is the bread-and-butter component of Woods 09 and what separates it from any of its previous incarnations. It doesn't make for instant gratification though; gamers will have to put time into this title to get anywhere. It's time well spent, though, because you have to earn everything you get in this game.

Here are some of the other new features and enhancements you'll find in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09:

• Continuing on the theme of instruction and self-improvement, the Club Tuner mode puts you on the driving range and allows you to personalize the settings on each of your clubs. If you strike the ball with consistent accuracy, then you are better off going with a smaller "Sweet Spot" in favor of more power. If you are a poor ball striker, then maximize the sweet spot and sacrifice power. Once you tune a club, give them a few rips and then go to Coach Haney and he'll give you a letter grade for your proficiency. He's a tough cookie though -- no grade inflation here.

• In addition to the staples such as TPC Sawgrass, Pebble Beach, Carnoustie and St. Andrews -- the latter being Tiger's personal favorite -- there are five new courses: Gary Player Country Club (South Africa), Wentworth Country Club (England), Sheshan Golf Club (China), Wolf Creek (Nevada) and Bay Hill Country Club (Fla.). New golfers include Se Ri Pak, Darren Clarke, Nick Dougherty and Rory McIlroy. (Yes, Natalie Gulbis is still in the game.) Note that most of the new courses and players are international, which is appropriate considering the popularity of the game overseas.

• If you enjoy gaming online with your friends, a long-awaited "Simultaneous Play" option is finally available. Blaze through a round without having to wait for your buddies to hit. Also as an added bonus for online gamers, EA has enhanced its GamerNet feature to include Instant Challenges. Any time you are on a course in single-player mode, you'll face challenges posted by other gamers who have already played the course and posted their longest drives, closest approaches and smoothest putts. Win and you'll gain GamerNet points, which hold no real value except to serve as proof of your mad skills.

• Stroke tournament play can get intense, so take a breather from the pressure of the FedExCup race to get in some match play in the Tiger Challenge. Progress through the lesser lights such as Camilo Villegas and Justin Rose and work your way up through to the elites: Adam Scott, Vijay Singh and Tiger. Annika Sorenstam also makes a cameo here. There are 10 to beat to complete the Tiger Challenge, and, to unlock each match, you have to complete a series of simple and somewhat entertaining challenges.

• For Nintendo Wii owners, the "All-Play" version of Tiger Woods 09 features marked improvements over last year's effort. Coach Haney and the "My Skills" features are still there, but it's the ability to swing the controller like a golf club and induce draws and fade simply by turning over your wrist with uncanny precision make this the best golf title on the Wii to date. This is especially true when you factor in the boatload of mini-games (including the Tiger Woods ball bounce a la the famous commercial) and the inclusion of Simultaneous Play online.

Among his duties as senior editor at Sports Illustrated's Web site, Jacob Luft reviews video games. The views of this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the PGA TOUR.