Golf is an intricate game.

It's a gentleman's game and carefully crafted for centuries and refined to perfection. The only problem is that it's also one of the hardest and most mind-numbingly aggravating things to do in the world - if you suck.

Luckily, Electronic Arts has grabbed the current world's greatest golfer and pixilated him in a living environment, giving everyone the opportunity to be great, at least while your console's turned on.

In "Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 2003," players can compete as one of 15 PGA Tour pros, 12 new original characters or seven returning ones like Big Mo, Kellie Newman or Yosh Tanigawa. Or, you can just create your own character, stick your mug in there and pretend you're good when you're not - whatever makes you happy.

With 12 different courses, including eight of the world's most prestigious, and the possibility to create your own course from the 216 available holes, the game never gets boring. You even can slowly unlock Tiger's dream course by playing through the Tiger challenge, which is sort of nice. Personally, my dream course would have been way different with more women and less bunkers - but to each his own.

But the real gem behind this game is the fluid control with its precision swing system, which allows players to hit straight or slice, all while choosing five different shot types. So you really do have total control like the people over at EA have been bragging about, so kudos to them.

You can even give shots a little extra "oomph" by rapidly tapping the power button during the back swing. If you get it right, you get some interesting alternating cut scenes of your player blasting the ball. And if you get close to the hole, a heartbeat can be felt through the controller as everything slows down. It's a wonderful touch that gives the game some character.

And as for the animation, it's mighty purty. Golfer faces are recognizable, courses are lush and vivid and the physics have been enhanced to create a truly enjoyable golfing experience.

With 10 game modes, there are plenty of things to do and unlock, from the traditional match, stroke and skins play to the new additions Speed Golf and SkillZone. The latter features five modes to earn additional money for the tour.

It also provides more fun in the two-player area. Speed Golf is actually really amusing, especially as you have to tap the run button to catch up with your balls - ha, that sounds sick.

Anyway, this beautifully polished golf game will provide months of enjoyment for the professional golfer and the golfer at heart, which is most of you out there, because golf is really hard and most of you probably suck at it.

And besides, it's winter, so unless you can find a white ball the size of a walnut in the snow, go out and buy this game until spring comes around.