(Why is this “first impressions” of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 for the Wii and not a review? Because this is a massive game and I’ve barely scratched the surface.)

Tiger Woods 10 is the latest in EA Sports’ yearly refresh of perhaps the most unfairly maligned professional sport. As much as people like to complain about golf on television, though, they seem to love playing it. With the addition of support for the new Wii Motion Plus peripheral, Tiger Woods gives those of us who don’t particularly care for fresh air and walking slowly the chance to hit the links in the most realistic video game golf experience yet.

The last golf game I bought was Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64, used, for a few bucks, a good five years after it came out. The last actual game of golf I played was a couple of summers back at a local backwoods course with my wife’s father and my brother-in-law. I enjoy golf, but I’m not all that into it. I’m also not all that good at it—something the new Tiger Woods game was more than happy to point out when I chose to use the “Advanced” Motion Plus control options.

He is Tiger, hear him roar!

The skeptics can remain skeptical if they wish, but my short time with Wii Motion Plus has made me a believer, in the potential at least. In Tiger Woods 10, the newly elongated controller tracks the exact twist and movement of the remote in your hand and translates it to your golfer onscreen. Meaning, if you don’t keep the remote straight through your swing, you’re in danger of hooking or slicing the ball. Once you get the hang of how the game wants you to swing, though, the feeling of actually playing a round of golf is palpable, if not completely authentic. I say “how the game wants you to swing” because there’s a definite learning curve involved in balancing the “gaminess” of Woods with the simulation aspects.

Besides tracking the twists and turns of the remote, Motion Plus also accurately tracks your backswing and follow-through, which translates to the power of your swing in the game. An onscreen target (which you zoom to by double-tapping the A button) shows the general area your shot should land, given the chosen club and how far away you are. It also shows the power percentage you need to swing the club to get in the target. Pull back halfway for a 50% shot, or all the way back to really let the ball fly. Of course, things like wind speed and direction, elevation, and whether or not you’re stuck in a sandtrap affect how much you’ll need to add to or subtract from your swing to get the ball where you want it to go.

If, like me, your swing could use some work, Tiger Woods has the tendency to pop up a message mid-hole and offer to let you try one of the easier difficulty settings. As in, “Hey, you kinda suck. Why don’t I ratchet it down for you a bit before you hurl that $40 controller through your $1500 TV?” My words, not theirs, but if your pride lets you take the helpful hint, give either “Standard” (which is more forgiving than “Advanced,” allowing you to add draw and fade manually and correcting minor mis-hits) or “All-Play” (which makes things a lot easier and adds an arrowed line to show exactly where your shot or putt will go, provided you hit it with the right amount of force). Even the easiest setting provides the feeling of playing golf, though you may feel ashamed when the announcer praises your sixth dotted line-assisted birdie in a row.

Not-so-compact disc golf

In all, it’s basic golf. The joy of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 is in the Wii Motion Plus control (it’s certainly not in the graphics, not even “for a Wii game”). The longevity, however, lies in the nearly countless options, game types, activities, mini-games, and rule sets you can choose from. If you just want to jump in and play 18 holes, you can do that. If you want to create a character and work your way up through the ranks of the PGA tour, kiss the next six months goodbye. If you want to get the family involved in some 2 to 4-player mini-games, they’re in there, too. So is the much-touted disc golf option, which is front and center on the main option screen, can be played on all 27 courses, and is tons of fun. And when you’re tired of challenging people you live with, you can take the game online, courtesy of EA’s online service (no friend codes needed), and join tournaments against other Woods owners, or play in simulated matches with actual PGA golfers, trying to best their scores in real-life tournaments. (I haven’t yet offered myself over to EA’s marketing department for an online account, so I can’t tell you about the experience first-hand, but I’m looking forward to giving it a try.)

I picked up this game over the weekend and, for as much as I’ve played, have barely scratched the surface of what it has to offer. One of the reasons I got it was so that we would have a second Motion Plus to play Wii Sports Resort when it comes out next month, but I have a feeling that when my wife is tired of canoeing and shooting arrows with me, instead of turning off the Wii I’ll pop in Tiger Woods and play a quick 18… or 36.