Golf is a dull sport. Sorry if you're a golf fan, but it just is. Break it down - guy with metal stick hits ball into a hole at the most leisurely pace imaginable (you could break down any like this and it would sound rubbish! - Ed). We agree with Mark Twain when he said, golf is a good walk spoiled. So, thank goodness for golf games on the that allow us to spank our digital balls without having to inevitably scramble around in the rough looking for them later. PGA Tour 10 promises to be the purest iteration of the sedate sport yet, boasting a comprehensive list of features, which have been added since last year's All-Play 09.

Where All-Play's ethos was to include the entire by making the game more accessible, Tiger 10 endeavours to go one further by including unadulterated golf free from any assistance, tips or help while still offering all of the above to less experienced players. Wii support providing 1:1 movement ratio with your on-screen actions completes the package, providing the white, dimply cherry on top of an already very delectable golfing cake. All-Play still features for the newbies amongst you and if you're playing a match, each player can select their very own level of ball-thwacking proficiency, ensuring that everyone's satisfied.

As ever with EA's PGA franchise, the golfing itself is satisfying and on the Wii it's about as close to playing an actual round without leaving your house as you're ever likely to get. We recently popped into EA's Guildford offices to get a little hands-on time with the game, finding it to be every bit as enjoyable as the real thing without people in front of you taking forever to play their shot or having to roll up your trousers to fetch a drowned ball. This is golf in all its glory, sporting all of the requisite licences with loads of courses including the Bethpage Black course in New York. Just part of EA's latest acquisition of the Open licence, the newly added Bethpage Black plays host to the back 9 holes that we're sampling today. Opting for the standard difficulty setting, disabling most of the assistance aids, while still offering fairly lenient game of golf, we embark upon the first hole and comfortably make par.

That a golfing dilettante like myself can make par on his first attempt playing the game is testament to how intuitive and accessible the Wiimote swinging is. It's as accomplished and refined as you like using the standard Remote, but adding Wii MotionPlus into the equation really enhances the tactility and realism of actually swiping a little white ball skywards. Really, this time if your ball ends up wet or sandy, it's your own fault as EA Tiburon have invested a great deal of effort in improving the control system in virtually every conceivable area. The team have added a handy circular gauge in the bottom right hand corner of the screen, which indicates where your virtual club face is pointing in relation to the ball, allowing you to twist your grip and adjust the angle of your swing accordingly. Add to this a greatly improved draw fade, which EA claim is now 100% effective and you have all the ingredients for a proper game of golf, complete with all the subtleties and nuances you'd associate with the actual sport.

This year, Tiger Woods PGA is all about tournament golf, meaning EA has gone to town, excelling themselves in their presentation even beyond the usual level of high gloss applied to every title. With the USGA licence comes a host of new tournaments including the high profile US Open and with the game's release preceding the event itself, you'll be able to play along with the real thing for the first time. Add to this the inclusion of dynamic weather that ties in directly to the Wii Weather Channel which is updated between holes and you have the ultimate tournament golf experience. Genuine tournament atmosphere in the form of large, responsive crowds completes the picture, providing an accurate translation of high pressure golf. Difficult putts will draw bigger audiences for instance, initiating the thumping heartbeat sound effect as you painstakingly line up your game-breaking shot. Make the putt and the crowd will erupt in a chorus of adulation, while a near miss will provoke loud gasps of disbelief. The brand new commentary team also keep up the fine EA pedigree with a nice line in glib sarcasm and faint praise, which seldom repeats itself.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour's modes have also been fleshed out with simultaneous 4-player golf available without having to wait for players to arse around completing their own shots. You can simply play at your own pace and pick up your score at the end with the other three players. There are also live leaderboards with full tournament statistics and player rankings, so you can keep an eye on your spot as the 345,987th greatest Wii golfer in the world. Still a wee bit rough around the edges leading up to its release this July, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 is nevertheless looking as though it could well be the most definitive version of videogame golf yet. Perhaps golf isn't so boring after all.

By Richard Walker