Golf Sector 6 is a flash based game in which your little astronaut attempts to navigate the varying gravities of Saturn’s Moons. Like Angry Birds, you simply pick a trajectory and let it fly.

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 12: The Masters

Grade: B
Teacher’s Comments: Visually stunning, but some of the controls are finicky—particularly the putting.

I’m a dilettante gamer—my four PS3 games are two more than I probably need—but when Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters was released, I sprung for a copy. The opportunity to play Augusta—even virtually—was too big to resist.

I haven’t been disappointed—with the Augusta part, at least. The visuals are stunning and instantly recognizable as the course we see each April on television. As someone who can clearly remember playing the first green and black, two dimensional golf games on an Apple II, I’m constantly amazed at the improvements in computer graphics. While you can’t quite describe the game’s images as photo-realistic, they’re incredibly lifelike; I expect the next generation of console graphics will be indistinquishable from at least low-def television.

TW 12 Augusta offers several play modes. The primary focus seems to be a campaign mode in which you start as a lowly amateur and work your way up the food chain. I tried that and quickly abandoned it. Playing that way was going to take me too long to get to Augusta. My other choice was to jump right in and play as Tiger. I’ve done that a couple of times now, never getting close to playing well, but thoroughly enjoying the scenery and play. Watching the Masters after having played a TW: 12 round, I felt as though I had new insights into the course and the problems the competitors faced.

While the PS3 has a Wii-like motion system, I played the game using the standard controllers. Full swings are not a problem at all, with the swing motion controlled by the thumb joystick. After choosing a club and a target,  you simply move the joystick down and up in a smooth motion. With a decent rhythm and relatively straight motion, you can get the ball to go where you want it. There are lots of other ball flight options for creating fades, draws, more spin, more distance and so on. I haven’t used them yet.

While the full swing is easy, the putting for me is a nightmare. I can get to the green in regulation and then promptly six or seven putt. The shapes on the greens are simulated by grid, which has directional blips telling you in what direction and with what approximate speed your ball will turn as you cross that line. I understand it, but I can’t execute. I can two putt from four feet. Come to think of it, so can Tiger in real life—so maybe I’m not that far off.

As a game, TW 12 is not that much of an improvement from the earlier Wii version that my kids have (they have a Wii—I have a PS3 only because I acquired it as part of a “free” promotion). But the lure of Augusta was too much for me to resist, and it probably is for many golfers and gamers.

I wonder what EA has up its sleeve for the next version? Pine Valley? Cypress Point?

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 12: The Masters reportedly sold 225,000 copies in its first week, and has earned twice that of last year’s version.

The appeal of the game, of course, is that it allows people to play a virtual round at Augusta National. This is the first time that the hallowed course has been available as a video game.

Gamasutra reports that more than 2 million rounds already have been played at Augusta.

I’ve got a review forthcoming.

If you want to pretty up your Firefox browser, here’s a nice looking golf theme.

David Leadbetter- Wii Personal Golf Trainer

The David Leadbetter Wii Personal Golf Trainer uses the Wii Balance Board and the Wii MotionPlus controller to analyze your golf swing for grip, posture, alignment, ball position, coil swing shape and tempo. It has on screen instruction, drills and allows you instant feedback. it also records your progress.

I want one.

Thanks to reader Martin for the tip.

Tee Wagers Golf is a BlackBerry golf scorecard application that also keeps track of several on-course games, such as Match Skins, Rabbit and Umbrella.

I’m a huge fan of the Palm pdas. I’ve owned one for at least ten years now, and can’t figure out what I’d do without it.

Dose-A-Day Golf is a “tear off calendar” for your Palm or Windows PDA. Like the desktop version, it gives you daily tips, tricks, jokes and stories from Gary McCord. But unlike the desktop version, it doesn’t leave you with all of those little square pieces of paper. Even better: you can save your favorites for later viewing.

I’m hoping Santa brings me one for Christmas.