Golf video games: Top 20 of all time
10. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters
Probably the most significant release in the history of the Tiger series, The Masters and Augusta National finally made an appearance on the virtual screen.
I remember fondly when EA Sports announced that Augusta National would make its way into the Tiger series. It was a dream come true for golf gamers everywhere that they could finally experience the joy of The Masters on their console.
It was the highest-demanded feature for the franchise, let alone any golf game. For Augusta to make its historic debut was huge in the sports gaming world and EA had the course laser-scanned for pure accuracy. To make things even better, Jim Nantz was the lead broadcaster along with David Feherty. What more could you ask?
As you might expect, the game was Masters/Augusta National heavy. Green filled your screen as soon as you fired up the game. The menu screen was nice and shiny with pictures of Augusta in the background and the gameplay felt different as well. One of the big features was “Masters Moments,” which allowed players to go through the best moments in Masters history.
This is the same game where Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson and Zach Johnson made their video-game debuts.
From Tiger’s incredible chip-in at the par-3 16th to Phil Mickelson’s miraculous recovery shot on 13, it was a way to experience The Masters up close and personal.
Another interesting thing was that you couldn’t wear whatever you want when playing Augusta.
You were forced to wear full-on outfits, which needed to be a polo and khakis and the game provided those for you.
You couldn’t play in a t-shirt and jeans but of course, it’s totally worth it. This is the same game where Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson and Zach Johnson made their video-game debuts. It would also be the last time Anthony Kim would be in the game.
The caddy feature was something that was despised by most fans. However, I must say that it was pretty cool seeing him pulling out the yardage book with his bib or white jumpsuit on. The career mode was also robust, raising your player through the ranks. You started off on the amateur level before making your way to the PGA TOUR.
Eventually, you earned your way to your first Masters tournament and that’s the main goal. Once that’s complete, you play through your career as normal. As you dominate tournaments, your legacy shines brightly as you leave your competitors in the dust. Or you can just suck like I did at times. All kidding aside, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 was a landmark in golf video games.