What's Good	What's Bad	5.0 out of 5.0
Excellent graphics Gameplay sounds Course editor	Nothing

O.K. Let's get one thing straight. I am NOT a golfer. The only thing higher than my golf handicap is the wasteful government spending for the U.S. So, when asked to review Sierra's PGA Championship Golf - 1999, I said to myself, "Oh, boy, nightmare time." Only in the sense that I would have nightmares about the scores I would rack up. True to form, my scores ran very high. The game, however, is a pleasant surprise. It really can get you hooked -- sometimes, literally!

The graphics in PGAC are second to none. The course, golfer, weather conditions, everything is top-notch animation. Almost enough to make me feel like I was really out on the course. Golfer animations are now rendered with 10 times the polygons of previous versions (up to 20,000) -- this gives the animations are more lifelike appearance.

As immersive and impressive as the graphics are, there are some key omissions. I would have liked to see some form of crowd displayed along the course as the game progressed. But, there are no crowds, however, when you approach the green, and are putting, if playing in tournament mode, the entire foursome stands and takes their individual turns.

The sounds -- the ones that are in the game -- are pretty good overall. Gameplay sounds like the club impact, birds, water -- when, inevitably, you misjudge the drive and your ball winds up in one of the many water hazards -- and even commentary from your golfer are very lifelike and add to the feeling of being on the course. However, certain other immersive effects, like crowds cheering during tournament play, are conspicuous by their absence.

Regarding gameplay, there are no shortage of modes to get into this game. For the novice, there are four different practice areas, from driving to putting, and a "chip" area, to practice those shots with your sand wedge when you fall into one of the bunkers. There's also a "recreational" mode, where it's just your golfer, the course, and the environment. Finally, there's a full scale tournament mode, including the actual course where the '98 PGA Championship was played.

Controlling your golfer's swing has never been easier, with many different swing options available. The signature swing of PGAC is the "TrueSwing" method which uses the movement -- direction and speed -- of the mouse to control the swing of the club. Sierra has added a horizontal "TrueSwing" has well for those who feel more natural "swinging" from side-to-side rather than the back-to-front vertical "TrueSwing". As well, standard triple and double click swing options are included for those who have been playing PC golf for some time. But you owe it to yourself to try the TrueSwing methods.

Included in the game are seven courses, including Sahalee Country Club, The Royal Birkdale, both sites of 1998 Championships. In addition, PGA Championship Golf 1999 offers a "course architect" which allows gamers to design their own custom courses. Players can create, using either a special wizard or the main interface, any course their minds can dream up, from the "PC-elusive" Augusta National to a dream course that even Tiger Woods would have problems conquering. The designer interface allows for placement of holes, tees, sand traps and water hazards. You may also alter the overall topography of the course; raising or razing hills and creating valleys. The course is desinged as a whole, rather than hole by hole, which makes for a continuous look and feel of the entire links. With this tool, the gamer can design a course of any difficulty level -- from a level, easy course to a hilly, sloped green, water hazard obstacle course. The "non-wizard" interface is very intuitive -- almost a golf course paint program -- from routing the holes to placing trees and tees. Your dream course awaits. Gamer-created courses are already available for download at http://teebox.coursedepot.com/.

For those of us who are more into online play, PGAC offers a full range of options, from Internet play between modems to full scale tourneys over WON.net. Here the game takes on a new dimension, allowing gamers to compete against one another in real-time. Added to the game is the new "ReadyPlay" feature, which allows each player to proceed to his or her ball, rather than waiting and watching each player take their shot in turn. This can really speed up a multiplayer game, resulting in fewer players dropping from the foursome.

For the golf enthusiast, or even someone who just likes to go hit the links on occasion, PGA Championship Golf 1999 offers a very well rounded approach to the game. While there a few minor problems, as outlined above, they won't prevent this game from becoming a Sierra sports classic.