Golf games have been created for the PC platform for as long as I can remember. The only real differences between new golf games and their old predecessors are updated graphics engine and, in some cases, more advanced computer AI. Senior PGA Tour is no exception in this regard. However, it is not the first of its kind to have these updated features. Tiger Woods 99 from EA Sports also used a very similar layout to achieve its purpose.

As for the graphics in Senior PGA Tour, they far surpass any other golf game in the sense that they finally use 3D acceleration to enhance the graphics and the experience. Actua Golf and Tiger Woods 99 are the other two games, which currently use 3D engines. Tiger Woods uses the same graphics engine as Senior PGA Tour, in fact all the courses for both games are interchangeable. Actua Golf uses a 3D engine that can hardly be compared to that of the one EA Sports uses for games of the same genre. I did not think that graphics would be that important in golf simulations, but it definitely helps by adding the realism and you can tell a huge difference between Senior PGA Tour and Links LS. One thing to note about Senior PGA Tour is its ability to show many different angles and views during match play. That is probably where you can notice the 3D acceleration being taken advantage of the most.

The sounds in Senior PGA Tour are similar to that of any other golf game. You have the birds chirping in the background and various environmental sound effects. The crowd is quiet during a putt, but then they get quite noisy at a very close miss. The announcing, which takes place between golfers and after a golfer has made a shot, can get very repetitive if you're playing the full 18 holes. The commentary doesn't change much between golfers except they will say a different name. Overall the sound is mediocre. It sports nothing spectacular, but it is everything you'd expect from a golf game and nothing less.

If you have played Tiger Woods 99, then you should already know how great the game simulation is in Senior PGA Tour. The reason behind this is because they are almost identical in every way, except for different golfers and 2 of the 3 courses are new. If you have not played Tiger Woods 99 or are not planning on playing Senior PGA Tour, then you are missing out on some of the best computer golfing that money can buy. Before playing you must choose between one of eight different modes of play: Practice, Stroke Play, Skins Game, Shoot-Out, Match Play, Four Ball, Foursomes and Driving Range. Each mode is unique and allows for a new experience to increase the replay value the game holds. There are also 3 different courses to choose from, TPC at the Canyons, Colonial Country Club, and TPC at Sawgrass. All of the courses are challenging in their own separate ways. It takes a couple holes to get used to swinging the clubs, but once you get the hang of it the game seems pretty easy when you set the other players on "Poor" ability mode. There are many options to choose from, such as whether you want the fairway to be normal, dry or damp. Various options like that make the game engine quite advanced compared to any others in its genre. Another nice thing with Senior PGA Tour is that you can create your own player and customize all the clubs that the player carries. Nearly everything about your player can be customized to suit your own style of play. Every game is different and all your opponents react differently to different course types. Even in some rare cases they can crack under the pressure just as they would in a real Senior PGA Tour tournament. All of this artificial intelligence combined creates a true golf simulation that comes second to none.

Whether you're an aspiring Arnold Palmer or have never even set foot on the green before, this game can be fun for everyone. I personally am no golf pro, if you exclude the weekend trips to play Miniature Golf and hit the ball underneath the spinning windmill, but I have enjoyed this game a lot. One thing I would recommend if you prefer the younger generation of golfers is that Tiger Woods is probably more your style. If you like sitting back and relaxing with some of golf's great legends then Senior PGA Tour is definitely for you. Tiger Woods 99 has a few more features that will allow you to import the golfers and courses from Senior PGA Tour into Tiger Woods 99, allowing for the best of both worlds so to say. Overall though, I recommend at least giving this one a shot, no matter what style of golf you prefer.

Unfortunately, Senior PGA Tour has no multiplayer option. This is strange, since its companion Tiger Woods 99 has all the multiplayer options available. But as I stated earlier, if you already own Tiger Woods 99, but you really want to play with a different group of players, you can always import the golfers and courses into Tiger Woods 99 and get the best out of both games.

Overall this is a great golf experience. However, you should keep in mind that it is not much different from Tiger Woods 99 and really didn't change that much for the better. In fact, most of its changes did nothing but limit the game's capabilities. Tiger Woods 99 has all the options of Senior PGA Tour plus some others. The only thing that I really wish had been included is the ability to have multiplayer, which worked out very well in Tiger Woods 99. Taking that into mind, it doesn't seem to make much sense that they would remove it from Senior PGA Tour. If you're interested in a quality golf game, you have two choices to pick from, either way you will be happy. In my humble opinion, I have a feeling people will choose Tiger Woods 99 over this, just because of the few extra features that have been implemented into it.