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For a real golfer like you, there is no such thing as the "off season." Sure, courses close and it gets cold, but that doesn't mean you stop thinking about golf. We've tracked down plenty of ways to enjoy the game and improve your skills all winter.
VIDEO GAMES
Wrestle the PlayStation, Xbox or Wii away from your kids and start having a little fun of your own with Tiger Woods PGA Tour '08 ($39-$59, easports.com). Released in September, this game allows you to upload photos to create a golfer who looks just like you. If you ace the skills challenges, you'll improve as a virtual golfer. When you pull off a tough shot, your Confidence Meter will rise, and you'll be more likely to hit a similar shot well the next time.
You'll start by competing against local talent, but win enough tournaments and you'll take on the stars of the PGA Tour, including Tiger himself, on classic courses like Westchester Country Club, TPC Boston, Cog Hill No. 4 and East Lake.
If you want something a little less serious, try 3D Ultra MiniGolf Adventures ($20, 3dultraminigolf.com). The themed courses (carnival, old west, outer space) have three-dimensional holes with bunkers, bridges and water hazards that will put the windmill at your local putt-putt to shame.
You can also play a new golf video game online with UTour Golf (Free, utour.com). UTour has a total of five courses that you can play by yourself, head-to-head or in tournaments. If you think you've mastered the game, you can even play for cash.
THE ULTIMATE SIMULATOR
To kick your video game experience up a few million notches and play some of the finest courses in the world, install a state-of-the-art golf simulator in your home.
According the company's Web site, Full Swing Golf (fullswinggolf.com) has already installed systems for heavy hitters like Donald Trump, Curt Schilling, Michael Jordan and Dale Jarrett. One of the company's simulators was used in the HBO series Entourage, and Winged Foot member Kevin Dillon (Johnny Drama) enjoyed it so much that he had one built in his home too.
The average simulator's screen is 13 feet wide and just over 10 feet high with 688 golf-ball-size sensors that track shots and feed the information into a computer. Then, in real time, your shot's path is displayed on the screen. The available courses sound like a roll call from GOLF Magazine's Top 100 in the World: Torrey Pines South (site of the 2008 U.S. Open), Pinehurst No. 2, Royal Melbourne, Pebble Beach Golf Links, Oakmont Country Club and the Old Course at St. Andrews, just to name a few.
"Where our market has really taken off is in the custom home market," said Scott Werbelow, president of Full Swing Golf. "For all the celebrities you see listed on our Web site, we've sold to hundreds to regular Joes." As long that "Regular Joe" can handle the $50,000-$75,000 price tag.
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