Customplay Golf

Golf Games tend to be pretty similar. Some are more polished and better-looking than others, but the aim is the same: you click or swing your mouse to hit the ball until it drops into the hole and that's about it.

Occasionally a title will proffer some form of innovation. EA's Tiger Woods franchise stands out from the below-par pack by letting you access real players, tons of items of clothing (woohoo!) and exclusive audio tracks from popular beat combos. CustomPlay I Golf, on the other hand, aims to bring something a bit more useful to the table: a fully-fledged 18-hole course editor.

We're not talking basic stuff here: this enables you to play landscape designer to your heart's content. Want to plant American crab apple trees next to the tee or place a selection of rocks to set off a water hazard? The world is yours. You can even whip out your digital camera, rattle off a few snaps and then import the textures into the editor.

It's easy enough to dive straight into, but sufficiently complex to satisfy the most demanding of designers. Sadly, we can't say the same about the actual game: it feels familiar (you click or swing your mouse to hit the ball, natch), but it lacks the smooth accessibility of Tiger Woods, and often makes simple shots frustratingly difficult to pull off.

If you've a hankering to make your own intricately detailed golfing playgrounds, this is worth a shot. If you just want to hit a few balls, go for Woods.