Real World Golf Review (Xbox)

Real World Golf from MadCatz is the only golf game on the market that actually lets you take full swings in the real world and translates them into what happens in the videogame world. It isn’t the prettiest or most feature-rich golf game for the Xbox, but the golf you get to play is some of the best around and that is what is important. Whether you are an experienced golfer or a complete novice, Real World Golf is very enjoyable and worth the $70 investment.

How Does It Work?

The key to Real World Golf is the Gametrak system. You can’t play without hooking up the Gametrak, but that is fine because without it Real World Golf is pretty average. With the Gametrak, though, the game perfectly mimics your real world swing and translates it into your onscreen avatar smacking the ball on your TV screen.

The Gametrak is made up of a heavy base unit with two retractable wires that clip onto a set of special gloves, a foot pedal so you can select menu items, and a small plastic golf club so you don’t look like a doofus when you play. See a decent pic of the unit over at IGN here.Your swing is determined by the movement of your hands and arms which is then measured in the base unit. It all seems kind of complicated and intimidating at first, but once you get it all hooked up and take your first swing and realize just how good of a simulator this is all of the fear goes away.

How Does It Play?

In practice, the Gametrak system works surprisingly well. It can tell when you hit too thin or too fat as well as whether you hit a hook or a slice. You can use all of this sensitivity to your advantage, of course, to bend shots around trees or put topspin and backspin on a ball when you need it. It really is amazing just how accurate it is. This is a golf simulator through and through, so having real world experience is a definite help when you try to play. That isn’t to say you won’t have any fun if you are a novice, though, because Real World Golf is so easy to pick up and play and, most importantly, fun, anyone can play it and have a really good time. I’m no golf expert, but I do have one tip for novices: Look at the golfer on the screen and copy his stance as close as you can. Holding the club correctly, standing correctly, and keeping your arms straight during the swing will help immensely. Golf isn’t so much about how hard you can swing the club as it is using the right technique, so keep that in mind before you grip it and rip it.

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