The swing mechanics are a big factor in determining which game hits the perfect tee. So far, Links 2004 is winning the battle as it has formulated the controls just right. They are tight and responsive, which make Links a surprisingly easy game of golf. There are three levels of difficulty to choose from. Each difficulty setting produces its own direct effect to the way you play the game. But don't be amazed when you start sinking in 20-foot eagles on a par five hole set on a standard level of difficulty. That is not to say the gameplay is unchallenging. Links 2004 simply maintains its physics on a consistent level.

Everything there is about golf is practically here. There's the usual standard stroke, match play, and skins game for single-round mode. On top of that, there are some new ones you probably haven't heard about such as Nassau and Stableford. Nassau is played the same as match play except the scores for front- and back-nine are counted separately. The Stableford, on the other hand, is similar to stroke play. The only difference is that your performance is based on the number of eagles, pars, birdies, including bogeys you make rather than on the actual number of strokes.

All the single-round modes can be played with up to four players and the best part is the addition of tag team matches. One of them is called Bestball, which involves two players on a team playing a hole. Whoever has the best score in your team counts for that team's overall round points. Of course, whichever team has the lowest strokes wins the game. Another tag team match is Alt Shot. As the name implies, Alt Shot is simply two players taking turns at hitting the same ball.

The one feature that stands out the most in Links 2004 is its online play. It is the only Xbox golf game in town that provides online competition. What's more is that you will be able to add new courses by downloading them. It also has XSN support that allows private tournaments and comprehensive stat tracking. Of further note, all of the offline modes are playable over Xbox Live. So it's better to get yourself familiarized with the courses before you participate in global tournaments. The pressure of competition online will only get tougher.

If you want golf the way it was meant to be played, the game's career mode will suit you fine. You will go through a series of tours, consisting of various skilled events that require specific conditions to complete such as closest-to-the-pin and par 3 challenges. You will face against top players from your present tour. As you win matches, you will earn cash and gain admission to much tougher competition. The money you earn can be used for polishing your player's skills and to compensate for the escalating difficulty of the courses.

Links 2004's create-a-player mode is not as deep as the one found in Tiger Woods PGA Tour. Your ability to accessorize your player is limited to changing his shirt colors, shoes, and skin tone. You can also change logos on the golf balls but this is as detailed as you can get in customizing your character. Nevertheless, the game offers a handful of original characters and a few distinguished golf pros like Sergio Garcia and Mike Weir.

Though Tiger Woods has the edge graphically, Links 2004 still provides slick presentation. Character models are rendered accurately and boast smooth motion-captured animations. The courses are well-designed and feature solid lighting effects. However, the textures are somewhat shoddy and the self-shadowing on the golfers is too dark. You might think the contrast on your TV is a bit off but it is not. The game does exhibit some visual flair such as grass effects and Matrix-style approach when swinging off the tee.

The audio component in Links 2004 is mediocre at best. The commentary from Jim Nelford, Ken Venturi, Jeff Waters and Rod Zundel is not particularly thrilling. They don't seem to have much tempo in their speech. It's great that they deliver some nice bits about your performance but their remarks are not as diverse as it should. You'll hear the phrase, "That whole was well played, and the result is a birdie," or "That's a nice lie" all too often. The music portion of the game consists largely of basic rock tunes. There's nothing wild about it that will get your head bopping. It's a golf game for goodness sake, not a rock concert! You do have the option of using your own custom Xbox soundtracks, which you can switch through your collection at the touch of a button.

Links 2004 is living up to be a serious competitor to Tiger Woods PGA Tour. The presentation may not be as polished as it should, but no golf game out there can match Links' awesome gameplay. Besides the usual single-player option, there are tag team matches, which make the whole golf experience significantly less solitary. Despite the weak audio design, Links 2004 is still a great choice, as it is the only golf game to offer online play. All of the offline modes are playable over Xbox live and the game support downloadable content. If you are into golf, Links 2004 is definitely worth checking out.