Attention all golfers and weekend duffers – ever want to play with the skill of a Sergio Garcia or Annika Sorrenstam? You can and without those countless hours spent practicing your game.

Of course, we are not talking real golf here, but rather the cyber game spent on top-ranked courses.

Picture-perfect is one way to describe the look of Links 2003, a PC release from Microsoft Game Studios. However the game has stability issues, which quickly evaporates all the fun of challenging the six new courses featured in the latest edition of this storied title.

The game was fully installed on the host machine and all rendering software was checked to make sure the machine had the latest edition of everything available. The only program that needed to be updated was Windows Media Player. From there it was to the links where a player was created, then on to a practice round on the Skeleton Coast (a fictional course).

A long putt for the birdie attempt went past the hole and the program locked up, freezing the computer and requiring a hard restart, when rendering for the second putt. Ten holes were played without a problem.

Enough of practice rounds, let’s play in a tourney. The Cambrian Ridge course, designed by Robert Trent Jones, was the first contested match. From that point on it was a constant lock up, each time when rendering next shots around the greens. The message referred to errors in rendering backgrounds.

Well, maybe another course would be better. It was. The Centenary Course at Gleneagle played without so much as a murmur of locking up. All 18 holes in about an hour.

As mentioned Links 2003 features six new courses, the three mentioned, as well as The Ocean Course at Cabo del Sol, The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs, and The Tribute at Otsego Club.

The game also features fully 3D golfing avatars, with motion-capture animation. Previous editions of Links featured 256x256 texturing, while Links ’03 has bumped that to 512x512, and uses seam blending to make the transitional areas between textures smooth. The game looks amazing. Each green uses more than 500 GPS data points for centimeter accuracy, and dynamic lighting and ball physics make the play look real.

The game also features the classic two- or three-click approach to swinging the golf club, or you can select the real-time swing and use the mouse to control speed, tempo and direction. If you are looking for a real challenge, that is it.

Other new features include Links Career in which players can participate in one of three pre-installed seasons or create their own tour with the Season Manager feature. You can host an e-mail tournament in which players can e-mail in scores while playing at their own pace and whenever they choose. Other multiplayer features that are new include a Links Match Maker, Zone.com Matchmaking, and Links Tour 2003 (a weekly tournament schedule). And the game comes with the Arnold Palmer Course Designer 1.5 so players can create their own courses.

Links 2003 is an easy game to play – at least the concept of the game is easy. You create a player, take lessons or practice, then head out to compete against cyber or human competition. Links has always had solid online support, and this edition promises to be no different.

The player interface is easy to use, and you can have a caddy recommend clubs or you can do it yourself. For beginners, there are many ways to be able to compete without spending hours honing skills. This is a game that is very forgiving to rookies, and allows anyone to play moments after launching the program.

The sound has a tendency to shift around, and that is particularly noticeable when using four speakers in a surround-sound setting. The game features the audio one would expect: the sounds of club striking ball, weather, the environment and the gallery, but it will flow from one set of speakers then jump to the other for the next shot when basically you have not changed the direction you are going in.

As for the graphics, they are indeed gorgeous. The only problem here is that the environments are static. The wind may be blowing, but tree branches are not moving. And there isn’t a ripple on those beautiful, reflective water surfaces, nor do the clouds move. The gallery is a bunch of frozen folks that applaud without moving a muscle.

Golfer animation is excellent, as are the course textures and lighting effects. The ball seems a touch too small when compared to hole size or club size.

This game is options rich, and overall a nice package. That stability problems plague parts of the game is unfortunate because it knocks a birdie round of golf down into merely a par round – which isn’t bad, unless you are in competition with other top-flight entries in the genre.

This program is rated for Everyone.

Gameplay: 7.8
The game pauses after every shot to render the next. The wait isn’t long but it is still a wait that slows down the flow of the game.

Graphics: 8.5
If you don’t mind static environments, Links 2003 is a gorgeous game to look at. The 3D modeling for the avatars is excellent, and dynamic lighting and ball physics – coupled with real-time swing – give the game a very realistic feel.

Sound: 7
There is some inconsistency in the direction of the sound, but otherwise this game provides everything expected of a golf game.

Difficulty: Medium
This is truly a mixed bag – offering a nicely designed interface that anyone will be able to navigate through. For the beginning, the game is easy and forgiving. For the veteran, using real-time swing and a mouse – which is definitely not the right controller to attempt a golf swing with, but what other choice is there? – is a tough proposition.

Concept: 8.5
This game has done an amazing job of improving the product. Not only has the graphical quality been upgraded, but the game continues to offer solid options for game players.

Multiplayer: 8.2
This game is well supported on the Internet and several can compete on one PC as well. The addition of the e-mail tourney is a very nice touch.

Overall: 7.8
Stability problems ruin the overall experience. The game looks great even if the static backgrounds ‘feel’ a little odd because of lack of movement. This is a solid golf game. Once a patch takes care of the rendering woes, this title should be back in the tourney hunt.