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A crowd jeers at the futile gestures being made from the confines of the bunker as another victim tries to drive his ball from the sand. The rains poured and the thunder roared to the tumultuous downpour of the summer showers. It is a far cry from the sun drenched golf course of Sawgrass where the PGA Golf tournament is taking place in all its glory

Golf is a fine game and a potential Aladdin's cave of phenomenal prize winnings and world recognition. Unfortunately, for us Brits, the weather in England is so changeable that the luxury of a near perfect range of courses is denied us. Sometimes the Americans have all the luck! They also have the best golf courses and steaming great wads of cash to speak of, which is why the PGA Tour is so popular. Electronic Arts gave Megadrive owners the chance to experience the thrill of competing against the pros last year with their extremely authentic approach at a video game golf simulation. This month sees the release of PGA Tour Golf II, the imaginatively titled follow up to its successful forerunner. With some new features and three additional courses to test the mettle of the most dedicated golf addicts, PGA II looks like it may steal the trophy as the bst simulation on any system.

The PGA Tour is a world class American open golf tournament. This adaptation had made its way to the Megadrive. This is the sequel.

Choose a tournament, skins game or simply take a few practice rounds. Use the best clubs and be wary of the weather conditions.

Playing the Skins Game in PGA II is an excellent opportunity to make a quick killing and thus rake in tons of cash. Two to four players are allowed to compete for cash over an 18-hole course with each one carrying a certain amount of moolah for the taking.

As the game progresses, so does the value of the hole, or skin, and a player is required to shoot the hole in fewer shots than his pals if he is to claim the prize. Obviously, more players made the requirements much harder to meet. If one is tied then the skin is carried over to the next hole so that the next has two skins up for grabs and so on.

When a player is confronted at close range by an obstacle in PGA I, there is little chance of avoiding it unless a skillful chip shot or something similar is made. Thankfully, this sequel has put an end to all this mucking about by introducing a Draw and Fade meter. Briefly, this allows the player to control the slice or hook of the swing before being commited to an embarrassing leaf loosening babooned shot doomed for the trees.

The ease with which any particular shot is taen depends largely upon the way that the ball is placed on the course. In golfing circles, this is refered to as the way the ball lies. There are seven surfaces in all on which the ball is likely to rest:

1. The Tee:
   Obvious! This is the point from which the ball starts the game.
2. The Fairway:
   Nothing much to worry about here. In fact, keeping the ball on the fairway when not teeing off or putting on the green is the safest way to getting a good par. Incidentally, 'par' is golfing lingo for the ideal number of shots in which a hole can be achieved. So now you know.
3. The Green:
   When you see those golfing chaps crouching on the green, it isn't because they need a dump or have suddenly lost the use of their legs! It's because they're checking out the lie of the land for any peculiarities that may misdirect the ball on its way to the hole. In PGA Tour Golf II, Electronic Arts have simulated this necessary careful consideration factor by means of a grid that shows up the undulations of the green. By studying this screen, it is possible to account for the ups and downs, and perform the kind of long distance putting miracles that only used to occur in dreams.
4. The Fringe:
   There are few benefits from finding that the ball is lying on the fringe - the dark area at the edges of the green. A player needs to strike the ball extra hard to get it into the hole from here and this can seriously affect the accuracy of the shot.
5. The Rough:
   Great skill is required to make an effective drive to the green from the rough. Perhaps the best course of action from here would be to chip the ball onto the fairway and carry on from there.
6. The Deep Rough:
   Get the grass cutters out, because this is almost as bad as the bunkers. Arghh!
7. The Sand:
   Aaaaaaaaagh!!!

For anyone who professes expertise on the courses of the original PGA courses on offer, Electronic Arts have programmed on extra three courses to put an end to this vile boasting. These are called Southwind, Eagle Trace and Scottsdale. Each one presents a greater amount of challenge than the previous four and so any would be console-Fred Couples have their work well and truly cut out for them now.

Another new feature that Electronic Arts have included is the Hole Browser. The Browser is an overhead camera that allows players to effectively fly over the course to anticipate any hazards that could foul things up and give the opposition any kind of advantage. Players have total control over the camera and are able to zoom in from any angle from a selection of viewpoints. Nifty, eh?

PGA is another one of them there games that has no apparent faults, so why Electronic Arts have opted to produce an updated version is beyond me. After playing the game for some time though, I must say that the changes have made a remarkable difference.

The three extra courses are certainly nothing to sneer at, and the Draw-Fade meter gives advanced players the chance to excel in ever finer golfing gameplay. Extra sound effects have also been included to some success. It is very rewarding to have somebody shout "Yo Man!" whenever a particularly hard, yet accurate, drive is successfully sent soaring off into the horizon.

I double whether the Hole Browser's going to excite many people beyond the first half an hour but it's an interesting feature all the same. Unlike the recent John Madden's excuse of an update, not to mention the great Basketball rip-off, PGA II is definitely worth forsaking the original for.

Hats off to the guys at Electronic Arts - they've managed to take the perfect golf game (PGA Tour Golf) and make it even better! I'm simply stunned! The first game scored so well because of the near-perfect playability.

The sequel is just as good, but tinkers with the formula ever-so-slightly to good effect. New options, like the hole browser, are actually very helpful when it comes to setting up difficult shots.

Multi-player PGA Tour Golf was one of the greatest pastimes you could partake in using the Megadrive, and in the sequel it's even better! The Skins game is particularly good and adds a great deal of suspense to the proceedings - there's nothing better than building up a whopping great Skin and then pinching it from your mate with a particularly jammy shot! Brilliant!

EA have got a lot of stick lately for needlessly updating their products. In the case of PGA Tour Golf II, it's an extremely worthwhile exercise - this game is an essential purchase.

Presentation 93%
P. The aspect that has made PGA Tour Golf such a success is its flawless presentation. The icon-driven selection is topper. The attract screens are quite impressive too.

Graphics 92%
P. All the courses are convincingly drawn with the fly-over view and Hole Browsing facility helping to give depth to the playing field.
N. Better use could be made of the Megadrive's range of colours.

Sound 90%
P. What with the smart music and extra sampled effects, the sound in PGA II is virtually flawless. An incredible atmosphere is sustained thanks to the sound.

Playability 97%
P. Likewise the playability is without error, partly because of the excellent presentation and partly due to the sensible control method.

Lastability 94%
For as long as you're interested in the game of golf, PGA II offers the perfect game excursion!

There are seven different courses and three areas of play. So there's little chance of boredom!

Overall 95%
Electronic Arts have managed to make the best even better. This is the finest example of golf on the Megadrive! Although it's only supposed to be an update, PGA Tour Golf II is far better than the original!