The new features that stand out the most are Links 2003's new 3D golfer animations and a much overdue "Real-Time Swing" feature.
With the release of Links 2003, Microsoft re-establishes itself as the long ball hitter on the PC tour. If that title was in doubt recently, especially with EA's rapidly improving Tiger Woods series giving the Microsoft's two-year-old Links 2001 a serious run for its money in the features department, it certainly isn't anymore. Tiger Woods might be the number one golfer in the world right now (of all time, for that matter), but Links is clearly the champion of computer golf sims.
As in past editions, a number of pro golfers are included to play as or against, such as Sergio Garcia, Jesper Parnevik, and Annika Sörenstam. A "Match Maker" service helps single players find a game, and the Links Tour has been revamped to offer detailed statistics and lively message boards. Multiplayer features are meant to be easy to use, allowing any networked Links 2003 player to start a tournament with friends and family members. The ability to also fully customize the comments the golfer makes (and when he or she makes them) should allow dedicated virtual golfers to put themselves in the game like never before. Not only does this allow in-game golfers to appear more like the athletes in other contemporary sports games, but it also allows the user many more options for customizing the on-screen persona.
One of the more major changes in this year's edition is the change from digitized (essentially 2D) characters to 3D polygonal golfers. Yet Links 2003 does not rest on its laurels - this simulation is designed to offer classic Links gameplay while bringing new features such as multiplayer matching, a Green Analyzer for improved putting, and high-res three-dimensional golfers. With a distinguished pedigree that goes back well over a decade, Links is one of the oldest and most respected series of computer golf games.