I love golf. I can't get enough of it. Here's the problem, though: With a demanding job and three young children, finding the time to get out and play is very tough. I often find myself sitting on the couch at 10 PM, wishing there were a way I could translate an hour of long-awaited free time into a real game of golf. I've slaked my golf-thirst a bit by watching the golf channel, playing golf video games (EA's Tiger Woods Golf has always been a favorite), or good old-fashioned putting into a glass. Let's face it; none of those options replaces the experience of a real golf club, a real swing, and a real result. One could go out and spend the $10,000 to $50,000 on a virtual reality golf machine (like the ones you see in indoor golf centers). But who has the money or space to do that?

That's why I was so thrilled to demo the Golf Launchpad from Electric Spin Corp. Electric Spin has managed to convert the experience of real golf or virtual-reality golf into a PC-compatible package that sells for only $250. The package comes with a USB-enabled golf matt with a simple ball on spindle design. Here's the cool thing: It all works within EA's Tiger Woods Golf.

You load up the game and plug in the Launchpad, and you are transported into the best virtual golf experience money can buy. Setup was very easy, as simple as taking it out of the box, connecting the USB wire, and loading up Tiger Woods Golf. The game functions as normal, except when it's time to hit. You simply hold the club over the sensors, wait for the green light, and swing away.

The feel of the shot is very real, with alignment to game measurements on club-head speed and swing plane. I was amazed how swings that I knew were good were rewarded with strong shots, and weak swings punished with equally poor results.

What could be better than teeing off in match play at St. Andrew's on a Tuesday night? I couldn't put the club down--at least until the greenskeeper of my house, my wife, closed the course down for the evening.

Nothing beats real time on the course, but this product is a close second. I'm convinced the swing repetition has helped my game, and the feedback on swing characteristic and quality has helped me notice some flaws.

Hats off to Electric Spin for bringing a true virtual reality golf experience to the masses of golf enthusiast who will love this product for enabling the always elusive tee time they couldn't possibly find. The price: $249 for either the PC- or Mac-compatible version.

Post by Jason Young