The games mostly star Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and other PGA golfers with many real-life courses and fantasy courses to choose from.
It had a good run, but the 2015 Rory McIlroy PGA Tour was all but confirmed to be the last licensed golf simulation game for the Tour when it was removed from sale.
That was, until 2018's release of 2K Sports and HB Studios' The Golf Club 2019: Featuring The PGA Tour, which uses the Tour in its career mode. This was followed two years later by PGA Tour 2K21.
However, in 2021, EA announced that they would be bringing back their PGA Tour series. The returning game, EA Sports PGA Tour (also marketed with the subtitle Road to the Masters, as it will feature the return of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament since its last appearance Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14), was released on March 24, 2023, to coincide with that year's tournament.
EA Sports PGA Tour provides examples of:
- Annual Title: Most of the game titles include the year, such as PGA Tour 96, PGA Tour 97, etc.
- Ascended Extra: Rory McIlroy has some appearances as one of many other golfers in Tiger Woods PGA Tour games before he becomes the star of Rory McIlroy PGA Tour.
- Character Customization:
- Prior to Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004, customization consisted primarily of changing the color of a golfer's shirt. This continued to be used for non-custom golfers.
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 introduces GameFace, a robust creator that allows players to make their own golfers. Facial structure, facial details, skin tone, eye color, eyebrows, hair, hair length, hair color, facial hair (male golfers only; includes sideburns, mustaches and beards), makeup (female golfers only), body shape; even the teeth can be changed.
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 upped the ante with GameFace II. This upgrade to the already extensive GameFace allows for more precise and detailed character creation, and also adds scars and face piercings.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: The star of the series was Tiger Woods. He appeared on the cover art and was always one of the most popular golfers in the game. However, he was removed from the series starting with Rory McIlroy PGA Tour. There was no In-Universe explanation and he was no longer even a playable golfer.
- The City: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 has The Roof, a thematically and conceptually unique Skillzone course which has the bulk of its targets (and a long drive range that doubles as the home of the Hall of Fame Museum) on rooftops. This course requires a password if one fancies some urban golf.
- Crossover: The US Recon is a playable golfer in Rory McIlroy PGA Tour.note Paracel Storm also appears as a Par 54 fantasy course. In reference to Battlefield 4's "levelution", a destroyer will crash in the middle of the 3rd Hole, forcing all golfers to shoot over it.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: The earliest games do not star Tiger Woods. This surprises some people because they're used to Tiger Woods having his name on the series.
- Easter Egg: Early versions of the PS1 version of Tiger Woods 99 PGA Tour Golf include a recording of Jesus vs. Santa from The Spirit of Christmas (a predecessor to South Park). There is no way to access the cartoon in the game as it's only hidden in the files.
- Face on the Cover: The box art usually includes a close-up of Tiger Woods, often focusing on his face.
- Guest Fighter: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003, PGA Tour 2004, and PGA Tour 2005 respectively have Saliva frontman Josey Scott, Cedric the Entertainer, and Justin Timberlake as secret characters. Unlocking them requires a password.
- Ink-Suit Actor: Justin Timberlake (of all people) provided his likeness and performed motion-capture for Johnny "The Hustler", a fictional golfer he created and outright played as for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005. Justin himself is a Secret Character who is unlocked by entering a password the game oh-so-helpfully provides after defeating The Hustler in the Legend Tour.
- Later-Installment Weirdness: The last game, Rory McIlroy PGA Tour, does not feature Tiger Woods, which makes it strange compared to the past games which all featured him. The new revival installment, EA Sports PGA Tour, will not feature him either, since he has given exclusive rights to 2K for their PGA Tour 2K series.
- Mini-Golf Episode: One game gives you the option to putt on a small mini-golf course with the whimsical moving obstacles you'd expect from mini-golf.
- Permanently Missable Content: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 have Real-Time Events, special challenges that are made available on certain days* based on the console's internal clock and unlock unique clothing, equipment, and/or animations if beaten. If they weren't attempted or completed within a specific time-frame, they can't be done without reversing the internal clock.
- Real-Place Background: As you'd expect from a simulation game, PGA Tour includes real golf courses to play on, such as Pebble Beach, Birkdale, etc.
- Series Goal: In the career mode, your goal is to travel your way up through the ranks until you win some of the most prestigious and popular golf tournaments. You also have some other career goals that you accomplish while you win games.
