Tiger, Tiger burning bright.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour for iPhone is going to hit a sweet spot for gamers and golf fans. I played through a few holes of the in-development title; the graphics and gameplay show EA is putting some weight behind the iPhone. The release is still "a couple months out," according to Producer Josh Milton, with pricing to be determined. But Tiger Woods could be another marker that EA understands Apple's platform.

EA is working with handheld game developer Exient, which also bodes well. The company created the Playstation Portable edition, in addition to dozens of other handheld games. Milton said that they're using whatever content they can adapt from other editions of Tiger Woods to help the process.

But Exient's history didn't impress me as much as the smooth graphics. While your character and ball are pretty much the only objects on courses--forget crowds to cheer and jeer--the detailed visuals pop. Trees, grass, and sand traps look okay in still pictures, but take on big depth when the camera flies through the 3D scenes. Seven different 18-hole courses include their own touches, such as cloudy Scottish skies at Fancourt.

Golf mechanics also feel good. The developers have been testing many swing methods, including motion-based controls, but they've settled on a simple swipe gesture. I got into the game quickly, sliding my finger back and then forward to hit. When the ball was in the air, I slid my finger across the screen quickly to add spin, Golden Tee-style. Occasionally I repositioned the default aim by just dragging on-screen. Zoom effects also looked fluid, although I wanted to be able to zoom even further back from an overhead perspective.

Tiger sees this wireframe putting grid in real life.

Gamers will pick from five professional characters--including Vijay Singh, Annika Sorenstam, and Tiger--or customize two generic players into personal avatars. You'll be able to play with up to three AI or real-world opponents on a single device, and EA is still considering multiplayer options across multiple iPhones.

I hope that online multiplayer and challenge modes that twist standard golf rules--also under consideration--make the final release. But even in the version I saw, Tiger Woods PGA Tour is on the green.