The Zone boasts 12 million registered members worldwide and more than 100 games available for play. Borrowing cues from real-world golf tournaments sponsored by the PGA Tour, PGA of America and the U.S. Golf Association, the philosophy of the Virtual Golf Association is simulated realism. The simulation uses photos and videos of actual courses and digital renderings of professionals such as Arnold Palmer. Accurate ball physics, sound clips, scenery and terrain spell realism. Tees splinter after drives, birds chirp in trees, and fog blankets the course on inclement mornings.
Players can even change the color of their shirts.
Combine that with crisp graphics and stereo sound that tracks with the action. Bank One Corp. - nevertheless shelled out cash for the privilege and publicity. Wingspan is banking on the surging popularity of online golfing, heightened with the release of Links LS '98. That version provided support for up to eight players to square off on the Internet. No one has conducted a census of online golfers, but a recent consumer survey released by Golf Datatech, an industry research firm based in Kissimmee, Fla., indicated that more than 50 percent of avid golfers said they have used the Internet to seek information about golf or golf-related subjects.