The smell of fresh cut greens. The sound of a driver making contact with the ball. The sight of Tiger Woods making his trademark fist pump. Ah, yes, fantasy golf is back for ‘08 with the 2008’s inaugural event, the Mercedes Benz Championship at Kapalua.

For the uninitiated, fantasy golf typically involves a fantasy owner putting together a team of real life golf players, from the US PGA Tour or European Tour. You gain points and victories based on those players’ performance in golf tournaments. Many leagues force you to choose players based on a set budget, or salary cap; the better reputation of the player, the more they are likely to cost.

Here’s a rundown of a few of the more popular games with descriptions:

Pro Tour Fantasy Golf - entry fee required but you can win money prizes. Can play for entire 24 week season or in six week “mini” leagues.

Yahoo! Fantasy Golf - scoring is based on each round (low score each round earns 20 points), so you have to select who you think will fare best each round.

PGA Tour fantasy game - has both a pick ‘em and a salary cap game where you can win prizes.

Time to get in the game….Fore!