“World Golf Tour is excited to launch the ultimate online golf experience for players around the world,” explains YuChiang Cheng, World Golf Tour CEO. “Our virtual version of The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island is second to none. The realism is absolutely stunning and the visuals really show off the proprietary technology we have developed. This public beta is a huge step forward; we offer hundreds of features including the latest social gaming features with multi-player capabilities, tournament options and basic course management tools. We hope that everyone visits World Golf Tour and takes the time to enjoy one of the premier golf courses in the world.”

Free to play and no software installation needed, the WGT beta release builds on the already successful WGT Charity Challenge which has attracted more than 900,000 players. WGT is an HD-quality online golf experience, which allows golf enthusiasts to play authentically reproduced courses such as The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort and Bali Hai Golf Club, with many more world class courses to follow. WGT utilizes helicopters equipped with cameras to capture HD images of courses. The company’s patented technology then transforms these images into graphics making it appear as if players are virtually playing “atop” photos of the course.

More than 500 features have been added to the updated version, including:

• Multi-player capability with in-game chat functionality – up to four players can tee off against one another and razz each other while doing so
• Alternative play options – players can choose between tee-to-greens play or closest-to-the-pin competition
• Tournament rewards – players compete in tournaments to win prizes ranging from thousands of dollars to luxurious golf vacations
• Variety of swing options– new additions include punch, chip, flop and putt
• Personalized Avatars – players can choose between several avatars, both male and female, to express themselves
• Personalized profile pages – members can share game stats, videos, pictures, friends, replays, activities, favorite equipment and post announcements
• Forums – members can get game tips, share advice or talk about the latest golf news

Dubbed as “the voice of golf” and a golf industry icon, Peter Kessler, current XM Radio personality and former Golf Channel host, is excited to be playing a myriad of roles for World Golf Tour as its ambassador to Professional Golf. Kessler will produce video content for WGT players, and share his thoughts on golf's glorious history, tours and personalities through a blog on WGT.

"World Golf Tour has been developing an astonishing and breathtaking experience out of playing golf online,” explains Kessler. “The HD graphic images are simply gorgeous and the array of social community features complete a brilliant world class golf excursion. World Golf Tour will become golf's ultimate online destination and I am thrilled and honored to be a part of its future."

Everyone can now play the beta version of World Golf Tour.