It's not that Pro Stroke Golf doesn't try - it does and perhaps too hard.  The basic controls are different than anything I'd seen in a golf game before and take a little getting used to because it takes a combination of the Right and Left buttons to begin and complete a swing.  This is necessary on the PSP, however, because the console versions apparently use both analog sticks to control the swing.  The PSP doesn't have two analog sticks (it doesn't even really have one in my opinion), so the controls had to be changed.  Once you get used to the unique control it really isn't that bad, but there shouldn't be that much of a learning curve required just to swing a club.

Once you get the basic swing down you'll be feeling pretty good about yourself, until you realize that the basic swing alone is not going to win you any tournaments.  The more advanced controls are where the realism comes into play.  Everything about the swing can be controlled; from the way the golfer positions his feet to the way he shifts his weight distribution as he swings.  You can even make your digital dude snap his wrists to add a bit of oomph to the shot.  This level of control is pretty cool in theory, but going through all the motions on every shot becomes an exercise in tedium the likes of which you have to experience to understand.

Graphically there is nothing wonderful or terrible about Pro Stroke Golf.  The courses are designed like their real-world counterparts and look good enough and the players possess realistic golf animations.
 
The balance of the package is fairly standard golf fare.  Real world courses like Lake Nona and The Brabazon are included as are the likenesses of a few real world pros (no Tiger - EA owns him).  A course editor allows you to create a course of your own - possibly one of the most interesting features of the game, but nothing we haven't seen before.  If you tire of golfing alone you can play wireless multiplayer with up to three other folks who wasted twenty bucks on this game.

All in all Pro Stroke Golf has the potential to eventually be the most realistic golf game on the market, but I'm not sure whether that is such a good thing.  I can't be the only person who is totally put off by "real" golf.  Even Mark Twain described the game as "a good walk, spoiled."  The truly hardcore golf fan may find some things to enjoy about this game and its console brethren, but I'll stick with my Tiger Woods and Hot Shots, thank you very much.