Hard to believe it’s been 14 years since Tiger Woods, then all of 21, introduced himself to the sporting world by winning the prestigious Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. Since then, a long line of successful EA Sports golf videogames have followed, but none have featured the course that started a legendary career.

Until now.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters, which hits the United States on March 29, will feature Augusta National Golf Club, where the Masters is held every year. The course was laser-mapped to capture every azalea, fairway and nuance that makes Augusta one of the most recognizable golf courses in the world.

What can golf gamers expect from this new release? Wired.com caught up with the man himself, Tiger Woods, yesterday during a stop in New York City to talk about Augusta’s real-life challenges and how PGA Tour ‘12 so closely mirrors the real thing.

Wired.com: What involvement do you have in the game’s development?

Tiger Woods: Quite a bit. We started back in ‘99, and I’m always thinking about what we can do to make it better, to make it more real, to make sure gamers get the kind of experience we get as Tour players.

Wired.com: Do you consult game designers about, say, difficult phases of certain courses?

Woods: No, the whole idea is for the technology to capture that. Before, yes, you’d have to try and find different features in a game that would make it more difficult. But now, here’s the deal: Capture the golf course exactly how we find it. The gamers can then experience what we play. They’ve done that with Augusta National. It’s [laser-mapped] to within 6 millimeters of accuracy. It’s virtually exactly what we play.

Wired.com: I’ve read that it captures the varying undulations of Augusta’s greens.

Woods: I’m blown away — absolutely blown away. People don’t realize the elevation change that happens on the 10th from tee to green, the second shot on 18, or the second shot onto the green on 13. The green complexes — they’re all undulating. Even the ones that you think are flat, like the green on 2, still have quite a bit of movement in it.

The 12th hole at Augusta National Golf Club

Wired.com: Can you play Augusta on this game and apply it to the real thing?

Woods: Well, I’ve played the course so many times that it actually helps me play the game.

Wired.com: Would it work for you if you didn’t have so much experience at Augusta and these other courses on the game?

Woods: I played Torrey Pines on the game prior to the ‘08 U.S. Open because I hadn’t seen Torrey in awhile. I played St. Andrews because I just wanted to get familiar with the sight lines again, which bushes to aim at off the tees, so I went through the game a couple times just to refresh my memory.

Wired.com: What part of Augusta causes the most frustration for you?

Woods: For the players, it’s the greens. It’s gotten longer and more narrow with more rough and more trees now. But they’ve tried to make it a tee-shot golf course. Prior to that, it wasn’t. It was just a second-shot golf course and then the green complexes. But overall, everyone who plays there will say the same thing: It’s the greens. The greens are so difficult and have so much movement on them.

Wired.com: Are there any recent changes to the real-life version of Augusta that you’re preparing for when you play the Masters next month?

Woods: No, they’ve only flattened out a couple sections of the greens. But they captured that in the game, so it’s fine.

Wired.com: The caddie feature is interesting. How can gamers maximize their use of it?

Woods: Well … by listening. [Laughs.] The caddie feature is set up so it will help you. That’s what a caddy is trying to do, anyway. He shows you where to go, what club to hit and then guides you around the golf course. You don’t want to rely on him, but you certainly want to learn. Once you get dialed in, you should be good on your own.

Wired.com: I like the putting feature with that circle you can use, as a putting aid.

Woods: Well, it’s one area. [Smiles.] You’re not exactly gonna make it every time. That’s the thing.

Wired.com: How can gamers can use the putting circle?

Woods: It’s a feel thing. It gives you an aid but it doesn’t guarantee you’re going to make the putt. You still have to make the stroke, but sometimes you might hit it too hard, too easy for that particular line. It’ll give you a ballpark, just like with most reads.

Wired.com: How do you make a game like this appealing to folks who don’t play golf?

Woods: Well, I think that’s what the Masters tournament does. Everyone knows what the Masters is, even if you’re a non-golfer. People know what Wimbledon is. They know what the Super Bowl is. There are certain events that people just know about.

Wired.com: What do you want gamers — casual or die-hard — to take away from this game?

Woods: The enjoyment. It’s neat for them to see Augusta National, to see what we see. And to play what we play. It’s a different experience. There’s no other tournament that we play anywhere in the world that’s like the Masters. That’s why everyone has been trying to get The Masters tournament in their videogame. We were lucky enough to have that happen.