Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 is the second game in the series to appear on the Nintendo DS. The game features touch swing controls where the player drags the stylus downwards to backswing and then back upwards again to shoot. A smooth motion leads to a more accurate shot, while the power of the shot is determined by how long the backswing is and the speed of the motion. At the same time the accuracy of the shot is determined by the angle of the swing. By sliding the stylus right or left, the ball may draw or fade although too much will lead to a hook or a slice. Once the ball is in the air, a close-up image of it appears on the bottom screen. By sliding the stylus repeatedly across the ball, the player is able to make it rotate.

A more traditional tap control is also available. With it the player swings by pressing a button to begin a backswing. The swing meter bar will then increase until the player presses the button again to decide the power of the shot. After that the player has to press the button a third time to decide the alignment of the shot.

The game feature a number of game modes. The play now mode allows the player to play a quick match. The player can customize the game by choosing rules (for example stroke play, match play or skins), course and number of holes. The courses are eight in total and include for instance Pebble Beach and St. Andrews. Up to four players can compete in the play now mode and team play is also an option.

The practice mode allows the player to try out the game in his own pace without any opponents or other distractions. In the Tiger Challenge mode the player gets to compete against the best player in the world for a chance to take on Tiger Woods himself. By winning challenges, more are unlocked as progress is made through the game. The player earns money by winning matches and these can be used to upgrade skills. Last, there is the PGA Tour mode where the player goes through a full season of golf with the goal of reaching number one on the ranking.

Multiplayer exist too for up to four players, both locally on one DS, through single or multi card wireless play or online through wi-fi connection.