The gameplay is forgiving but also challenging, emphasizing short craft as well as swing management. To go with standard controls, this game also includes rhythm and swing tempo triggers. The shot feedback and the swing lines provide aid and reference points.
The player pool online is limited.
Making the gameplay straightforward and the controls accessible to beginners but also delivering depth, detail, and realism, the PGA Tour 2K21 covers newbies and seasoned virtual golfers alike. Balancing skill and jeopardy, the game delivers fun, frustration, and satisfaction.
Sports, Individual, Golf, Sim
HB Studios
2K Sports
August 21, 2020
Single-player, multiplayer
Metacritic: 76/100
The game features six real-world courses. The backgrounds are detailed and the sound effects are realistic. The animations are also above average, especially when you sink a nice putt and the game gives you a nice fist-pump animation. The character creator tools are deep.
Several holes are darker than others, making them hard to spot.
The Golf Club 2019 is the most mechanically sound title among its contemporaries. With this game, you manipulate power, direction, fade, and height at the same time, so the right hands will be able to land the most insane shots. The course-creating tools are also robust.
Sports, Individual, Golf, Sim
HB Studios
2K Sports
November 13, 2018
Single-player, multiplayer
Metacritic: 72/100
There're more than 60 challenges, including fishing, karting, and collecting items across the courses. The online mode lets you play with 2 - 20 people. The part of the ball that you choose to make contact with will decide its speed and trajectory as well.
The menu is not easy to navigate.
With its lengthy career mode leading you down an RPG-inspired progression path, Everybody's Golf will immerse both kids and adults, making you spend hours gaining serious linksman skills and upgrading clubs. Plus, when you place in the top three, the rewards include specialized clubs and balls.
Sports, Individual, Golf, Arcade
Clap Hanz, SIE Japan Studio
Sony Interactive Entertainment
August 29, 2017
Single-player, multiplayer
Metacritic: 78/100
The driving range lets you figure out the swing velocity before joining a match. The courses look gorgeous and detailed, including a Jurassic Park-inspired resort that features gigantic herbivores against volcanic backdrops. Special event sequences make the gameplay less repetitive.
The game's filled with non-skippable dialogue and cutscenes.
Everybody's Golf VR mixes open-world gameplay with the click-click-click arcade action that its predecessors were banking on. While the learning curve has been raised, the visuals look vibrant and, with time, the game makes the experience more rewarding than most arcade titles.
Sports, Individual, Golf, Arcade
Clap Hanz
Sony Interactive Entertainment
May 21, 2019
Single-player
Metacritic: 74/100
The game includes power-ups, spicing up the otherwise repetitive genre. Between 18 tournament courses and 3 different scenarios, the game features 54 courses. You can play with 2 or 4 players at the same time.
The camera is pretty bad (restrictive and there's no hole fly-by).
3D Mini Golf will accommodate kids and complete beginners to the console (maybe even gaming in general). The integrated profile system automatically stores the stats, letting players track their progress, while the medal system will make the progression more engaging.
Sports, Individual, Golf, Arcade
PQube, Z-Software GmbH
Joindots GmbH
March 8, 2018
Single-player, multiplayer
Metacritic: no user score yet
It's all About the Fundamentals
Golf's a difficult game, built on the finest error margins that can cause club-breaking mistakes. But, when done right, golf can also provide immense satisfaction. The PGA Tour 2K21 encapsulates the game's difficulty and its spirit with brilliance, offering a fun experience that lets you scratch that iron-swinging itch without leaving the couch.
The game's main strengths lie with its solid yet enjoyable fundamentals that nail the knife-edge feel that the real-life play delivers. It is somehow forgiving yet challenging at the same time, making its gameplay straightforward and accessible to beginners but also rich and detailed enough to satisfy seasoned gamepad golfers.
With this incarnation, the emphasis is shot craft and swing management. From draws and fades to topspins, backspins, and lofts, the execution is top-notch, increasing the shot's difficulty and letting you decide what each and every shot will look like. With each swing, the game gives you the right balance between skill and jeopardy, therefore also the right balance between frustration and satisfaction depending on the results.
Besides that, the game demands factoring in rhythm and swing tempo, making perfect shots possible but quite elusive. When you execute one, however, the feeling's almost as satisfying as hitting a perfect short IRL. When you don't, well, the game delivers tough but honest results.
Helpful Tools
As demanding as the game can be, you won't be studying its gameplay nuances alone. The shot feedback will be displaying the tempo, and the swing lines will be providing crucial aid as well as reference points, giving you the tools to improve with every strike. On the green, there's a putting preview line. But the line won't give you more than one look per hole, so you'll still be reliant on your own technique despite its aid. When you progress, the game lets you disable the HUD, making the shots more difficult but also furthering immersion and realism.
Customizing the characters is an area where the game succeeds as well. It is multi-faceted and provides more options than most players need or want so that these players can make the golfers look however they want.
The career mode is great, letting you jump straight into the tour or start with amateur tournaments. The online experience, while promising, is not quite as great at this moment. Because the game's been released a few months ago, the player base is limited, so you'll occasionally have to wait a few minutes before the game can find you an opponent.
Still, considering the accessible yet demanding gameplay, this title lands among the best golf simulators with a graceful swoosh.
Additional Info
| Last updated price | $27.90 |
| Stock | In stock |
| ASIN | B088GFR26K |
Meticulous Attention to Detail
While its predecessors were capable and compelling sims, they lacked the punch that the official license provides. However, things are different now. Owing to the new deal, the folk at HB Studios have the necessary license now. Along with this license, The Golf Club 2019 has received solid and smooth swing controls and the fine attention to the smallest details that golf simulators demand, driving forward the series.
With this iteration, the game delivers six real-world courses, including TPC Sawgrass and TPC Scottsdale. These licensed courses are baked into the career mode, featuring fictional courses that fill in the gaps. While the fictional courses are passable, the licensed ones are recreated with meticulous attention to detail. The TPC Sawgrass shines with the Florida sun and the TPC Scottsdale's also captured faithfully, including its stadium-like atmosphere with massive crowds. The Shriners tournament at TPC Summerlin even features fezzes doubling as tee boxes, not unlike the real-life course version.
The graphics that display these details look respectable, especially when you play at dusk, gazing at sunspots that peek through the clouds. Well-struck drives have that distinctive cracking sound that you've heard on TV, with the birds chirping in the background against mountainsides, lush forests, lakes, and deserts.
More Mechanically Sound
The issue here that the depth, realism, and attention to detail that the courses have received does not quite extend to the career mode. The player likenesses are lacking, so teeing up as Tiger Woods will not be an option.
On the course, however, the game is more mechanically sound and rewarding than most golf simulators. The swing controls emphasize tempo even more than before, so hitting with the right speed and in the right direction is seldom easy. While the game will automatically recommend clubs as well as shot angles, they're not always reliable. Sure, making safe and normal shots will sometimes get you by, but the game's fluid and dynamic mechanics give you the necessary fine controls that also make challenging shots very executable in the right hands. With this game, the fine line between success and failure will depend not just on power and direction but also height and fade, the elements that you'll be manipulating simultaneously. Otherwise, the shot will not land.
Without even discussing the course-creating tools, the animation, and the online-focused modes, The Golf Club 2019 caters to the hardcore virtual golfers that thrive when the stakes are the highest and the difficulty level is unparalleled.
Additional Info
| Last updated price | $15.49 |
| Stock | In stock |
| ASIN | B07GYZZLKN |
A Rewarding Experience
Everybody's Golf mixes deep golf mechanics with a quirky visual style that fits both kids and adults. The game hits that sweet spot that provides arcade-inspired accessibility without compromising the challenges that make the sport as riveting as it is. Being the series' first foray on PlayStation 4, this title continues the franchise's tradition but also introduces fun new elements that make the game even more dynamic than its predecessors.
Gameplay-wise, this iteration lets you choose the club, with the choice being dictated by wind speed, direction, and yardage. Apart from that, there's also the ball's line, the surface that the same ball is supposed to land on, and the ball's part with which you make contact. As a result, balancing these ingredients makes hitting a sick shot a rewarding experience, which is what makes the game so compelling.
Despite its difficulty, the three-click swing mechanic makes the game fairly accessible to newcomers, with the three clicks starting the shot, setting the power, and determining accuracy. As always, the trick lies with matching the desired yardage with what the player's reflexes can execute, tightening this gap with each swing. Plus, this control method is a lot more sensible than the back-and-forth motions that come from you swinging the analog stick, making the game less predictable (and not in a good way).
RPG-Inspired Progression Path
The career mode leads you down a swift RPG-inspired progression path where good shots yield small but noticeable performance bonuses. These bonuses affect the character's stats and the clubs the players use, meaning that both you and the equipment you choose earn experience points. Over time, these upgrades add up, making the progression not just rewarding but also motivating. With increased stats and high-level gear, you'll be scoring eagles on a frequent basis and not just pars.
Of course, the game has its flaws as well. The competing NPCs can be visually obstructing, cluttering the screen when you're focusing on the shot. Furthermore, while the menu is pretty deep, it is also not as easy to navigate as it was before.
All things considered, Everybody's Golf offers a lengthy career mode, challenging but fun mechanics, well-executed online play, and an engaging progression system, making the game quite addictive but, at the same time, fun from the get-go, making the first hour and the hundredth hour equally entertaining.
Additional Info
| Last updated price | $15.00 |
| Stock | In stock |
| ASIN | B071R4XTK3 |
A Clean Connection
Everybody's Golf VR hits different, as VR titles do, putting the decade-cold franchise to the virtual reality test (pardon the pun). This time, the game blends open-world action with the classic click-click-click arcade approach of yore. The visuals are vibrant and the learning curve is above anything that the franchise has offered before.
Swinging with PlayStation Move or Dualshock controllers takes practice. While 200-yard drives can be hit without bulging biceps, a clean connection with the desired direction will require considerable accuracy. Initially, there's a pretty good chance you'll be adding unintentional fades to most shots. With time, however, even inexperienced players that are slow on the uptake will figure the controls out.
The driving range is the biggest debut that this version's new features include. Equipped with lucid greenery and idyllic scenery, this golf club enables mastering the controls in a controlled environment (again, apologies). Since you have to make the shot as clean as possible (unless you feel like making the shots curve away from the green is the best approach), the range will facilitate learning the swing intensity and the velocity. Aside from that, you'll also be able to practice putting.
More Interactive This Time Around
But, of course, the courses are the show's stars (this is the last time, we promise). While the game starts slow, with a somewhat bland forest-like area, before long, you'll be whisked away to serene seaside blues and Jurassic Park-inspired resorts, complete with towering herbivores and volcanic backdrops. Progressing through holes, you'll see stunning mountaintops, beautiful lakes, and haunting deserts.
The game features no campaign per se. That being said, you'll be unlocking different content as you play anyway. The caddies that accompany you are more interactive than before and the special event sequences spice up the otherwise repetitive on-course gameplay.
The voice acting's atrocious, which is nothing new. Also, the game's brimming with unskippable dialogue and cutscenes. On the bright side, the characters look great, with well-detailed models showcasing everything that PSVR has to offer.
Bottom line, what Everybody's Golf VR loses in its franchise's signature accessibility, the game gains in making the arcade experience more rewarding than before. Sure, the package's light on content, but the presentation is excellent throughout, giving the game the polished sheen that makes this title irresistible.
Additional Info
| Last updated price | $19.88 |
| Stock | In stock |
| ASIN | B07Q2MHT3R |
Less Challenging Attempt
3D Mini Golf is an ambitious project but also the one that falls a little flat on multiple levels. On the one hand, this is a low-maintenance game that taxes the machine very little, making sure that the gameplay remains smooth. That being said, despite its best attempts, the main menu is sometimes slow. What's more, the camera is restrictive and there's no hole fly-by. Likewise, the hitboxes are an absolute mess, skewed, at times, as much as 100 pixels, so choosing the right setting can become a chore.
Where the gameplay is concerned, some may find the experience a little humdrum. Depending on how hard you hit it, the ball will move at varying speeds. As long as you figure out the direction, there's almost no chance you'll miss the hole, making the overall experience not quite as challenging as some would hope. Long story short, on the gameplay subject, functional is the word we're looking for. There's nothing new or inventive about its mechanics and nothing especially engaging but, at the same time, the somewhat basic gameplay makes this title an excellent fit with kids and complete newcomers to the platform.
54 Courses
The game integrates 18 tournament courses, providing respectable variety. The problem here is that the tournament mode is a joke, to say the least. Because the AI characters that you're competing against are neither seen nor heard, the mode falls flat, breaking immersion practically from the get-go.
The single-player modes, however, are quite alright, letting you choose between three different scenarios (beach, park, and camping site). Between these scenarios and the tournament courses, the game offers as many as 54 courses, making the otherwise repetitive backgrounds a little less dull.
Besides that, the game includes power-ups. Some believe that this addition takes away from the traditional mini golf experience, while some find them quite interesting, so we'll let you form your own opinion here (you're welcome).
The game's strongest point is the integrated profile system. Storing the stats automatically, this system lets you track your progress, while the medal system keeps you coming back for more.
To summarize, 3D Mini Golf is something that complete beginners not just to golf games for PS4 but to the platform itself should appreciate the most. Kids should like the game as well. Experienced gamers, however, will probably find this title a little too easy for their liking.
Additional Info
| Last updated price | $19.99 |
| Stock | In stock |
| ASIN | B0778W3S11 |
What Are Golf Games for PS4?
Consoles versus PC is an Internet holy war that predates most Internet users. But there's one thing both camps agree upon: sports simulators are better on consoles. While golf games for PS4 are not always necessarily simulators, playing them with DualShock controllers always feel more natural than with a keyboard and a mouse.
Sure, these games usually include convoluted menus, but navigating these menus with a controller is not as inconvenient as PC gamers think. Plus, the gameplay is always geared more toward consoles than it is toward computers anyway. No, whether the game uses multiple-click swing mechanics or back-and-forth motions, controlling them with PC peripherals seldom feels comfortable. What's more, playing sports simulators on a huge TV is always a more immersive experience than playing these games on a relatively small monitor.
Some of these games are pretty heavy though, so we would recommend looking into external hard drives for PS4. Of course, we're assuming you already own a PS4. The people who are into golf but don't have a PS4 yet can start with these limited edition PS4 consoles.
What Features to Compare
Genre
Needless to say, golf games always belong to sports categories. They're also always individual games and, more often than not, games with multiplayer modes. The biggest difference between golf games is usually whether the title belongs with arcade games or simulators. As always, arcade games are more, well, arcade-y, meaning that the controls are relatively easy and the mechanics are straightforward, with almost no depth to them. Simulators, on the other hand, strives to recreate the real-life experience with as much accuracy and immersion as possible. With these games, you can normally control not just the velocity with which the ball flies and its desired direction but also the swing, the stroke, the contact point, and more. The best simulators also implement wind and yardage factors, making the experience even more realistic.
Graphics and Animation
Golf games are not the most action-packed games since the sport itself is not that dynamic. Because the gameplay is a little monotonous, graphics start becoming even more important than they are with video games of different genres. While backgrounds are always important, fast-paced shooters and action games can survive critics' wrath with shoddy, blurry backgrounds. Golf games, on other hand, cannot. When the graphics are bad and the animation is not smooth and fluid, the experience starts feeling less immersive, which is, generally speaking, the reason people play these games in the first place. No, the backgrounds have to be rich and detailed, the swings have to look smooth, and the characters should look like real people and not like weird ragdolls.
Sound
Sound is where most golf games fall on their own sword. Most golf games enthusiasts are fine with a below-average soundtrack. What plagues these games, however, is rarely that. No, what plagues golf games is cringeworthy commentary and stiff sound effects that do not sound at all what real-life clubs and balls sound like.
Fundamental Mechanics
While arcades that are not necessarily mechanically sound can be forgiven, even the most casual golf games for PS4 have to make the experience believable. With the best games, shot craft and swing management is put right, front, and center. Lofts, topspins, backspins, fades, draws, you should be able to execute them all. Each and every swing should look and act differently based on the rhythm and swing tempo that you decide.
Interesting Golf Facts
Golf has been dubbed 'the world's most boring sport'. As far as we're concerned, this is a compliment that curling does not deserve. Seriously, curling, no offense, but you're as pointless as latex-made male contraceptives with holes in them. But we digress. While golf is not the most exciting sport out there, no doubt about that, there's more to the game than it sometimes lets on. On this note, here are some interesting facts about the world's second most boring sport (again, curling, go away already, will you?):
1) No one knows who invented the game. The consensus is that golf comes from Scotland around the 1450s but the person or persons who created the game are unknown.
2) Back in the days, golf balls were made from wood. We're talking hardwood, like beech or box trees. These balls appeared somewhere around the 1400s and were used 'till ~the 17th century. Needless to say, these balls seldom lasted more than 3-5 games before deforming, hence the plastic and rubber balls that people started using a few centuries ago and, setting aside certain changes, still use nowadays.
3) Before sticking with rubber and plastic, there was a brief period of time when golf balls were made from feathers. Known as feathery balls, they were basically leather pouches filled with chicken or goose feathers, hence the name. These balls were replaced with virtually unparalleled expediency due to the huge labor and material cost. To make a single feathery ball, you'd have to spend a modern equivalent of 15-20 bucks.
4) Golf was played on the moon. Not so boring of a game now, is it? Take that, curling, you senseless disgrace! Only two sports were played on the moon and one of them is golf. On the sixth of February, 1957, Alan Bartlett “Al” Shepard, Jr. pulled off a one-handed swing with a six-iron. The absolute legend sent the ball flying through the low-gravity atmosphere of the moon. By the way, in case you're wondering, the other sport that was played on the moon is javelin.
5) Golf is a pretty good workout. Can you say the same about curling, a game so boring that most sensible people would rather observe two senile turtles' attempts at procreating? No, you cannot. An average golfer that weighs around 180-190 pounds will burn almost 450 calories in an hour (assuming that this person walks across the course and not, you know, rides the cart). While you can burn more playing more explosive/intense sports, 450 calories in an hour is not bad at all.
6) The Chinese government has issued a ban on developing new golf courses. Of course, this is China we're discussing here, so cities and local communities build them anyway. To get around this ban, developers usually forget (wink-wink) to mention that they're building a golf course in the plans that they propose. Once it is there, there's no rule that says they should remove the course, so the course stays.
7) The longest recorded drive stretches 515 yards. No, Tiger Woods was not the one who pulled it off. It was actually Chandler Harper who made this ridiculous drive at the National Seniors Tournament in 1974.