4 Best Golf Games On PC In 2023
Since the inception of gaming and the release of Pong, game developers have sought to create fun, exciting, and accessible virtual sports experiences for gamers. So what are some of the best golf games you can find on PC as of 2023?
Four of the best golf games on PC are:
- PGA Tour 2K21: Superb for accurate golf simulation.
- Golf Story: A unique RGP experience.
- Golf With Your Friends: Ideal for a casual, multiplayer experience.
- GolfTopia: A golf management/tycoon simulator.
While some may argue the best golf games should be reserved for simulation, many would agree that one of the best parts of gaming (especially on PC) are the various genres and unique games made about golf.
Let’s explore the best golf games on PC right now!
1. PGA Tour 2K21 Review
Although previous sport simulation games fell under the EA umbrella, recent years have seen a shift of sporting licenses moving to 2K, as is evidenced by their successful development and publication of officially licensed WWE and NBA products.
While both the NBA and WWE products have been met with mixed reviews due to some egregious microtransactions through the years, PGA Tour 2K21 as a new property does not come with the same baggage.
As a result of this more streamlined approach to gaming and progression, PGA Tour 2K21, while not having the budget or graphics fidelity of other 2K products, is actually a better simulation because it relies on player input as opposed to monetary input to advance progression.
The simulation of PGA Tour 2K21 is reflected in both gameplay mechanics as well as single-player modes, which focus on the creation of a lifelike avatar (depending on how crazy you decide to go with player creation tools) which is used to simulate your personal journey from an amateur to world-class golfing superstar.
Although local multiplayer is not as easy or intuitive as playing on a console, the online modes for PC are just as streamlined and seamless as their console counterparts.
This is reflected through the ease with which players can challenge their friends or jump online and access Online Societies, which allows the creation of custom games and challenges as per each respective player’s experience level.
Further to playing with other people online, PGA Tour 2K21 also features an advanced and easy-to-use course creator, which allows you to share your creation online with others easily and effectively.
While this course creation mode is available on consoles, there’s no denying that using a PC mouse and keyboard is the best method to access and use all the tools at your disposal!
2. Golf Story Review
While career modes in other PC golf games may have some light RPG elements such as experience points, stat boosts, and customizable characters, it is safe to say that Golf Story is the only golf game to apply the RPG formula of the 32-bit era to golf!
Disguised as a peaceful 2D golf game, Golf Story soon devolves into unexpected territory, including but limited to fighting skeletons and stealing from snow bandits (yes, seriously)!
Sitting at approximately sixteen hours long, you control your golfing protagonist across eight different and varied worlds as they go on a quest for golfing fame and glory, all the while being heckled by NPCs that all appear to doubt your abilities.
This strange combination of golf gameplay blended with typical RPG elements such as dialogue options, fetch quests, exploring the world, and combat is seemingly held together with sharp, humorous, and witty writing.
Coupled with charming visuals of yesteryear, Golf Story is a must-play for those PC gamers looking for the unlikely combination of an old-school RPG with golf mechanics.
3. Golf With Your Friends Review
Shifting focus away from complex simulation and strange sport-RPG hybrids is the aptly named Golf With Your Friends.
Golf With Your Friends ‘makes the cut’ as one of the best golf games on PC as it capitalizes on the rise of the irreverent humor that has populated PC gaming culture for some time with the popularity of platforms such as Stream and Twitch that allows players to hop onto a casual game with ease for a couple of laughs.
Consequently, Golf With Your Friends foregoes the calm, calculated simulation of real-world golf in favor of a game that is equal parts battle royal and racing to create a frantic “first-to-the-hole” style of gameplay through the use of simultaneous shots with upwards of 11 friends at once.
Although far from the most realistic or graphically intense PC golf game on the market, Golf With Your Friends is the perfect game to play with friends over Discord when you have half an hour to spare.
4. GolfTopia Review
Developed by legendary game developer Sid Meier through Firaxis and Maxis in 2002, Sid Meier’s Sim Golf is considered a cult classic for both golf games and tycoon simulation games.
Fortunately, after a decade and a half of golf management absence, GolfTopia, released in 2020 by Minmax Games, has struck a chord with fans of Sid Meier’s Sim Golf, tycoon simulation, and golf fans alike.
In typical simulation management fashion, the hook of the game is not the content but rather the tools at your disposal to build, run, manage, and customize your own golf club efficiently and effectively.
Fortunately, GolfTopia understands the importance of easy-to-use tools while also capitalizing on the sillier nature that often accompanies management PC games as laid out by classics such as Theme Hospital.
Consequently, the design of your courses has more of a mini-golf feel to it, wherein you have free reign to add all sorts of unique and exciting elements to your holes, such as bumpers, launchers, and fans.
Best of all, you can also play the holes yourself as both a fun exercise and to get a feel of how your virtual golfers attending your park may like or dislike your designs!
Final Thoughts
Although the above list is my personal preference of the best golf games on PC and a celebration of the different genres that golf games are packaged in, it is ultimately up to you to explore the games yourself. That way, you’ll be able to see if they appeal to your game genre preferences!
Related Posts You May Like:
