Golf is one of America's favorite pastimes. It's a sport that both high-class players and regular people can enjoy. Bringing that level of inclusivity to a video game or movie screen means that golf's fanbase can stretch even further. Video game golf can't give players the experience of visiting a real course, but it sure can come close.
Some golf games are serious, intense simulations that make a player consider wind speed, club selection and the lay of the green. The best serious golf simulators have such a high level of fine detail, both visually and in the control mechanics, that rounds can be just as immersive as in real life. On the other side of the coin, some golf titles are arcade games. Crazy physics, insane gravity modifications, and explosions are par for the course in the arcade golf genre. Dangerous Golf is the top arcade golf game on the market, while PGA Tour 2k21 and Everybody's Golf are the top two serious golf sims in 2020. What The Golf? is another top-tier arcade game, despite the fact it looks nothing like a classic 4-par dogleg left.
PGA Tour 2K21, Everybody's Golf, Dangerous Golf and What The Golf? are the top golf games available to play today. The first two are simulation titles that involve classic drive and putt holes and realistic golfers. They are separated by the fact that PGA Tour features lifelike characters and greens, whereas Everybody's Golf has visuals that look like cartoons. For intense realness on every stroke, go for PGA Tour. If its a relaxing time on the virtual links, Everybody's Golf is the top option. The last two games are anything but relaxing. Dangerous Golf is an arcade game with a golf ball. What The Golf? is similar, but sometimes even without the golf ball.
PGA Tour 2K21
PGA Tour 2K21 is the best simulation golf title available for console or PC. It's got great visuals, improved swing timing mechanics, and completely customizable difficulty settings. This title is the most recent edition in the The Golf Club franchise. PGA Tour's predecessor The Golf Club 2019 is one of the most highly-regarded golf video games ever, but PGA Tour somehow manages to up the ante. This game has licenses to use some of the most well-known pro golf events in the world, including TPC Sawgrass (site of The Players Championship) and TPC Scottsdale (Waste Management Phoenix Open). That being said, the game contains no officially licensed Masters event, and includes microtransactions. The shining point of PGA Tour 2K21 is that you can turn off most difficulty settings. New players can turn down difficulty settings for easier rounds, and series veterans can pump PGA Tour 2K21's difficulty up to keep the game interesting.
Everybody's Golf
Everybody's Golf is another golf simulation title that aims for realness. Sure, its got cartoonish character models but the physics make for a fun, challenging round. The reason it is listed alongside PGA Tour 2K21 is because Everybody's Golf gives players a much better experience of a day out on the links. Its swing simulation and ball movement mechanics are good, but it's just as fun to free roam the course. After players have had their fill of that, finding a golf cart to drive makes roaming even more fun. The character customization of Everybody's Golf is also fantastic, with hundreds of options to find each character's unique style. If PGA Tour is too much, this game is the happy medium between simulation golf and arcade silliness.
Dangerous Golf
Dangerous Golf is the top arcade golf title available on PC or console. It's mini-golf, but with explosions, destruction, and a damage calculator that shows how much property the ball has destroyed. It's not Tiger Woods putting on the green, it's more exciting than that.
The object is to cause as much destruction as possible in a bathroom, kitchen, palace, and more. Players earn points for knocking down statues, overflowing urinals, and basically causing as much mayhem as possible. Dangerous Golf is a good choice for players who enjoy the idea of golf but don't want to worry about things like club selection, guessing wind speed, and other deep golf strategies.
What the Golf?
What the Golf? has golf in the title, so it must be a golf game, right? Well, not quite. Sure, the first hole of the game involves a player pulling back a power meter to shoot their golf ball at the flag, but that's about where the similarities end between the sport of golf and this game from developer Triband. After the second hole, where players have to shoot their character's body towards the hole, things only get wackier. This is a nice arcade-style video game centered around the idea of golf, and What the Golf?'s features are incredibly easy to understand. Its got bright colors and visually pleasing art, so What the Golf? is fun to look at even if the controls are overly simple.
The best part of What the Golf? is the level editor, which lets players create their own goofy holes. They can push What the Golf?'s physics engine to its maximum capacity, and YouTube is full of incredible player-designed holes. The level editor extends the length of the game as much as players let it, even if the original release is only about 5-10 hours worth of content.
Golf games have recently come back in fashion. PGA Tour 2K21 is the first 2K sports golf game, but it follows in a long line of EA Sports' golf series, and is available. It's also on Xbox Game Pass. Everybody's Golf is also the most recent edition of a classic golf series, and it captures the experience of a day out golfing much better than other games available. Additionally, Dangerous Golf's arcade play offers enough spice to get anyone into the game of golf, and for players who want to make their own hole, What the Golf? has got plenty of customization options. Any of these games provide hole-in-one fun.