Golfing has been a part of video games since all the way back in 1978, and since then there have been some fantastic titles to keep fans of the sport happy. While those after cartoonish fun have had the fantastic Mario Golf games for company, for two decades EA's PGA Tour games kept things fresh for those after a more realistic approach. 2K Games have been keeping the flag flying, and HB Studios has returned as developer for PGA Tour 2K23, this year's entry.
PGA Tour 2K23 is the official game for top tier golfing, with all of the key licenses that players would expect. Included within are 20 official courses, alongside pro players like Tiger Woods and Lexi Thompson and even NBA star Michael Jordan. As well as this, the title includes new additions like a course creation tool alongside improvements to the likes of MyCareer.
In terms of minute-to-minute gameplay, PGA Tour 2K23 is an enjoyable experience. The controls are smooth and intuitive, with a three-click swing option that gives players an extra choice in how they play the game. Meanwhile, the title also feels fairly realistic when it comes to its physics, avoiding the awkward rolls and bounces that sometimes come with golf games to give a little more predictability to each swing.
What this means is that there's a way for would-be golfers to find their groove in the game well, without worrying about whether shots will land as planned. In turn this allows the player to hone their style in the way that best suits how they want to play, although there are some skills that will be beneficial for anyone. In particular, working on quality chips is always useful, and these are also particularly satisfying to pull off.
The core PGA Tour 2K23 single player experience can be found in MyCareer, where the user creates their own player and takes them from rookie through to PGA Tour hero. It all works rather well, in line with other career modes seen in other sports titles, although once again the player is able to hone their craft in a way that suits their style of play. Its RPG-esque skill tree system is well implemented, as well as the customization to be found in the player character's look and clothing.
That's not the only fun to be found in PGA Tour 2K23, however, and of particular note to multiplayer fans is the introduction of PGA Tour 2K23 Topgolf. This is a more arcade-esque experience based around scoring points in a less realistic setup than MyCareer, based on the Topgolf driving range game, and it's a fair amount of fun. It scratches the same itch as some of the challenge modes found in the old EA PGA Tour games, although maybe without the same variety.
Nonetheless, the authenticity of PGA Tour 2K23 shines through even with these more unrealistic additions. Whether it's the look and feel of the different courses or how the different real-life character models take a swing, there's a true dedication to the sport here. On top of that, it's impossible to overlook some of the other neat additions, with the PGA Tour 2K23 course designer proving easy to use that could add some longevity.
Overall, PGA Tour 2K23 is bound to find its fans, thanks to its clear love of the sport and strong gameplay. Whether or not 2K will be able to keep hold of the market after the release of EA Sports PGA Tour next year remains to be seen, but in the meantime PGA Tour 2K23 will certainly entertain its players.
PGA Tour 2K23 is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Screen Rant was provided with a PS5 download code for the purposes of this review.