Golf is one of America's favorite pastimes and is played by many professionals and casual Golfers. Game developers quickly realized that the love of the sport would roll over into video games.
Below, we look at the top 5 virtual Golf games that allow casual people to feel like professional Golfers. You do not have to buy expensive gear, equipment, or club membership.
Just buy the game and enjoy it! If you are a Golf fan but cannot afford the expensive Golf kits – these Golf video games are your best option to enjoy the game.
- Mario Golf: Super Rush
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004
- Links 2003
- The Golf Club 2014
- Everybody's Golf 2017
Mario Golf: Super Rush
If you happen to be a fan of Mario and Golf, Mario Golf: Super Rush is the latest game you should be trying. First released in 1999, there are plenty of amazing Mario Golf games, with the Super Rush being the latest one.
Released in 2021, Mario Golf: Super Rush is the sixth installment of Nintendo's Mario Golf series and is developed by Japanese video game pioneer Camelot Software Planning. Mario Golf: Super Rush features multiple characters of the Mario franchise participating in Golf matches.
There are several game modes for fans to enjoy Golf, including Standard Golf, Speed Golf, Solo Challenges, Battle Golf, and Golf Adventure. With Super Rush, Nintendo continues to offer its fun-filled gameplay of the Mario franchise; plus, it also introduces an excellent set of incentive ideas to double the fun.
The game also should be highly praised for its gameplay mechanics, better graphics, and motion control. All in all, Mario Golf: Super Rush is applauded by both critics and fans.
How To Play Mario Golf: Super Rush
Playing the game is very easy – the first thing you have to do is purchase the game from the Nintendo official site, which costs $59.99. The basic game modes follow the traditional Golf rules, which is to get the balls to each hole in the fewest number of strokes possible.
However, Speed Golf is different – players require to Golf and race to complete the hole before the opponents. After swinging your Golf club, you race toward the ball to take another shot while dealing with obstacles.
Additionally, the Golf Adventure features a role-playing game; players can customize their game avatar and become students in clubs. Players can train there and face off against each other in Golf matches.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004
Golf and the legendary Tiger Woods are kinds of similar – it seems like one is incomplete without the other. Therefore, it was pretty obvious for EA Games to develop a game while partnering with the Golf legend.
There are a series of Tiger Woods PGA Tour games – the first one was launched in 1999. However, the Tiger Woods 2004 is the highest-rated Tiger Woods game.
The game is made available on multiple platforms, including PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, GameBoy Advance, and Windows PC. Therefore, if you still have a copy of the game, dust it and your consoles off and start to play the game again.
Surely, the block-style graphics would not be on par with the 60 frames and 4K graphics that you are used to – but the game will surely bring back some memories.
Features Of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004
Talking about the features of the 2004 version of the Tiger Woods' PGA, the game has a lot to offer its users. With perfected digital-analog swing control, the PGA Tour's gameplay is very smooth.
Additionally, PGA 2004 is also the first version that allowed the players to use Golf balls and equipment from world-class manufacturers like Titleist and Ping. Not only that, but you can also play on renowned Golf courses like Pebble Beach, Bay Hill, and St/ Andrews.
If that was not all, the 2004 version has added Golf superstars like John Daly and Gary McCord to the game. Other than that, you are also allowed to create a customized avatar of a Golfer.
Links 2003
Developed by Microsoft, Links 2003 is the most realistic Golf simulation game available and the best-selling Golf simulation game of all time. The game is a part of the Link Series, first introduced by Microsoft in 2002.
The game's user interface might not be as good and mesmerizing as that of the Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004, but it will surely be a hit with the Golf fans who love to play video games.
Talking about the critics of the game, Links 2003 was nominated for the PC Gamer's 2002 Best Sports Game Award and 2003 Interactive Achievement Awards for Computer Game of the Year. Probably the best feature to talk about in the game is its realistic graphics.
You will see every blade of grass, every ripple of water, and the chirping of the birds. The realism of the game is even pushed with more accurate ball physics – players will feel like they are on the actual field and will have to adjust their shots according to the wind pressure.
How To Play The Game
Links 2003 features six different real-life Golf courses, including Gleneagles, Cambrian Ridge, and Lodge at Kauri Cliffs. Additionally, you will play with four professional Golfers: Annika Sorenstam, Sergio Garcia, Jesper Parnevik, and David Toms.
Moreover, the game also incorporates Arnold Palmer Course Designer 1.5, allowing players to create their own custom Golf courses. The thing that can annoy you is that it is only available for Microsoft PCs despite being such a great game. You can download the full version of the game on the Links Country Club's official website, with a price tag of only $14.95.
The game includes multiple single and multi-player games. Also, there is a career mode that allows players to work their way up, from qualifying Golf schools to becoming world champions. It is also worth noting that Microsoft also arranges online tournaments, which is the ultimate thrill in PC Golf.
The Golf Club 2014
Next on the list is The Golf Club 2014. As the name suggests, the Golf Club game allows players to create their very own detailed courses. That means you can apply every little detail to your Golf course – from having hills, water bodies, trees, and every other single object on the course.
This game gives players a lot of power in their hands, and with a little bit of tinkering, you can easily make a great Golf course for yourself. The Golf Club's signature feature has to be its course creation. First, they are generated based on specific criteria – difficulty, hilly, locale type, or flat. Then they can be manually adjusted using an easy drag-and-drop interface.
The game supports live and turn-based online play for four players (local or online) – you and your opponents take turns to swing the club and put the ball in the hole. Another great touch that the developers have given to the game is that there is no loading in between the holes.
Previously in other Golf video games, players would have to sit and stare at the loading screen after each bogie.
How To Play The Game
HB Studios published the game for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, and it is available globally. You can get your hands on the game via Steam or via the official website of the Golf Club game.
The full version of the game comes with a price tag of $35, which is justified for all the fun you will have with the game. As well-crafted as the game is, the Golf gameplay is in itself challenging and satisfying.
The right analog swing requires precision, and gauging the correct swing power will take a bit of time. But once you get the correct rhythm going, the game will be a lot more fun.
Everybody's Golf 2017
Everybody's Golf 2017 is the classic Golf franchise for PlayStation, that has from the very beginning of its franchise, aimed to be very realistic. For sure, the game features cartoonish characters, but the game physics are very real and at the same time fun and challenging.
The twelfth game of the Everybody's Golf game series was released in 2017 and received reviews in favor of the game. Talking about the accolades of the game, the 2017 Everyone's Golf was nominated for "PlayStation Game of the Year" at the Golden Joystick Awards and for "Sports Game of the Year" at the DICE Awards.
Features Of The Game
The game features a range of lovable characters, each of them having their own Power, Impact, Control, and Spin techniques. The cartoonish characters are not the only thing that the audience love about Everybody's Golf; it is the realistic physics involved in the game.
The game's swing simulation and ball movement mechanics are way more realistic than other Golf video games. Moreover, there is also a character customization option which is fantastic. There are nearly a hundred unique options to customize the character in the unique way possible.
Published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Everybody's Golf works on PlayStation 4. However, if you plan to play the game on PlayStation 5, you will need to update the latest system software. You can purchase the game from the PlayStation Store for just $19.99. The gameplay involves the traditional Golf rules; strike the ball and put it in the hole.
The Bottom Line
To sum up, Golf might not be the easiest game there is; but many fans certainly enjoy it. These Golf video games can give players a real-life experience of what it is actually like playing Golf.
