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PGA TOUR 2K23 is a golf video game developed by HB Studios and published by 2K Sports. It is the third game in the PGA TOUR 2K series and is available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC via Steam.
The game gives you the chance to experience how real golfing feels like through the virtual world and is very beginner friendly, allowing both newcomers and veterans to enjoy golf together.
It’s Golfing Time
From the get go, the game will give you the option to choose which difficulty you want to play on. Luckily enough, they have the beginner’s level which will basically hold your hand throughout the game. The game will teach you the basics of golf, from swinging the club to slicing in golf.
They will even show a step-by-step guide on how to control the ball’s rotation strength and change the ball’s flight angle. It might be overwhelming at the start but I can assure you that it is very helpful to players that don’t have any experience in golfing like me.
To add on the beginner friendly aspect, golf has all these skills which are really difficult to learn but thanks to training mode, you get to have all the time you need to learn about them.
With TopGolf mode, you can make your training session even more fun. This mode lets multiple players play together and all you need to do is hit your golf ball into designated areas on the field to score. Each area has different scores and the one with the highest score wins.
There are slopes and bunks that you have to avoid and even a selection of clubs and swing distance for you to choose from in this mode. It is basically a free-for-all so you can have so much fun while still practising your skills.
Returning back to the beginner difficulty, the game will help you with your golfing sessions such as recommending where to drop your ball and what clubs to swing the ball with. They aren’t necessary holding your hand from A to Z however since things like the slope, wind direction and speed are all not taken into account so you’ll have to adjust your direction when you swing.
As you gradually get better in golf with the help of beginner mode, you can choose to change the difficulty to bring it even higher. Starting with “Amateur” difficulty, you’ll need to start taking the strength of your shot into account. Too little or too much strength put into your swing will affect your golf ball’s trajectory very badly.
When you climb up the difficulty, the support that you get from the game will gradually disappear and it will be your skills and experience in golf that will be guiding you from then on.
Time to Start Up My Career
Much like every other sports game, PGA TOUR 2K23 has their own career mode. In this mode, you’ll be creating your own characters and work your way up to be a golf superstar by winning competitions.
In PGA TOUR 2k23, more options are available for you to customize your character compared to the previous game with some of them locked behind the paid battle pass. At the beginning, you can set your attributes and the type of shots that you are good at. As you progress into the game, you can improve your golfing performance by adding points to your attributes and replacing the parts of your club.
Career mode basically gives you the real-life golf tournament experience from the standard 18-hole golf match, golf courses that scales with their real-life counterparts accompanied with commentaries from professionals. You are given the freedom to choose the difficulty of the tournaments you want to join. If you are feeling confident enough, you can even register for the Top Professional Tour for your first Tour.
To be frank, these are all repeating elements from their previous games but amazingly enough, they still haven’t lost their charm in 2K23. Paired together with the commentaries and the cheers from the crowd just pushes the realism vibe to the roof.
Of course, much like its previous games, the novelty eventually wears off as you put more time into the game. Even more so when you are not a golf fan, much like me. Having to go through the long 18-hole matches and the repetitive cycle of swinging your club to shoot your golf ball slowly wears you out.
Your Very Own Dream Golf Course
Tired of playing the same old choices of courses all the time? Well in PGA TOUR 2K23, you have the option to make your very own dream golf course. Details of the course from the positions, heights of terrain and all that are all customizable for you. With cross-platform support, you can even share your creation with the world for both online and local play.
Players that are new to golf might not enjoy it as much since you’ll need to take into account lots of things to make the course playable. Of course, a non-playable golf course does not mean you cannot create it. Just go crazy with your imagination and have fun with it.
You might not be able to clear it but who knows, when you share it to the world, someone out there might just be able to pull it off.
Hole-in-Thoughts
For a sports game with a high skill ceiling in reality, PGA Tour 2K23 is fairly reasonable in its difficulty and is very beginner friendly. From detailed instructions that guide you through your golfing sessions to a fun training time with TopGolf mode. Newbies who have no experience with golf can definitely find enjoyment playing this game.
Veterans of golf too can find some fun in the game, with the Top Professional Tour in career mode or even by creating their own dream golf course filled with challenges that they want to take on.
However, those that were never into golf to begin with might have to give this one a pass. Sure with the TopGolf mode and creating your own golf course is a good distraction from their main gameplay, it is still that: golf.
If you are like me and had no prior experience with golf, sure you could now understand the basics of golf but if you do not enjoy the sport itself then you might not be willing to continue playing. You may pick it up again if you had friends to play with but other than that, not so much.
For golf lovers and those interested in golf that want to experience the thrill of swinging a club in a virtual world, PGA TOUR 2K23 is the best choice for you.
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to Learn and Very Beginner Friendly | Lack of different game modes aside from just golfing |
| TopGolf is a nice mode for both training and to just have fun | Designing a course is too overwhelming for newbies |
Game was reviewed using PC.
