Gave this a trial on EA Play bundled which is bundled with GPU.

It’s grown on me quite a bit since starting. The core golf engine is for the most part very good. Swing mechanic controlled via a stick with lots of options on assists and the welcome return of some features like adding power during the swing and post hit spin controls. A few little oddities are taking me some time to get used to, the short pitches always seem to be a lot longer than expected and puts can be tricky to judge, but it’s more about learning than a problem with the engine.

Contains lots of very well realised courses (3230), a decent campaign mode, lots of challenges and a good golfer progression model to improve your skills and abilities the more you play.

It looks really good too. My first game was a trip round Augusta as the game finished downloading (ready to start) which actually wasn’t the best first impression. The fairway and greens had little colour variation and everything looked a bit flat as a result, but a switch to more undulating links courses and the engine really shines. It is “only” 30fps but actually I didn’t really notice this at all. I think a 60fps patch is on it’s way but I’m tempted to stick with the shinies. (Everybody’s Golf on PS4 did a really good compromise here by being 30fps until you go to take your shot, it then froze the scene, effects and movement - bar your golfer - and switched to 60fps as you time your shot).

Couple of minor downsides. It’s very much EA with screen wipe, splash screens and over presentation abounding. For example restarting a putting challenge does a Flag screen wipe, USGA splash screen, hole fly over, USGA splash screen and an additional button press to address the ball. There are microtransactions, it looks like mostly cosmetics but there are some booster like things you can buy for currency you can earn or currency you can buy which has me concerned - along with entry tickets to regular online events which cost currency too. I think in most/all cases you can earn these things but I don’t know how well balanced that is.

Tutorials are also quite clinically presented and minimal amounts of information. There are lots of challenges that help but there is little instruction around these - more just try and do this! I’d like a lot more info around why shots aren’t quite happening how I expect them to.

Then there is the price - £70 - or £63 with the EA Play discount. Bit too steep for me, though I think that is balanced with volume of content.

I’d love to see some more exotic fantasy courses eventually. Varying from the simpler beginner courses to the outrageous canyons or islands the engine could make look fantastic.

Overall nicely surprised by the core quality and will look to pick up eventually.