The Golf Club 2019 Review

I’ve never been a big fan of golf, in either the real world or the digital world. The extent of my golfing experience is pretty much exclusive to mini golf, and the last (and only) golf game that I played with any real investment was PGA Tour Golf II on the Sega Mega Drive. Since then I’ve dabbled in Rory McIlroy’s golf and watched Happy Gilmore a handful of times, but I’ve largely remained off the links for the better part of two and a half decades. Breaking my long hiatus is The Golf Club 2019 from Canadian-based HB Studios, the follow-up to 2017’s The Golf Club 2. While it’s not going to coerce me into buying a set of goofy golf pants and a membership for my local golf club, TGC19 has certainly emphasised that golf games can be fun whilst requiring some level of skill thanks to some simple yet deep mechanics.

It’s important to have the right posture when hitting the ball

This newest iteration flags a couple of major changes for the series, with 2K publishing the game and the addition of PGA licencing, something that the previous games lacked. It’s not an essential addition in terms of gameplay, but it does make the whole experience feel a little more authentic.

Thanks to the PGA licencing players can take their golf talents on the PGA Tour in Career Mode – that is if you qualify – which isn’t a given considering you’ve got to earn your spot by competing in qualifying tournaments. Players will start of by creating their future golf star with the deep character creation system and will then tackle a local tournament to qualify for the PGA Q-School Tour. If you finish high enough you’ll graduate from Q-School and qualify for the real deal: the PGA Tour. When competing you’ll level up your pro, and as you level up you’ll gain access to sponsors and unlock customisation options.

While the game wears the PGA logo like a badge of honour, the reality is that only six of the PGA Tour’s 32 courses feature, with courses such as Sawgrass and Scottsdale making an appearance. Although the rest of the courses are fictional, they are well designed and offer a good challenge. But for a PGA licenced game with a PGA Tour Career Mode, I would have liked to play on a few more actual Tour courses. That is just a minor qualm in the scheme of things. After all, golf is a game about putting the ball in the hole, and that is something that TGC19 does well, even if it is a golf ‘sim’.

You’re looking at the next big PGA star

Don’t let the words golf sim scare you off though, because although TGC19 has rather deep golfing mechanics, you don’t have to have been Tiger Woods’ caddy for the past decade to know what you’re doing (although that would certainly help). One of TGC19’s strengths is that it’s accessible enough that novices can pick up a controller, learn the ropes and jump into a match, while players who take their golf seriously and want to analyse every shot can do so too.

The game starts with a tutorial that will take you through all the shot types (flops, chips, putts etc.) and how to adjust your shot should you feel the need to. There are also advanced training sessions should you want to learn beyond the basics.

During a round the game will recommend what it thinks is the best club to use or best shot to make, but sometimes you’ll need to go with your gut and throw that advice into the bunker and make the call yourself. Although, I’ll be honest, initially I had no idea what difference using a 4 iron to a 7 wood would make. But the more I played the more I understood which was suitable for any given circumstance.

On the green is where the real challenge comes to the fore. Players will have to accommodate each green’s traits – how much power to give a shot that is uphill versus downhill, or how wide to aim when trying to curl the ball in. Thankfully, there is a grid across the green that shows its characteristics which allows you compensate accordingly, and there’s no better feeling than nailing a 50-foot putt to secure a birdie or eagle.

Time to go home ball

One of TGC19’s strengths is that it’s accessible enough that novices can pick up a controller, learn the ropes and jump into a match, while players who take their golf seriously and want to analyse every shot can do so too

Whether driving, chipping or putting, players need to control both the speed and accuracy of their shot. This is done by using the left analogue stick, and while it seems simple, the difference between finding the sweet spot and overhitting (or underhitting) can be enough to cost you several strokes, which could be the difference between a win and a high finish.

On the production side TGC19 delivers a match-winning performance in most areas. The visuals are gorgeous, with courses looking idyllic thanks to some picture-perfect lighting and manicured fairways. Commentator John McCarthy does a good job of riding every shot with you; he’ll praise you for a great shot and give you a cheeky dig when you’ve missed a shot you should’ve done better with. The only slight here is that after a few tournaments the commentary becomes a little repetitive, and it can sometimes be out of place. The soundscape gets another tick, with the clapping of the crowd or chirping of the birds making it feel like you’re really out there on the course. Furthermore, the soundtrack gets a bonus tick as the clubhouse music starts off like something out of Broken Sword (one of my favourite games). The animations seem normal the majority of the time, although there are the occasional instances where they look a little unnatural.

For those who feel winning the Tour Championship is not enough, you can take your talents online, however in the two attempts I made to find a Head-to-Head match I couldn’t find an opponent. Perhaps everyone was too busy winning the gold jacket. You can also play against your mate’s ghosts in Societies mode. Additionally, for those who want to release their inner horticulturist there is a fairly deep course creation tool which you can use to create the course of your dreams (or nightmares), which can be shared online with the game’s community.

Doesn’t that view just make you want to hit a few balls?

Final Thoughts

TGC19 offers one of the most rewarding golfing experiences released in the past decade. It is challenging enough to give budding golfers a run for their money but fun enough that any player can pick up and play a round should they feel the urge. While the PGA licence gives the Career Mode authenticity, it isn’t used to its potential. Although, with the course creator and online mods there’s enough here to keep golfing fans satisfied for a while.

Reviewed on PS4 Pro / Review code supplied by publisher

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