The Golf Club 2019 featuring PGA Tour

 Xbox One
User Score
5.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 30 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 30
  3. Negative: 14 out of 30
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  1. ElSeano89
    Jun 9, 2019
    7
    TGC 3 is an odd game to score. On the one hand it is still the tough, simulation type of golf game that is non-existent these days. They've added plenty of real life PGA tour golf courses, they've deepened the career mode and character customization but it is a case of a step forward and a step back and just as the game itself can be, it is really frustrating.

    TGC 3 makes no effort to    TGC 3 is an odd game to score. On the one hand it is still the tough, simulation type of golf game that is non-existent these days. They've added plenty of real life PGA tour golf courses, they've deepened the career mode and character customization but it is a case of a step forward and a step back and just as the game itself can be, it is really frustrating.

    TGC 3 makes no effort to hold your hand. There is a brief tutorial but there is a lot they don't tell you. There are no power gauges, no three clicks to set power, contact and spin, no ideal putting line previews. It is bare bones and expects you to know its inner workings in order to be good. So they don't tell you, therefore, that adjusting loft on your shots is absolutely essential and I mean on every shot. They don't tell you that you really don't need that much power to sink a 10ft putt. They leave you to learn this by extensive and frustrating trial and error. I hate the comparison because it is so often used whenever a game is harder than usual but this really is the "Dark Souls of Golf".

    My primary issue with TGC 3 isn't that it is hard. That is firmly in the list of its "pros". My main issue with it is that things go against you often enough for me to fail to believe it isn't artificially done by the CPU to make things harder. Anybody who has played golf in real life will sympathize with the ideal that there is always an aspect of luck involved in every round. Sometimes you'll get the bounce you need to save a bad shot. Sometimes you'll do everything right and the ball just doesn't bounce right and it all goes wrong. Allow me to tell you now, the ball will NEVER bounce right for you in TGC 3. You hit a tee-shot that just needs that little bit of a kind bounce to miss the fringe? That ball is bouncing into the rough everytime. You're chipping onto the green and need a little bit of carry to get closer? The ball will bite and stop. You've chipped it long and you need it to bite? The ball will roll another 10 ft. It happens CONSTANTLY.

    The wind is another example of this. On the same round you might adjust for a 8mph side wind on one shot and it does as expected, you aim into the wind and the wind carries the ball to where you need it to be. Except the next time you'll make that same adjustment and the wind does nothing at all and the ball flies off course. So the next time you learn from your mistake and don't adjust your aim and this time a gust of wind knocks the ball 5 yards off course. It will also always happen when you least need it to.

    There is something of realism in this. Sometimes in golf things...just go wrong and there isn't anything you can really do. But things go wrong in TGC all the time. At least 10 times or more a round and it gets to a point where you fail to believe it isn't being done on purpose by the CPU.

    Putting has had this effect added to it as well. The amount of times I have read a green that apparently has no left to right action at all, I've hit a smooth, well judged putt that 5ft away from the hole inexplicable bends away from the hole. It will either roll to within 6 inches of the hole or suddenly magically add pace after it narrowly misses and go 10ft beyond the hole.

    The commentary is awful this year. They've neutered the pool of comments down so low that you'll have heard everything within 5 rounds and he is incredibly pessimistic. If you hit it close the most you'll get is a "good job" but he loves to point out anything else you do wrong his particular favorite being "too much club on that one" because you thought a 10mph headwind would make it bite but alas it didn't do a thing. The same goes for the crowd. If you do anything good you get a smattering of apathetic applause but if your ball rolls an inch into the fringe you get gasps and groans as though you just hit a water hazard. I muted both within 5 hours of playing.

    Also with all the attempts at realism it really seems an odd choice to have you playing for "coins" as opposed to real money. It's jarring and weird to see the purse for a tournament be "81 coins* why they didn't make it $ I have absolutely no idea.

    So with all of these complaints why is it a 7? It is still incredibly satisfying when you post a good round, when you hit one close, putt from distance, win a tournament. It does a very good job of portraying the whole "agony and ecstasy" factor of the game. Perhaps not always in an entirely fair way but it does it all the same. For golf purists the challenge will hook you in and keep you playing hole after hole. When you finally do well it feels as though you've outwitted the game and when it stacks the deck so obviously in its favor it feels pretty great to beat it. Plus they added what they needed to the previous iterations. It has real courses, a career mode and has kept the same gameplay so it is hard to rate it less than the earlier titles.

    It has flaws but its the best golf sim by default for good or ill.    … Expand
  2. ethanha
    Sep 11, 2018
    5
    I want to reccomend this game, but in it's current state I just can't. The game definately needs some optimization. Are the graphics better than GC2, or worse? I'm not sure. The trees look better at times, and worse at others. Same thing with the water and grass textures. The skies are awful looking. The developers really need to work on the lighting. No cloud shadows, falling leaves, orI want to reccomend this game, but in it's current state I just can't. The game definately needs some optimization. Are the graphics better than GC2, or worse? I'm not sure. The trees look better at times, and worse at others. Same thing with the water and grass textures. The skies are awful looking. The developers really need to work on the lighting. No cloud shadows, falling leaves, or weather, either. The "official" courses are a huge step backwards, and make me long for the ones in GC2. Does it play better? yes, but not significantly. Using the higher level clubs is mostly a disaster, at least for me. I hold my breath to see which way the ball is going to go. Character creation is still awful, I can't even come close to making a character that looks anything like me. (but then maybe that's a good thing;) The same lame announcer, really? (I'm guessing that John is a super nice guy in real life, but....) If I hear "That was going to be excellent!" one more time I'll slit my wrists. (I know you can shut it off, but I really would like to hear the game being announced, as it feels pretty barren otherwise) Is the game fun to play? That's a mixed bag. There are times when I think "Hey, this is pretty fun," followed by periods where well, for what ever reason, it just isn't. Maybe patches will help, (again, definately needs some optimization as my 1070 still struggles at times) but right now there's just no way it's a 50 dollar game. I will say in all fairness that I'm not going to refund the game. I want to support the developers, and there are parts of the game that I enjoy. Just not enough parts to reccomend it.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

48
#48 Best Xbox One Game of 2018
50
#50 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2018
70
#70 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. DarkStation
    Sep 28, 2018
    80
    Even with small small gripes, I found the overall package of The Golf Club 2019 to be a huge step in the right direction. I dug far deeper into this year’s outing than any other in this series. HB Studios has really tightened up the core mechanics, and now with the PGA license and an amazing suite of customizable tools, the series has nothing but upside. If you’re like me and have been craving to hit the digital links again, I highly recommend giving The Golf Club 2019 a look.
    Read full review
  2. Generación Xbox
    Sep 11, 2018
    85
    The Golf Tour 2019 gets players hooked, is challenging and deep in its gameplay for veterans and easy access for rookies.
    Read full review
  3. TheXboxHub
    Sep 10, 2018
    80
    The Golf Club 2019 is an absolutely stunning golf simulator. It’s realism is second to none and makes you really work for every shot played.
    Read full review
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