Golf+ in VR

[Lez Marwick]

I've recently picked up a Meta Quest 3 VR headset, and I have to say I'm blown away by Golf+ in VR! I've had VR on PC since 2016 and have played a few VR golf games over the last few years but this game is on another level IMO. It is SO good!!
It comes with 3 fictional courses and quite a few different modes and there are also quite a few DLC courses you can purchase, which are all PGA Tour licensed courses. At the moment you can buy Pebble Beach, Pinehurst 2, Valhalla (free if you create an account and a review), Kapalua Plantation, St Andrews Old Course, East Lake, Yale, Olympia Fields, TPC Southwind, TPC Sawgrass, and TPC Scottsdale, and there are another 15+ courses due for release in 2024.
The quick play mode puts you on a random 9 holes and allows you to play DLC courses that you don't even own! You can also play courses you don't own in Battle mode (a 3 hole comp against human replays) and in multiplayer with people that do own the courses, There are also daily and weekly tournaments that also allow you to play DLC courses that you don't own. If you do own them however, you have the advantage of being able to play a practise round using the same conditions before starting the tournament. This is a brilliant idea IMO, and will undoubtedly sell a lot more courses to people who enjoy playing them and want full access to them whenever they want, or with people that are very competitive and want that extra practise feature.
There are also unlocks, stats galore, and a ranking system, 3 difficulty levels, and different tiers for competition as well as other modes.

If you haven't tried VR before, you don't know what you're missing! You're not playing a game on a screen, you're playing golf on a golf course..... it feels and looks like playing real golf (although a bit more cartoony looking)!!!!

To play Golf+ on a Quest 3 all you need is a 5g wifi connection.

If anyone is thinking of buying a Quest 3, then use the link below and we'll both get £23 ($30, I think) Meta store credit to buy games. You can also use my Golf+ link to buy the game, which will get you 25% off as well, and I'll receive £4 ($5) store credit for that too, if you do.

Feel free to send me a 'follow' request on Quest 3 if you want to play golf with me, as I'd love to have someone to play with. I really miss playing multiplayer golf games since my brother died.
My Quest name is acrilix555. It would be great to play a round with some Links players from this site (I'm in the UK, so time differences may be an issue)....and I'm not very good.... at least, not yet!!!
Happy New Year........ Lez

Quest 3 referral https://www.meta.com/referrals/link/acrilix555
Golf+ referral https://www.oculus.com/appreferrals/acr ... 085529357/

[mccoist]

I've got this game but I've not tried it yet, if I can manage to hit the ball at all we can try a round, I will have a look at it over the weekend.

[Danny D]

Does anyone know if someone with an Oculus 2 can join in on a game with someone on the Oculus 3? I'm wondering if the game versions are compatible...

[Lez Marwick]

Does anyone know if someone with an Oculus 2 can join in on a game with someone on the Oculus 3? I'm wondering if the game versions are compatible...

Yes. Both headsets use the same game. I should have mentioned Quest 2 as well, as that is a cheaper option, although graphics aren't as crisp on Quest 2. There is also a Quest 3 lite rumoured to be releasing soon that will also be a cheaper option (...as long as it includes controllers it should be compatible) and will probably be a better choice than a Quest 2, as it will have a better processor.

[Danny D]

Does anyone know if someone with an Oculus 2 can join in on a game with someone on the Oculus 3? I'm wondering if the game versions are compatible...

Yes. Both headsets use the same game. I should have mentioned Quest 2 as well, as that is a cheaper option, although graphics aren't as crisp on Quest 2. There is also a Quest 3 lite rumoured to be releasing soon that will also be a cheaper option (...as long as it includes controllers it should be compatible) and will probably be a better choice than a Quest 2, as it will have a better processor.

Thanks Lez.

[pmgolf]

You guys have aroused my curiosity about VR. I'd really like to know how VR affects your sense of balance. I have paralysis in my right foot, so I have to maintain my balance with my left leg, and at 78 I am concerned with falls. So what is it like when you are in your VR world. Do you feel stable when swinging? How do you swing your virtual golf club? Thanks!

Pete

[Lez Marwick]

You guys have aroused my curiosity about VR. I'd really like to know how VR affects your sense of balance. I have paralysis in my right foot, so I have to maintain my balance with my left leg, and at 78 I am concerned with falls. So what is it like when you are in your VR world. Do you feel stable when swinging? How do you swing your virtual golf club? Thanks!

Pete

Hi Pete,

In Golf+ you swing your controller exactly as you would when swinging a club in real golf, so if you struggle with balance doing that in real life then you may have the same issues in VR. However, Golf+ has a calibration method (power assist) that corrects distance so that everyone can hit pro distances, no matter their physical strength. This means that you can do a much shorter and/or slower swing if you want to than you would have to when playing real golf, so this should make balance easier than in real life. You also don't have the weight of a real club affecting your balance either (unless you buy one of the special controller accessories available to simulate a real club!!) It may even be possible to play the game seated....I'll experiment later today or tomorrow and report back about that. I would imagine using a high stool like a bar stool would definitely be possible... I don't have one to test with though.

There is another VR game called Walkabout Mini Golf on the Meta Quest. We call this crazy golf in the UK (I think it's called putt-putt or miniature golf in the USA) and this can definitely be played seated if need be, and is also great fun. You can play it with friends or strangers all over the world and because the Quest headsets have built in speakers and microphones you can chat as you play, making it a fantastic social experience... you really feel like you're there with the other people you're playing with in VR!

I'd definitely recommend Google searching Walkabout Mini Golf to get a better idea of what it's like. There are reviews and many videos on YouTube of groups of people playing this. New courses are released regularly and are just a few dollars to purchase, and like Golf+, you can play with people that own the extra courses even if you haven't purchased them yourself.

[Slattery]

I've had Golf+ on the MQ2 for over a year. A really good game. I use the mini golf club from deadeye for more realism.
Walkabout mini golf is the best game I have on the MQ2. Sensational.
MQ2 and MQ3 can do crossplay just like Xbox and PC Gamepass.

[Jimbo]

Aren't you worried about smashing your computer screen?

[epsilonindi]

In addition to Golf+, I've also tried Golf5, which is similar (and the names are so close I get them confused all the time). The Golf5 course library is very small (only St. Andrews, Royal Troon, Royal Liverpool, and Royal County Down, all DLC as of now) and not greatly varied (it's got Scottish, Irish, and English links!). However, I do enjoy the drone camera flyover of every hole which I find easier than navigating the map in Golf+, and the Golf5 graphics are so much better: Golf+ has straight, sharp edges between different textures, but Golf5 blends from one to the other more naturally. Golf5 is slightly more immersive than Golf+ because of the visuals, but I wish it had more courses. However, both are playable and very fun in VR.