Golf+ Review: This VR Golf Game is WILD. But…

In April 2022 I was playing golf with one of the head pros at Bandon Dunes.

We were on the 11th green of the original course, and he said “Have you ever heard of Golf+?”

I wasn’t expecting the question, but I was very familiar with the virtual reality game he was asking about.

In fact, during COVID, I spent a significant amount of time with their Pro Putt mode playing mini golf with friends that I couldn’t see in person.

He went on to say “It’s awesome. My dad lives across the country and I rarely get to see him. But twice a week, we get to play golf together in VR using Golf+. It’s been crazy how much it feels like we’re actually on the course together.”

If you get nothing else from this review, you should know that Golf+ is the most convenient way I’ve seen to “play golf” with people you can’t be with in person.

Sure, there are expensive simulators. But this feels different. In both good, and some not so good ways.

Today we’re going to cover all of it in this Golf+ review. I’m going to go over all the pros and cons of golfing in VR, which headset you should buy to do it, and which club accessories to get to make it feel more like real golf.

If you’ve been wondering what virtual reality golf is like, then keep reading, this review is for you.

What is Golf+?

Before we go too far, let’s talk about what this is.

Golf+ is a golf game specifically made for the Meta Quest VR headsets.

You can play full rounds of golf on real courses, compete in countless challenges and games, have a virtual “Top Golf” experience, and most importantly play live with your friends in real-time – no matter where you are.

The base game costs $30, and you need to have either a Quest 2 or Quest 3 headset in order to use it.

Note: You can use the code “BREAKING-190889” at checkout to save 50% off the price of Golf+, bringing it down to $15. This is a no-brainer if you already have one of these VR headsets.

Later on in this review, I’ll talk about the pros and cons of each – as I’ve used Golf+ pretty extensively on each unit.

First Impressions of Golf+ on the Meta Quest 3

If you’ve never used a VR headset before, the first time you do, you’ll be blown away.

I mean, it’s wild what you can do, and how realistic(ish) things can feel. Just try Richie’s Plank Experience to see what I mean 🙂

I first bought a Quest 2 in the midst of the pandemic because as I called it, I was “experience starved.” So the novelty that I got from the Quest, where I was able to walk city streets all over the world, play games, watch movies in a “theater”, or play golf with my friends – was legitimately good for my mental health.

Golf+ used to have a mini-golf mode called “Pro Putt” which I put countless hours into. Unfortunately, they’ve removed that from the game in order to focus on playing full courses. What they’ve built since is incredibly impressive, but I really wish they’d bring back Pro Putt 🙂

The very first thing I noticed when firing up Golf+ on the Quest 3 is when they have the title screen that features a ball being hit and the Golf+ logo.

The spatial audio is wild as you hear the ball move across your head from your left to right ear. 

I wasn’t expecting it, and the sound throughout the game has proven to be very impressive.

It doesn’t take long to feel fully immersed in your VR golf world. It’s always a little bit of a shock when you take off the headset to find yourself in a decidedly much less exciting place, than say virtual Pebble Beach.

It’s clear Golf+ has been around the block. This is a game that has undergone many updates and revisions over the years, and it shows. The menus are all dialed, and the amount of customization you can do as it relates to your swing, course settings, and visuals, is far more robust than I’d expected.

Some VR golf games can feel a little buggy or, for lack of a better term, “homemade.”

Golf+ is most definitely not one of them.

Does it Feel Like Real Golf?

I want to get this out of the way first, as it’s clearly the biggest question most people have.

Does Golf+ feel like real golf?

Honestly? Yes it does, with some caveats.

When you step up to the course and you see your controller transform into a virtual driver, it feels way more like holding a golf club than I expected it to.

This is largely because it’s just so responsive. If you rotate your wrist even the slightest bit, you’ll see the virtual clubface do the exact same thing.

When you swing and make contact with the ball, the controller vibrates which provides just enough feedback to trick your brain into thinking you actually hit something.

Chipping and putting might be my favorite thing to do in VR, as to me, they feel the most realistic. 

Is it Worth Getting a VR Golf Grip?

While you can get the general feeling of playing golf using just the Quest controller, if you buy a third-party “VR golf grip” it dramatically elevates your playing experience.

I have the Deadeye Q3, and it’s great. It’s a little cumbersome to set up the first time, but once you figure it out – you’re good from there.

If you’ve been playing with a controller, it will also take a couple rounds to dial things back in with your swing. I’ve found it easier for beginners to hit straight shots using just the controller. The Deadeye definitely can amplify my slice, but it’s also far more realistic and makes shots feel even more fulfilling when you finally get comfortable using it.

One cool thing Golf+ has done, is they have automatic calibrations for all of the most popular VR grips on the market. So I simply go in and tell it that I’m using this particular grip – and everything just works.

This really does make the experience much more realistic, and if you think you’re going to play a lot of VR golf, it’s worth picking one up for the extra $50.

It’s not perfect, however. 

Using the controller when it is in the grip makes it more difficult to actually use the controller. So if you’re trying to use it to adjust menus, select clubs, or anything else – it’s a bit cumbersome.

You’re best off keeping your second controller handy and using that for any adjustments.

Features, Modes, and Gameplay: What Can You Actually Do Within the Game?

When this game first came out it was called “Top Golf Pro Putt”, and you couldn’t actually play full rounds of golf.

The Top Golf part felt like a beta testing zone for full swings, and the Pro Putt mode was a collection of 4 mini-golf courses that ranged from pretty easy to completely over the top.

Putting in Pro Putt was my favorite thing to do on the Quest 2. To be transported to a tropical island, where I could play mini golf with my friends while listening to music? It was awesome, and felt so much like the real thing.

But like I said, they removed that mode as they refined their full golf capabilities and renamed the software to Golf+.

Despite missing the mini golf, what they’ve built is incredibly impressive.

Here are some of the things you can do:

• Play Golf – You can play on real courses by yourself, or with friends and strangers online. You can customize which holes you play, weather, difficulty etc.
• Top Golf – It’s still here! Play some of the most popular Top Golf games in an environment that will legitimately trick you into thinking you’re at Top Golf.
• Mini Games – There are daily challenges for Driving, Approach, Chipping, and Putting. You get 1-3 stars depending on how well you perform
• Special Challenges – There are challenges that rotate on a regular basis. For instance, one of my favorites I’ve done was during US Open week. Considering the 2024 US Open was at Pinehurst #2, there was a challenge that asked you to replicate shots from Martin Kaymer’s runaway victory in 2014. I spent far more time with this than I expected to.
• Compete on a Virtual Tour – Just like the PGA Tour, you can compete in weekly competitions and get a real-time leaderboard of how you stack up against other VR golfers around the world. More on this in a minute.
• Practice – There are all kinds of practice modes and challenges that will help you hone your VR game. One particularly cool mode is “Analyzer”, where it will show you what degree your club face is open or closed – just like on a high-end launch monitor. This is one way VR golf might actually help improve your real-life swing.

Real Life Equipment

I was pleasantly surprised to see them implement real equipment as well. You can get access to many of the newest and most popular real-world golf clubs from the likes of Ping, Callaway, Taylormade, and more.

The more golf you play, the more XP points you’ll get, which will also help you progress through the different levels. The higher the levels and more XP you get, the more Golf+ credits you can earn, which you can put towards new equipment and gear.

As you’d expect if this feels like too much work, you can also buy new gear the old-fashioned way with good ol’ real-world dollars.

What Courses are Included?

If you’re like me, one of the biggest questions you might have is “Which courses can I play?”

Here I’ve got good news, bad news, and more good news.

The good news is there are a bunch of REALLY cool courses on the Golf+ platform.

The bad news is that only three come with the base game (Cliffs, Castle, and Alpine) – which are not actually real courses, but are based off real ones.

In order to get unlimited access to other courses (like Valhalla, Pebble Beach, Pinehurst and more), you have to buy them – which are $10-15 each.*

Here’s the Full List as of June 2024:

• The Old Course at St. Andrews
• Pebble Beach
• TPC Sawgrass
• Bay Hill
• Pinehurst #2
• Muirfield Village
• Butler Pitch & Putt
• TPC Scottsdale
• Ocean Course at Kiawah
• East Lake
• Harbour Town
• Quail Hollow
• Riviera
• Valhalla (You can get this for free!)
• Olympia Fields
• TPC Southwind
• Yale
• Wolf Creek
• Plantation Course at Kapalua

*But here’s the other bit of good news, even if you only have the base game there are still ways to play these other courses.

Players with the base version of the game can still access the other available courses through Quick Play Mode (which will randomly select a course for you to play), the daily and weekly GOLF+ TOUR tournaments, or by joining multiplayer games (this could be thought of like a country club “member” inviting you to come play their course. If a friend owns a course, they can start a Multiplayer game and you can join it even if you don’t personally own the course).

This is honestly, a pretty incredible list of courses. So many of these provide very different experiences (ocean, forest, desert, private, public etc.)

I was particularly pleased to see the inclusion of Yale. This is a golf architecture nerds dream, and a course that doesn’t get nearly the attention it should.

And playing it here brought back wonderful memories of playing in real life.

As did say, Riviera. Although at least this time I didn’t embarrass myself by topping it off the first tee.

What Do You Get with a Golf+ Membership?

Most people will be perfectly happy with just the base game for $30. (Or $15 if you use the code “BREAKING-190889”)

But for those who get really into Golf+, the membership is actually a pretty solid value.

It’s $9.99/month or $79.99 for the year. This gives you unlimited access to all of the new and existing courses. 

Getting to “play” these real-life courses is my favorite part of Golf+, so assuming you play on a regular basis, I think this is a worthwhile investment. 

But if you just want a couple specific courses, buy the one-offs and use the modes mentioned above to occasionally play others.

None of Your Friends Have VR? No Problem! Try Tour+

This is where you start to really see what VR can become.

There is an active, vibrant community within Golf+ – and the best way to see it is in the Tour+ mode.

This is essentially an on-going competition, where there are constantly new challenges that are rolled out for you to compete in.

There are both daily and weekly challenges, and you can do this in both “Pro” and “Amateur” modes. Pro basically just turns off all of the assist features that can make the game easier for beginners.

There are numerous tiers, so you’ll be theoretically competing against people of a similar skill.

But as the weeks go on you’ll get a Golf+ ranking, similar to a PGA Tour ranking, so you can see how you compare to other golfers. And as you get better, you’ll move up in the tiers to face more robust competition.

You can find more details about it here.

How are the Graphics?

Ok, now that we’ve covered modes and features, let’s get back to some other important questions, namely: how are the graphics?

Generally speaking, the graphics are very good for a VR game.

If you’re used to playing say, EA Sports PGA Tour on your Playstation 5 or FSX Play on a sim, then you’re going to be disappointed by the Golf+ graphics.

Because VR games, specifically standalone VR games (that aren’t tethered to a computer), don’t look as good as your typical video game console or gaming PC.

But for a VR game? Golf+ looks excellent.

And when you factor in just how much more immersive a VR game feels, I think most people will be really pleased by the graphics experience on either the Quest 2 or 3.

Quest 2 vs. Quest 3: Do You Need the More Expensive Headset?

This brings us to the question, do you need the more expensive Quest 3 in order to play Golf+?

The short answer is no.

If you’re not familiar the Quest 2 came out nearly 4 years ago, and is still being sold, starting out at $199.

(Although, this may not be the case for much longer as it’s rumored a lower priced Quest 3s may be announced any day, as a defacto replacement to the Quest 2.)

The Quest 3 was released in October 2023, and starts out at $499.

So it’s a pretty significant price difference.

To be clear, the Quest 3 is better in basically every way. It’s more powerful, has better graphic capabilities, has a better display, has the legitimate ability to run mixed reality applications – the list goes on.

But do you need all of that? Maybe, maybe not.

When I first played Golf+ on the Quest 3, I’d actually expected it to look better than it did.

But not because it looked bad. Mostly, because it felt very similar to playing on the Quest 2!

The field of view is a bit better on the 3, and you notice the higher resolution and smoother performance a bit – but it wasn’t a dramatic difference.

This is good news.

Because if say you’re not a gamer, or have been hesitant to get into VR because of the cost – at $199 you can get a pretty killer VR headset in the Quest 2.

And you’ll be able to run Golf+ just fine using it. In fact, I’ve been told that 70% of all Golf+ users run it on the 2.

If you’re someone who expects to really get into VR, play more demanding games, work using it etc. Then it’s worth spending the extra money on the 3.

The extra horsepower definitely makes the entire user experience smoother and better in comparison – but if you’ve never used either, you wouldn’t really notice.

Either way, $199 is a lot of money to spend just to be able to play virtual golf with your friends. But if you live in a place where you can’t golf for a good portion of the year, this is not only a good way to get your golf fix, but it’s a great way to keep in touch with friends.

Downsides to Golfing in VR

Overall there aren’t many major downsides to golfing in VR – but there are a couple things I’ll make note of.

The biggest thing for me is going from VR back to real golf.

If you’ve been making a bunch of swings in VR, it can impact your real golf swing.

After a couple days of 1-2 hour play sessions, I went to the driving range, and my clubs felt heavy.

It was kind of bizarre how foreign they felt.

And it was all because I’d been making VR swings with a “club” that weighed a fraction of the real thing. So it took me a few minutes to recalibrate.

The other is obvious, and that’s some people will have issues with motion sickness when doing a lot in VR.

Fortunately, Golf+ has minimal movement, so compared to a lot of VR games and apps – it shouldn’t affect you too much. I’ve had zero issues with it. But it’s worth mentioning, as it certainly could cause issues for those who are more prone to vertigo or motion sickness.

I also don’t  have the best VR space at home. I have a couple spots that work, but I’m always slightly concerned I’ll make a big swing and hit something – even though I’m rarely close to doing so.

It can take awhile to get comfortable with this.

How Does VR Golf Compare to Simulator Golf?

You may be debating the merits of VR golf vs. building out a home golf simulator of some sort.

So, how do they compare?

They really don’t. They’re two pretty different things.

A simulator is more or less, real golf. You’re hitting real balls, with real clubs, and can get legitimate practice value out of it.

VR golf is a game.

BUT, and this is a big but…

I think VR is the better social experience. In VR golf you truly get the feeling of walking down the fairways with friends. You can freely talk throughout the round, and it feels like you’re right there with your buddies.

You don’t get that with a simulator. 

A simulator is also more expensive and takes up more space.

But again, it’s more realistic in the sense you’re actually hitting golf balls.

Golf+ however is more immersive. As long as you accept it for what it is, I’ve found it to be one of the most enjoyable golf experiences I’ve had, off the golf course.

Should You Buy Golf+?

If you already have a Quest 2 or 3, and are trying to decide if Golf+ is worth it?

Yes, absolutely, no doubt about it.

Golf+ is one of the most dialed and enjoyable VR experiences I’ve had, and is one of the few I come back to on a regular basis.

Are you considering buying a VR headset just for, or in part because of Golf+?

Well, that’s a decision only you can make.

While VR still feels like it’s just on the outer edge of mainstream, I can say that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed having a Quest.

Since getting the 3, I’ve been finding more and more ways to use it. It’s enough of a jump over the 2, that I’ve found myself using it on a more regular basis.

The experience provides something completely different than any traditional video game or computer, and despite feeling isolating at times, when you build a community of friends on the platform – it makes it very enjoyable.

And to make things even more enticing, you can use the code BREAKING-190889 to get 50% off the base Golf+ game – so it’s only gonna cost you $15. Again, at that price? No brainer.

Have you used VR and played Golf+? I’d love to hear what you think. Drop a comment and let me know!

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The most fun you can have golfing not on the golf course

9.8 Excellent

Does it feel like real golf? Kinda. Sorta. But whatever it is, it's FUN. It definitely gives you a golf experience, and can provide a wonderful social experience with friends as well. If you have a Quest 2 or 3 - this is a no brainer. And even if you don't? Buying one may very well be time well spent.

The Good

1. About as immersive of a golf experience as you can have off the course
2. Great selection of courses and modes
3. Runs well on either a Quest 2 or 3

The Bad

1. A Quest device can be expensive if all you want to do is play VR golf
2. VR golf can make your real golf swing feel a little off
3. Graphics are good, but not on the level of a dedicated modern console or PC game

• Presentation 10
• Performance 9
• Price 10
• Personal Affinity 10