Pro Putt by Topgolf | REVIEW

I’m a sucker for a good golf game and I love virtual reality, so everything about Pro Putt by Topgolf really appealed to me. The simple putting-based gameplay, a selection of vibrant courses, some fun mini-games, and addictive online multiplayer… what more could you want from your virtual reality golfing?

If the title didn’t make it obvious, Pro Putt by Topgolf is all about… well… putting. Have you played mini-golf before? Well, you’ll feel right at home here, with a selection of cleverly designed courses to play through that only require the use of a putter. The game isn’t too complex in design and uses natural motion controls when hitting shots, whilst there’s also a bit of wiggle room in place as far as hitting the ball with complete accuracy is concerned – you’ll still have to be spot-on with your power if you want to sink those shots, though. It’s all just simple in design, but it makes for a VERY fun experience.

Whilst the putting controls feel exactly as you’d expect them to given how simple hitting a ball with a putter is, it’s the accessibility of everything else in Pro Putt by Topgolf that makes it feel so good to play. Want to take a look at the entirety of the course? Pulling back on the control stick lets you enter ‘Giant Mode’ and look over everything from above. Want to move around the course and plot your putt-route? It’s simple enough to teleport your way around and you’ve only got to pull the trigger on the controller to return back to the ball. It only takes a button press to see the incline of the course and a recommended direction to hit the ball too, which doesn’t only make Pro Putt by Topgolf feel more accessible to newcomers but also offers all of the finer details that golfing aficionados will appreciate. Put it this way: you’re going to feel completely comfortable in the game even if you haven’t picked up a putter before, so you can expect to sink some hole-in-ones in no time.

There are twenty-seven holes to play through in total that are spread across three different environments: a beach, a desert, and a forest. Admittedly, whilst the visuals were pretty enough in design, they weren’t really packed full of intricate or unique landmarks to make them feel too distinct from one another. A few varied colour schemes and smaller details with the flora and fauna do enough to make them feel different, but I wouldn’t say any of them feel too remarkable in any way.

It won’t take long to work through the three courses either, with the quick pace of the gameplay making it easy to clear them all in around an hour. Fortunately, there are pro variations on each course that gives players an extra tough challenge to work through, whilst the temptation to replay each hole in order to get the best score possible (or hit a hole in one) constantly kept me coming back for more. Still, I’m hoping we do see more courses in the future – mainly because I had so much fun playing through the selection that’s available here, which was of a high quality throughout.

Outside of playing through the game’s three courses, there’s also a small selection of mini-games to dive into that see you hitting your ball towards different coloured targets in order to earn higher scores. It’s a very simple concept, but it’s so addictive and there’s a real sense of satisfaction to be had from seeing your name rise higher and higher on the in-game leaderboard.

There’s also a multiplayer component in Pro Putt by Topgolf, so you can compete against both friends and strangers online. Rather than being score-based, it instead challenges players to see who can sink their ball the fastest – it makes for a frantically fun experience and also ensures that you’re not left waiting around for your opponent to take their shot. I mean, c’mon, we’ve all hated that when playing mini-golf, right? Between the enjoyable gameplay and the charming social aspects of golfing with friends, Pro Putt by Topgolf has already given me hours of multiplayer fun.

Developer: Golf Scope
Publisher: Golf Scope
Platform(s): Oculus Quest