PGA TOUR 2K23 Impressions

[MrArlingtonBeach]

Re: PGA TOUR 2K23 Impressions Thread

The shop is a joke, which is surprising for 2K considering I know they want people buying VC.
The same 2 year old Mizuno driver from the last game when they could have put in the 2022 model.
And where the hell are all the clothes? Like they made a point to show in one of the teasers that Jordan brand shoes would be in the game, so where are they???

I think the Jordan shoes you're referring to are a career mode rival bonus. You get them when you defeat Harold Varner III If I remember correctly. Lots of other shoes/gear are available via rivals, and are also unlocked via career mode sponsors, too.

But I do 100% agree about how bare-bones the pro shop is. There is ONE Nike polo, and no other Nike tops. There are NO Nike hats to buy...the only one I've seen so far is a Tony Finau career mode rival bonus.

There's only one pair of branded golf shorts - from Callaway, I think.

The clubs are years old at this point, as you mentioned. It's silly.

My main concern with this is that they will only really add new gear/clubs/clothing via the "Clubhouse Pass" system, meaning you'll have to shell out more money to get any of the new items.

[Jolly Roger]

Re: PGA TOUR 2K23 Impressions Thread

Yeah, I'm hoping they flesh out the clothes/gear over time. And I also found the green speeds to feel a bit faster than 21. Probably something we'll all adjust to.

Do the commentators still call you "they"? That annoyed the heck out of me in 21 so I had to turn commentary off. It can't be that hard to have the game identify the gender of the golfer you're using and adjust the commentary to "he/she" accordingly. And I don't even think they did it to be hardcore PC, I think it's just to kill two birds with one stone. But it just sounds so weird.

[MrArlingtonBeach]

Re: PGA TOUR 2K23 Impressions Thread

Yeah, I'm hoping they flesh out the clothes/gear over time. And I also found the green speeds to feel a bit faster than 21. Probably something we'll all adjust to.

Do the commentators still call you "they"? That annoyed the heck out of me in 21 so I had to turn commentary off. It can't be that hard to have the game identify the gender of the golfer you're using and adjust the commentary to "he/she" accordingly. And I don't even think they did it to be hardcore PC, I think it's just to kill two birds with one stone. But it just sounds so weird.

Green speeds have been changed in 2K21. Default speed for "Fast" in PGA 2K23 is 155, whereas it was 163 in 2K21 (the 155 and 163 refer to the max distance a putter can hit on a flat green of that speed). The max green speed in 2K21 was 187. Now, in 2K23, the greens can go into the 190s.

Not sure about the commentary...I tend to play with the sounds off.

[ODogg]

Re: PGA TOUR 2K23 Impressions Thread

I still cannot purchase the Premium+ pass in the shop on PC. Worked just fine to purchase on PS5 but on PC when I click on it nothing happens. I am waiting for 2K to respond to my ticket.

Anyone else having this issue on PC?

[golfnut67]

Re: PGA TOUR 2K23 Impressions Thread

I'm playing right now, and I just Aced the 4th at Scottsdale haha. I'm playing on pro and haven't shot under par in any of the 10 or so 1v1 and career rounds. In 21 on pro I was usually well under par and even a few times 14 or 15 under.

23 is definitely more challenging, and I like it...I just can't believe I got an ace as badly as I've been playing trying to learn the swing timing. Having a blast with this game.

(wife tapping foot with the look that says, "I like the game too but there's things to do around here!)

[doubledeuceR6]

Re: PGA TOUR 2K23 Impressions Thread

First golf game I've played since the original The Golf Club game.

Struggling so far but really enjoying the game. Struggling about as much as I do in real life golf.......maybe not quite that much lol.

Swing path and putting are my biggest issues and I love how you can get hot for a few holes and just completely lose it for a few holes. I started out on pro but have since dropped it down to amateur and winning some events and consistently in top 10 but not blowing the field out. May bump it up to pro-am and see how that goes as I get more comfortable.

[golfnut67]

Re: PGA TOUR 2K23 Impressions Thread

First golf game I've played since the original The Golf Club game.

Struggling so far but really enjoying the game. Struggling about as much as I do in real life golf.......maybe not quite that much lol.

Swing path and putting are my biggest issues and I love how you can get hot for a few holes and just completely lose it for a few holes. I started out on pro but have since dropped it down to amateur and winning some events and consistently in top 10 but not blowing the field out. May bump it up to pro-am and see how that goes as I get more comfortable.

Well said, this is much closer to real life golf as far difficulty goes, especially the sand traps and putting. It really punishes you if you are slightly slow or fast out of a bunker, as it should be. Really makes you focus on your downswing tempo, otherwise you may be shooting 2 or 3 times to get up and down.

I think you will find pro-am the sweet spot at this early stage vs pro. My very first 2 rounds were on pro-am and I shot under par both times, so I moved back to pro where I always play, and never shot below par (including a couple of double digit overs), until I just played Scottdale at 5 under. I've found the downswing tempo, I've got it locked in.

Now if I can just figure out the putting pace and read. I could have been 10 under if I hadn't missed so many putts under 15 feet.

[MrArlingtonBeach]

Re: PGA TOUR 2K23 Impressions Thread

Well said, this is much closer to real life golf as far difficulty goes, especially the sand traps and putting. It really punishes you if you are slightly slow or fast out of a bunker, as it should be. Really makes you focus on your downswing tempo, otherwise you may be shooting 2 or 3 times to get up and down.

I think you will find pro-am the sweet spot at this early stage vs pro. My very first 2 rounds were on pro-am and I shot under par both times, so I moved back to pro where I always play, and never shot below par (including a couple of double digit overs), until I just played Scottdale at 5 under. I've found the downswing tempo, I've got it locked in.

Now if I can just figure out the putting pace and read. I could have been 10 under if I hadn't missed so many putts under 15 feet.

My issue is that the punished short game mis-hits are so much more punishing than mis-hits from the tee or fairway. I am still able to find the fairway with a slow or fast pretty consistently on Pro off the tee. However, a slow or fast out of the bunker, and it seems I'm stuck there. It just doesn't feel balanced. I have tried all the tips and tricks about getting out of the sand offered here and elsewhere, and it's a given that I will keep one in the bunker at least once a round. And I even have the one Skill maxed out that offers a timing bonus with wedges from the bunkers...it doesn't seem to help.

And I know that most strokes you accumulate in golf are around the green, but it just seems that splashes now, which were automatic in 2K21, are now near impossible in 2K23...like they overcorrected it with the tempo.

I do feel you should get stuck in a bunker if you hit a horrible shot when in the sand, but even slight mis-hits should still allow you to at least get out of the bunker.

[lowpaiddonkey10]

Re: PGA TOUR 2K23 Impressions Thread

The shop is a joke, which is surprising for 2K considering I know they want people buying VC.
The same 2 year old Mizuno driver from the last game when they could have put in the 2022 model.
And where the hell are all the clothes? Like they made a point to show in one of the teasers that Jordan brand shoes would be in the game, so where are they???

Is there a shop?

[doubledeuceR6]

Re: PGA TOUR 2K23 Impressions Thread

My issue is that the punished short game mis-hits are so much more punishing than mis-hits from the tee or fairway. I am still able to find the fairway with a slow or fast pretty consistently on Pro off the tee. However, a slow or fast out of the bunker, and it seems I'm stuck there. It just doesn't feel balanced. I have tried all the tips and tricks about getting out of the sand offered here and elsewhere, and it's a given that I will keep one in the bunker at least once a round. And I even have the one Skill maxed out that offers a timing bonus with wedges from the bunkers...it doesn't seem to help.

And I know that most strokes you accumulate in golf are around the green, but it just seems that splashes now, which were automatic in 2K21, are now near impossible in 2K23...like they overcorrected it with the tempo.

I do feel you should get stuck in a bunker if you hit a horrible shot when in the sand, but even slight mis-hits should still allow you to at least get out of the bunker.

Yea this is one thing I noticed right away. I was having no issue finding the rhythm off the tee but having a terrible time with iron approach shots. I'm usually just a touch fast with the driver/woods but get a lot of slow grey/blacks with the irons. I've gotten better at it but it's still an issue. I've only used the rhythm archetype though so maybe I need to try some of the others.

[MrArlingtonBeach]

Re: PGA TOUR 2K23 Impressions Thread

I know I mentioned it earlier in passing, but can we discuss how much of a scam the Clubhouse Pass is? All these ridiculous items and cosmetic things stuck behind a paywall, after people just dropped $60-120 last week for the game? Sure, there's a "free" version, but it includes next to nothing of value.

There are a bunch of the arcade-style consumable balls in the premium pass, as well as XP boosts which allow you to level up and get skills quicker, so paying for the premium pass gives you more of an advantage. Just kind of gross.

I wish it were just cosmetics if this is gonna be the case...instead, it's a clear pay-to-win scenario...you have to pay actual cash to get the premium pass which includes "legendary" golf balls and XP boosts.

[golfnut67]

Re: PGA TOUR 2K23 Impressions Thread

My issue is that the punished short game mis-hits are so much more punishing than mis-hits from the tee or fairway. I am still able to find the fairway with a slow or fast pretty consistently on Pro off the tee. However, a slow or fast out of the bunker, and it seems I'm stuck there. It just doesn't feel balanced. I have tried all the tips and tricks about getting out of the sand offered here and elsewhere, and it's a given that I will keep one in the bunker at least once a round. And I even have the one Skill maxed out that offers a timing bonus with wedges from the bunkers...it doesn't seem to help.

And I know that most strokes you accumulate in golf are around the green, but it just seems that splashes now, which were automatic in 2K21, are now near impossible in 2K23...like they overcorrected it with the tempo.

I do feel you should get stuck in a bunker if you hit a horrible shot when in the sand, but even slight mis-hits should still allow you to at least get out of the bunker.

This is exactly right. After somehow shooting 5 under at Scottsdale (where oddly enough I only hit one bunker), I just played Riviera, which I always suck at, and was in a bunker on almost every hole. I shot 10 over again. It reminded me that my previous rounds where I was 7 over or worse, almost all of those doubles and triple bogies came from multiple shots from a bunker.

What Beach is saying is exactly right--they need to tone down the punishment level from out of the bunker. If you are even *slightly* fast or slow in the bunker, regardless of your backswing tempo, you will duff it 3 feet in front of you. I had at least 3 bunkers that took me 3 shots to get out of.

I like that it's harder with misses from the bunker vs. the tee or with irons, it should be that way, but it's like 5x more punishing with a slight miss from the bunker than it is anywhere else on the course. Needs to be addressed for sure.

[lowpaiddonkey10]

Re: PGA TOUR 2K23 Impressions Thread

Yea this is one thing I noticed right away. I was having no issue finding the rhythm off the tee but having a terrible time with iron approach shots. I'm usually just a touch fast with the driver/woods but get a lot of slow grey/blacks with the irons. I've gotten better at it but it's still an issue. I've only used the rhythm archetype though so maybe I need to try some of the others.

Rhythm is the easiest but you lose distance. Overall probably the best place at least for me.

[Zinger]

Re: PGA TOUR 2K23 Impressions Thread

I putt with the distance guide on. If I am on the fringe the game defaults to a chip but I usually prefer to putt these. When I change to a putt and hit the distance sweet spot the ball goes sailing past the hole. Anyone else finding this? Seems like a bug to me.

[golfnut67]

Re: PGA TOUR 2K23 Impressions Thread

I putt with the distance guide on. If I am on the fringe the game defaults to a chip but I usually prefer to putt these. When I change to a putt and hit the distance sweet spot the ball goes sailing past the hole. Anyone else finding this? Seems like a bug to me.

I play almost every fringe shot exactly as you are talking about. I've found, that even with uphill putts, pulling the distance guide back, it often sails past the hole even if I am shy of the "white" area on the distance meter. They need to fix this and the impossibly difficult timing issues out of the greenside bunkers. The more I play the more glaring both issue get.