So I have played the following 3 games now some more extensively than others and below is my ranking (which you may not agree with)
PERFECT GOLF - 9 out of 10
Great selection of tournaments to play, huge number of courses to choose from, great course designers and a good bunch of players to compete against and make friends with. The behind the scenes administrators do a fabulous job. Sure the game has a few bugs but I can live with that.
2K23 - 7 out of 10
Working my way through MY CAREER at the moment and have now started on the PGA Tour. Quite enjoy the gameplay and the graphics and commentary are excellent. Still a way to go yet but looks promising. Not sure what online tournaments are available. Could do with some more courses to choose from.
EA SPORTS _ PGA TOUR 5 out of 10
Excellent graphics and gameplay so far is OK. Game though appears to have quite a few bugs and the 3 click option is not available for all tournaments which is a big downer for me. Also golfers love to see their progress and all their stats - maybe they are there somewhere but I haven't found them yet. Needs many improvements.
But this is just my thoughts so far and would be interested in what others think.
Thanks for taking the time to let us know how you like these golf games. Sticking with PG until it is no longer available and hoping it lasts longer then me and at 76, it just might.
For me, good old Links 2003 is still the best, BY FAR. Perfect Golf is absolutely horrid in my opinion, I play it just to compete with you guys, and honestly PGLS forums keeps that game relevant. But in general, PG has everything that a good golf game should not have - awful physics (ball bounces like it's scripted animation, not physics driven), abysmal graphics, and on top of all really annoying stuttering even on my system (12900K + 3090). Got 180fps in overall, but can't play due to stuttering, missing many shots because of it, using 3-click system. Tried real time swing, and I couldn't got used to it, especially without any way to measure the distance on a top down map (or I can't find the way).
So PG for online play is 9/10, but in overal 5/10.
Links 2003 is fantastic for offline play. Best gameplay by far, from 3-click to real time swing. All works perfectly. Huge customization options across the game. You can customize the seasons, tournaments, and the whole AI roster in detail, from Amateur to Pro. With all that in mind, it requires a bit of dedication to customize everything for a complete enjoyment.
Links 2003 - 8/10
EA PGA TOUR - not gonna comment much, they failed the gameplay so hard, it's hilarious. The game is so easy, I can play blindfolder and score 62 to 65. On top of all, the gameplay is extremely boring and not challenging at all.
EA PGA TOUR - 6/10 (still better than PG because of physics, visuals and presentation).
PGA 2K21/23 - Not bad at all, just the career mode is boring, gets repetitive quickly). Also ball physics is weird. Physics by its core is VERY good, but ball rolls like it's on various thickness carpets. There is no grass, bumpiness, randomness when it drops into rough, etc. It just rolls like it's on the carpet.
PGA 2K21/23 - 7/10
Still, my fav golf game now, by far is Golf+, it's VR only. I have a golf club adapter, I attach hand controller to it, and it feels like swinging with a real golf club while playing. There is nothing better playing golf game, and being active, swinging like crazy for an hour. Also the game has very good online competitions with weekly and daily tournaments, rankings, handicap system, 1on1 battles, etc etc. And on top of all it's in VR, means you ARE IN THE GAME.
