I don't play golf games all that often, but this one has had me coming back to it for a few days now, and I keep finding more to like about it. Took me by surprise.

Its presentation is very clean and I think strikes a good balance between low-poly and definition to give you a pleasantly retro aesthetic experience without having to interpret noisy visuals. A smart choice for a golf game. The sound effects and commentator are similarly a throwback to 90s games, and comforting nature sounds fill in the rest of the soundscape. Lovely.

The play itself is fairly straightforward. It's your typical two-button gauge: first strength and then accuracy. Other factors at play are wind, elevation, terrain, ball spin. I'm not much of an expert, but it plays well and has just the amount of complexity that keeps me engaged while also being a fairly laid back affair.

The ten courses in the game aren't just different backdrops, and some of them are clearly themed around a specific challenge, like one being a putting course, for example. I believe the idea is that you'd play the game online, but I've been playing versus AI, and I've somehow even built up a bit of a rivalry with the character I created to compete against, Ellie. She's a more considered player than I could ever hope to be. Never maxes out the gauge just to get mere inches over perilous terrain, but her putting game could use some work. Evidently the AI is adaptive and gets more challenging as your profile level increases, so I imagine it'll continue to be a competitive experience as I grow more comfortable with the physics model. In addition to your 18-hole courses, the game lets you play the first or last nine holes if you're looking for a shorter session, and it includes a practice range and a billiards mini-game, which is a neat bonus. Unfortunately billiards can't be assigned an AI opponent, but you can't have it all I suppose!

Anyway, I'm surprised at how much I'm enjoying this whole package. I think it's the fact that it's so accessible and has a relaxing mood to it. I'm not really interested in playing a complex career mode and that kind of thing. Here, you just pick a course and go, and that makes it easy to pick up for a short round. It works quite well on the Deck too, which is how I've been playing it.

In short, a lovely game, big thumbs up.