The Golf Club bringing procedurally-generated golf to PC, Xbox One, and PS4

HB Studios has stuck its fingers into many sporting pies over the years, often pitching in with EA series including Madden NFL and FIFA, and is now preparing to tee off with a sport 'em up of its own. The developer today announced The Golf Club for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Intriguingly, it'll procedurally generate its courses, to always offer something new.

Alice O'Connor

January 22, 2014 10:30 AM

HB Studios has stuck its fingers into many sporting pies over the years, often pitching in with EA series including Madden NFL and FIFA, but is now preparing to tee off with another sport 'em up of its own. The developer today announced The Golf Club for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Intriguingly, it'll procedurally generate its courses, to always offer something new. Players aren't entirely subject to the whims of some diabolical golf engine, though, as they'll be able to customize courses it spits out. Courses can be shared online, and rolled into tours and tournaments so all your chums can play the same set. HB says procedural generation massively cuts down loading and waiting times too. The Golf Club is slated to launch this spring. A little insider knowledge, to explain the name: a "golf club" is the name of both the stick golflings use to kick the ball and the wattle and daub hut they retire to afterwards to drink so very much gin.

Four announcement screenshots

Alice O'Connor

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January 22, 2014 10:30 AM

Alice O'Connor posted a new article, The Golf Club bringing procedurally-generated golf to PC, Xbox One, and PS4.

HB Studios has stuck its fingers into many sporting pies over the years, often pitching in with EA series including Madden NFL and FIFA, and is now preparing to tee off with a sport 'em up of its own. The developer today announced The Golf Club for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Intriguingly, it'll procedurally generate its courses, to always offer something new.
- Deathlove
  
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  January 22, 2014 10:32 AM
  
  Interesting to see someone take on the big dogs, always. PLEASE DON'T SUCK
  - Sephiras
    
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    January 22, 2014 10:53 AM
    
    Sounds neat and can't get any worse than tigerwoods
  - Hazim
    
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    January 22, 2014 9:30 PM
    
    Well if the game doesn't suck I'm sure you will more than make up for it in the sucking department. Because you suck. At golf.
- Affliated
  
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  January 22, 2014 10:35 AM
  
  Bring back Links!!!!!
  - Proven28
    
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    January 22, 2014 12:37 PM
    
    Links was the best... even when it took a minute to render each screen on my IBM PS/2!
    - [deleted] 204841450
      
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      January 22, 2014 1:06 PM
      
      [deleted]
  - daggot
    
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    January 22, 2014 12:50 PM
    
    It was a great game. Clearly started by people that were serious about both the sport and computer gaming. Considering what could be done with today's tech, this series really should come back and dethrone EA.
    
    I rather enjoyed watching the screen being drawn in.
    - pyide
      
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      January 22, 2014 2:26 PM
      
      You can play the modern version of Links at home if you have thousands of dollars to blow on a simulator setup http://www.trugolf.com/golf_simulator/company/
      
      The software already runs on any windows PC, you can even download a demo of E6 from there but you can actually play a ball without a device that captures swing data. Would be great if they would make and release a version you can play with standard input devices. They probably have the money and still have know-how.
  - riptyde
    
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    January 22, 2014 8:45 PM
    
    oh hell yes
- bipolar
  
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  January 22, 2014 10:59 AM
  
  Hopefully it has some built in courses or a way to save generated courses. One of the fun parts of golf games is getting to know a course well and figuring out quirks of it, and trying to beat your best score on a course.
  - pyide
    
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    January 22, 2014 2:12 PM
    
    That would be nice. The one thing I want to see in any new golf game is the ability to set my own club distances like the later versions of PC Links to match my real game. I do not want to become an inevitable golf god like the TW xp systems and stat increases, driving the ball 400+ yards, never missing a green or putt, etc.
  - [deleted] 1777721205
    
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    January 22, 2014 2:15 PM
    
    [deleted]
    - Nali4Freedom
      
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      January 22, 2014 9:38 PM
      
      Write down? What is this, 1995? Put that shit in the cloud!
      - pyide
        
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        January 22, 2014 9:41 PM
        
        That's what they're doing: Users will be able to play the created courses that others have uploaded, and because The Golf Club saves every round you play in the cloud, players can compete with friends who are offline by playing against "ghost" balls.
        
        So maybe no traditional multiplayer?
        
        from: http://www.polygon.com/2014/1/22/5335758/the-golf-club-ps4-xbox-one-pc-hb-studios-spring-2014
        
        pyide
        
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        January 22, 2014 9:42 PM
        
        Guess so! http://thegolfclubgame.com/2013/12/22/multiplayer-video/
- Degenerate
  
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  January 22, 2014 1:15 PM
  
  whoa!
- NFXFSX
  
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  January 22, 2014 2:31 PM
  
  I've been wanting a new golf game. I shall keep an eye on this. I loved Links.
- Professer12
  
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  January 22, 2014 5:56 PM
  
  Hmm, well I guess I have two golfing games to be excited for now.
- baron calamity
  
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  January 22, 2014 8:36 PM
  
  Finally. Been waiting forever for a decent golf game.