The Golf Club 2019 Featuring PGA TOUR

JCat04 · August 18, 2018

Well, it looks like the hammer has been brought down on the [email protected] story, listing TGC 2019 as an 8/21/18 release. I just looked at the same coming week blog, and all mentions and images of TGC 2019 have been removed... please don't kill the messenger who brings bad news, but that's what's happened :cry:

Here's the link to the latest (revised without annotation) preview for next week:

http://www.idatxbox.com/2018/08/17/release-calendar-august-20-24/

Corifto · August 21, 2018

Apparently there was an early release accident on Microsoft's part this morning. HB claims it was not the final version and was not their fault.

Still no news on date but rumors are there were some micro transactions evident.

JCat04 · August 23, 2018

Apparently there was an early release accident on Microsoft's part this morning. HB claims it was not the final version and was not their fault.

Still no news on date but rumors are there were some micro transactions evident.

Yeah, I had a feeling that [email protected] story had some basis. It was in the works for a release on the 21st, and then HB Studios decided to hold it off for this 'behind the scenes business deal' we've been hearing about. Apparently, Microsoft UK and Australia didn't get the word to hold the release, and actually sold and downloaded copies for 45 to 50 minutes before HB Studios got wind of it and made some emergency calls to lock it down.

I watched a UK Twitch streamer playing the game that night for hours on end. I think he wound up going about 11 1/2 hours straight. He was having to stream via XBox One's Twitch app, which is limited to 720p, and filled with compression artifacts. It was still educational, but all he could do was play in offline mode, with only official courses (none of the licensed PGA TOUR courses) because HB Studios hasn't turned on their servers for TGC 2019 yet.

As for microtransactions, it looks like they're going to be selling 'coin pack' DLC. You can earn coins in the game so it's not like you're getting something you couldn't earn through routine play. The coin purchases are cosmetic only, for equipment and apparel, which doesn't improve your player's ability. Apparently, the coins can be used in virtual betting on skins play and challenge matches.

I think something is going to be announced about the game tomorrow at the Northern Trust PGA TOUR event. HB Studios is there now showing the game off in the press area. I'll post it here once I find out something.

JCat04 · August 23, 2018

How does the idea of 2K Sports The Golf Club 2019 Featuring PGA TOUR sound to you guys? I think that's the reason for all the drama over the last two weeks and especially today, with HBS shutting down the TGC 2019 forum until Monday. Apparently, a trailer was leaked on YouTube (now pulled), showing 2K Sports as the publisher, along with a Luke Elvy narrated viewing of the 17th hole at Sawgrass... it looked great! It's a shame we now have to wait till Monday to get any more news. That trailer showed this game in its finest light though... I'm even more excited after seeing it (cool)

None of this has been officially confirmed yet, but the confluence of evidence is very telling.

JCat04 · August 27, 2018

The deal is now official; 2K Sports and HB Studios have entered an agreement in which 2K Sports will be the publishing partner for TGC 2019. The game will be available for purchase at midnight tonight in your region on all three platforms... well, at least in North America. I read it's already available in New Zealand. Here's the full text of the HB Studios Press Release. Another release is coming later detailing the publishing partnership with 2K Sports:

New York, NY – August 27, 2018 – 2K today announced that the Company is partnering with HB Studios to publish The Golf Club 2019 Featuring PGA TOUR®, the latest entry in the award-winning golf simulation series. Developed by HB Studios, The Golf Club 2019 Featuring PGA TOUR marks the franchise’s first release featuring the official PGA TOUR license and presents an opportunity, through the new partnership, to deliver the most comprehensive and engaging virtual golf experience to date for the series. The Golf Club 2019 Featuring PGA TOUR is available beginning today for digital download on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X and Windows PC. In addition, physical versions of the game will be available at participating retailers this fall.

“HB Studios has an established and impressive track record in sports simulation game development, and from its early plans for The Golf Club 2019 Featuring PGA TOUR, we saw significant potential in both the game and future of the franchise,” said Greg Thomas, President at Visual Concepts. “With a solid foundation and talented team in place, we’re eager to leverage our collective strengths and make a notable impact for golf and simulation sports enthusiasts everywhere.”

“I’m immensely proud of all the hard work and passion that our team has put into making this game. It’s truly been a labor of love, and I think that’s reflected in the product,” added Alan Bunker, CEO of HB Studios. “We couldn’t be happier to align with 2K and the PGA TOUR to share our passion for golf and sports simulation gameplay with franchise enthusiasts and newcomers worldwide.”

“We are thrilled to have partnered with HB Studios and 2K to create and distribute the first-ever tournament play mode within a console game, featuring some of the most recognized PGA TOUR events including THE PLAYERS Championship,” said Len Brown, Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President Licensing for PGA TOUR. “The career mode will allow our fans to rise through the ranks and earn their way onto the PGA TOUR, where they will compete on authentic TOUR courses.”

CAA Sports Licensing, on behalf of PGA TOUR, helped broker the relationship with HB Studios.

About The Golf Club 2019 Featuring PGA TOUR

The Golf Club 2019 Featuring PGA TOUR sets a new franchise benchmark for authenticity and realism, including:

Improved ball physics, swing mechanics, swing feedback and other core gameplay mechanics; Unparalleled visual fidelity powered by award-winning and industry-leading SpeedTree® technology often used in top blockbuster games and films; Overhauled user interface delivering a fresh look and feel. In addition, for the first time in franchise history, players will experience an officially licensed PGA TOUR Career Mode:

Players will embark on an authentic journey through Q-School and the Web.com Tour, earning the right to play in a 32-tournament PGA TOUR season; Season play includes beautifully precise replicas of PGA TOUR courses that are accurate down to one-meter of resolution of the real-life courses; Players will forge rivalries and land sponsorships en route to competing in the FedExCup Playoffs, with the ultimate goal of becoming a FedExCup Champion. Finally, The Golf Club 2019 Featuring PGA TOUR will now include a robust online multiplayer system for matchmaking and private matches:

Players will compete on featured courses through matchmaking or chose from any available course for private matches; Go head to head to play as a team with friends in any one of six game formats, including the new additions of Skins and Alt-Shot. The Golf Club 2019 Featuring PGA TOUR is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB and is available beginning today for digital download on PS4™ system, Xbox One and Windows PC. In addition, physical versions of the game will be available at participating retailers this fall. For more information regarding The Golf Club 2019 Featuring PGA TOUR, visitthegolfclub2019.com, become a fan on Facebook, follow the game on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #TCG2019 or subscribe on YouTube.

JCat04 · August 28, 2018

I've now played 63 holes on my XBox One X, all with Master clubs. I'm really diggin' this game on the X! It looks and feels fantastic. I'm really shocked at just how good it looks in 4K. I had prepared myself to be really disappointed with the looks of the SpeedTrees from watching most of the 1080p streams and videos of the game being played on standard and S XBox Ones. They look like a different generation on the X at 4K, and they show very little pop-in, and it's really not "pop-in" it's more like phase-in as some trees appear in the extreme distance. Everything with 350 yards appears naturally looking as the trees are brought into the scene during scrolling.

What really got my attention was how good the "Full" camera setting looks and how it adds so much to the intimacy I feel with my on-screen surrogate now! (cool) I use the "Full" camera option from tee to green and as much as it makes me feel connected to pelting a drive off the tee, it draws me more into moment when putting... it just feels like I'm controlling my player, rather than a remote control golfer who is further removed from the swing camera in the default, "Wide" view.

I just played a Society tournament round at TPC Boston in the official "Open" society, and shot a 71, with six birdies. I put two balls in the water due to not getting my tempo right and losing distance... it felt totally natural and believable - I loved it! I am having considerably more trouble getting perfect/perfect tempo in TGC 2019. In fact, I say that so far it's probably only 15% of the time, whereas in TGC 2, it's like 80%, for me.

My two biggest disappointments so far is that there are no quality/performance options for the X. While the 30 FPS locked frame rate the game has at its 4K res on the X is smoother than I thought it would be, I can't help but wonder if my inability to manage the tempo any better than I am is because my senses can't adapt to the drop from the 40 to 45 FPS frame rates I was used to in TGC 2? I'll keep playing at it and see if this isn't something I adapt to over time.

The second major disappointment is that the spoiler leaderboards of TGC 2 haven't been fixed. When I played the Open Society tournament at Boston, I chose a ghost to play with. After we finished the first hole, which he'd bogeyed, the mini-score status in the upper left corner showed him at +1 through 1. The leaderboard then came up between holes and showed him at +2 after 2 holes. His score was reported throughout the round as one hole ahead of the hole we were actually playing through the finish :( I just don't understand why the game can't recognize which ghosts I've selected to play with, and adjust their score reporting status on the leaderboard to the hole being played with me ???

Oh, and the new offset playing companion cameras are just awesome. It gives the multiplayer experience so much more personality and perspective realism. I wish they could be tweaked by the player a bit more to get a little more down to head level, but it's far cry better than watching them from their swing camera. It's cool to watch a long approach shot from the right rear of a right handed golfer when you can see the shot in its entirety from that angle. The ball trajectory looks so cool from that perspective!

I've played two TPC courses, Boston and Deere Run, and there's some special ambience about them. I think HBS has done a really good job with them as they've got a presence that feels like a TPC course.

Finally, I started playing Arctic Fury's The House on the Cliff after seeing it an a stream on the XBox One S, and being concerned over the barren look of the SpeedTrees. They look fabulous on the XBox One X, and better yet, their erratic 11 MPH wind behavior doesn't look quite as spastic in the 4K res, for some reason.

I need to play a round on a course in high wind where the trees are going to be casting shadows on the green, to see what sort of kaleidoscopic effect that has at 4K. I'll report back on that later. For right now though, I'm as tickled as I've been with a golf game since PGA Championship 2000 on the PC! I think there's a challenging learning curve ahead of me. This game produces a greater variety of shot results for a player of my average skill, and I can reconcile them all to this point.

I've also had a number of cases of one error offsetting the effects of another error. Like Gdog, I'm prone to go "perfect/fast" on my tempo, but I'm often spared by my fade swing path that negates it. That reflects reality pretty well, IMO. I'm relishing in the fact that not much feels regimented to me right now. That probably will not be the case with more skilled players, but all I can do is share my experience.

Belmont148 · August 29, 2018

Thanks for the review. I am about to pull the trigger on PC. I just upgraded my laptop to a Dell G5 with the GTX 1060 graphics card and looking forward to 120 FPS play on this and seeing how it does. Been itching for a nice golf game as my Master's Wii game is getting a little stale, and I wasn't impressed with Everybody's Golf on the PS4. Hot Shots from the old PS was better.

macedan · August 29, 2018

Played a few hours worth since release, my biggest complaint so far is the lack of spin. A 15 yard 8 iron roll out and 5 yards of roll out from a full lob wedge, come on lol. I am also confused my new distance updates with the beginner clubset having 91 yards of carry for their lob wedge :blink: .

But aside from opening with my complaints, graphics are superb, sand behaves like sand now, and gameplay flows smooth. Loving the new career mode and can't wait to try the multiplayer.

leejohnkieh · August 29, 2018

Anyone pick it up? I was caught by surprise by HB Studios/2K partnership.

Reminds me of the Tiger Woods PGA Tour franchise................those were the days.

leejohnkieh · August 29, 2018

delete please....

Skhacker · April 3, 2020

Reviving an old thread. Anybody know of any Augusta courses on this game? Looks like ANGC has managed to get any searches with any of their names blocked.