PN Review: Wii Sports Club – Golf

Whoever said golf is a gentleman’s game has not been golfing with me or seen
frustration as I toss my club further than I hit my ball. But I love to golf. What is there not to like?
Being outside with friends and enjoying nature is one of the most relaxing and enjoyable
experiences. But Golf, especially on a bad day, is one of the most frustrating, Happy
Gilmore’ing, times. Golf may sound like an oxymoron, because it is, but that’s what makes it fun.
Capturing that unique mixture of relaxation and frustration has been hard for most video games. Wii Sports Club: Golf has done almost the perfect job with it.

Each version of Wii Sports: Golf has progressed the Golfing experience. Wii Sports did a nice job
introducing motion controls. We Sports Resort upgraded those controls with Motion Plus. But it’s Wii Sport Club, with the introduction of the GamePad, that really hit the green.

At its core Wii Sports Club: Golf is the same game, with update graphics. It offers a full 18-hole course, with a mixture of Wii Sports and Resort holes. Players use the Wii-Mote and all the same button controls to produce the best drive. The big difference is the use of the GamePad. The GamePad is truly used as a second screen experience. The TV screen still pretty much looks what we became accustomed too. When placed on the floor, the GamePad offers the experience of standing over the ball. The Player holds the Wiimote like normal, but this time points it at the GamePad and the integrated sensor bar. When looking down at GamePad, the player will see the ball and the club face. While holding the Wiimote, the player can twist their hands to cause the club face to twist on the GamePad. This gives the player far more control on how the club will impact the trajectory of the ball. This ability gives the game a  realistic feel. Not only does the player need to make  the swing motion  smooth, but the Wiimote should be held tightly, any twist will cause the virtual club head to turn. Unless you want it to happen, turning the club head will cause the ball to slice or hook.

The addition of the GamePad really adds that realistic frustration wrinkle that one would expect from playing Golf. I like to say friends compared me Tiger Woods when I played Wii Sports: Golf. The ball pretty much always went where I wanted it to go. Now I play Wii Sports Club: Golf the same way I play real golf, with a lot of frustration and bogeys.

The biggest addition for Wii Sports Club: Golf is online integration. Players can now challenge other players to a round of golf. Online also allows the ability to check friends’ rankings and scores and join regions, like my South Carolina region. The game also allows players to leave messages through Miiverse.

I’ve heard some players reporting issues with lag while playing online, I my time I have not
experience more than expected glitches. My biggest issue with Wii Sports Club
Golf online, and Sports Club in general, is communication while playing online. Like the other Sports games, Golf only allows for quick text communication. By clicking on the D-pad message like, “Great Shot” or “So Close!” are flashed across the  screen. The game does offer the ability to choose from a variety of predetermined messages.  Like I said at the beginning, what makes Golf really enjoyable is the communion with fellow players. Without this, Golf becomes a frustrating stew of self-pity.

For me, Wii Sports Club Golf has been everything I have expected. The addition of the GamePad
makes the game feel new. While using the original courses maintains a nostalgic feel. Being that Golf is only a section of a broader experience, it is hard to give it a score on its own. I will just say, if you were a fan of the original Wii Sports: Golf or a fan of Golf games in general, Wii Sports Club: Golf is a great experience, even if you only purchase the day pass.