PGA Tour 2K23: 5 Best Tips for Beginners

After a two-year hiatus, 2K Games is back with its newest installment in the PGA Tour series, PGA Tour 2K23. And just in time for those of us who play the game and have to bare with the winter months closing the courses. Instead, we can practice our sport comfortably and conveniently at home, on our couches. Exchanging our set of clubs for a single controller. But given that we're talking about golf here, the game doesn't necessarily get any simpler just because we have the assistance of a controller and the game's interface. That's why we're providing you with the five best beginner tips for PGA Tour 2K23 so that you can also conquer the course online.

5. Always Factor the Wind

When we're teeing off in real life, it's pretty easy to notice the slightest breeze. However, in PGA Tour 2K23, it can be challenging to tell if there is wind at all, and if so, which direction it is blowing. In-game, the arrow in the top-middle of your screens, with the associated number, indicates that. The direction of the wind will be indicated by the direction in which the arrow points. The wind speed in MPH is indicated by the number. Almost every swing, with the exception of putting, requires you to take this into account.

You may even already know this if you've played the prior game. However, it's something we often overlook or even forget when we get the ants in our pants to pipe one down the fairway. Even for our layup and approach shots, we need to factor in the wind, that's if you're planning on landing on the green. If you don't, then you can grab your shorts out of your bag because you'll be heading to the beach. That's why our first of the beginner tips for PGA Tour 2K23 is to always factor in the wind.

4. Changing Clubs

Speaking of things we often overlook and forget – changing clubs. If you're new to the game, you may not know that for every shot in the game, you can change your clubs using the up or down arrows on the Directional pad (D-pad). That means you can use your driver for putting, and vice versa. Now obviously, that's not what you want to do, but it does make for a fun fool-around match with friends. Regardless of the fact, one of the best beginner tips we can give you for PGA Tour 2K23 is to change your club to help your shots get a better lie.

This can especially be helpful when you hook one into the trees. Which we understand happens, more for some of us than others. Regardless, if this is the case, it might not be best to use the club your game will select (likely an Iron), which is almost certain to bank off a tree or branch. Instead, use your wood or driver to smash it through the wickets. With that, sometimes the game will choose your Wood or Hybrid off the tee box if the hole is too far away. However, if you bring out your driver, with the luck of the wind, you can drive the green.

3. When to Add Spin

It may not seem like it, but adding spin to your shot can drastically change where your ball ends up. You can add spin to your shot by holding down LB or L1, depending on your platform, and the ball icon on the right will appear with a white line down the middle. When you push up with your right analog stick, the ball will gain topspin and move forward when it lands. Then, pulling down on the right analog stick will give the ball backspin, stopping it where it lands or, with chipping, occasionally spinning it back a few feet.

Most of the time you add spin when chipping onto the green so that you can get your ball to roll or stop the ball right next to the hole. However, you may even want to add spin to your ball to help give your Driver, Woods, or Hybrid an extra few extra yards. This can especially be helpful with your approach shots when you're just a few yards short of the green on the edge of a bunker. That's why adding spin to your ball can be one of the best beginner tips to help you knock off a stroke or two in PGA Tour 2K23.

2. How to Change Loft

As we said, not all of our shots land in the fairway or on the green. And sometimes, we find ourselves in a situation where we have tree branches and even rocks, blocking our line. In this case, you may want to change your loft so that you can hit your shot under or over the obstacle. To do this, hold LB or L1, and move the left analog stick up or down. Moving the left analog stick up will make the ball fly lower, and moving it down will raise its arch higher.

In the same fashion, moving the left joystick to the left or right will curve the ball's arch around the obstacle. You'll especially want to utilize this when you got a fair way that doglegs left or right. Using both this and the loft can get you out of most tough lies, which can save you a stroke or two. That's why changing the hook of your shot and its loft is one of the more crucial beginners tips in PGA Tour 2K23

1. Shot Type

The last of our beginner tips for PGA Tour 2K23 is changing your shot type. Along with changing your club, you can also change the type of shot you take by using the left or right arrows on the D-pad. This is best used for approach or short to mid chip shots. Sometimes you might want to use a splash, specifically if you're in the bunker. Or, a flop shot out of the rough, with some loft, to sit the ball next to the hole.

Your shot type options depend on the club you use. For example, your woods and irons will have different shot types, from the same location on the fairway. With that, your pitching wedge and sand wedge will also have different shots than your irons. That's why if you find yourself in a situation where you can't get the approach shot to line up with the hole, try switching up your shot type. Sometimes, you can even get creative with clubs for some unique shots that end up working out.

So, what’s your take? Did these PGA Tour 2K23 beginner tips help? Are there other beginner tips for PGA Tour 2K23 that we should know about? Let us know in the comments below or over on our socials here!