Golf games are a certified staple of the sports sim genre. With the first chip-and-putt challenges dating back to the NES era, a lot has changed over twenty-five years on the fairway. The modern golfing gamer can expect high-quality mechanics, stunning settings, and a surprising amount of storytelling for a genre based on thwacking tiny white balls with all of your might. Our list of the best golf games on Switch and mobile has everything you need to settle in for eighteen holes, though we can’t promise you’ll make it under par.
But listen up sports fans, if golf isn’t your bag, we’ve also picked teams for the best football games, basketball games, and baseball games on Switch and mobile, as well as the best mobile sports management games. Or, if you prefer puzzles to putting, why not check out our list of the best games like Candy Crush to keep you on your toes?
With that out of the way, let’s hit the fairway with the best golf games on Switch and mobile.
What The Golf – mobile
It’s hard to find words to accurately describe What The Golf. The title takes the mini-golf format and blows it into incredible proportions, with challenges that make you laugh as hard as they make you think.
While it doesn’t offer anything even close to the traditional golfing experience, it’s a nice change of pace to play through the wacky stealth missions, the Portal homage levels, and inexplicably, a whole in-game world dedicated to crab golf. Yes, crab golf.
Mario Golf: Super Rush – Switch
It’s only par for the course to include Nintendo’s putting plumber in our picks for the best golf games. With a wide roster of classic Mushroom Kingdom characters, you can take on the imaginative courses of Mario Golf: Super Rush with your favorite, and watch as Bowser struggles to make it out of a bunker.
Even better still, the latest Mario Golf game has an online mode that competes with even the most popular and polished golf sims, so you can take your swinging skills into a competitive environment.
Golf Story – Switch
One of the breakaway indie titles of the early Switch era, Golf Story is a golfing RPG teeming with charisma and charm, without sacrificing any mechanical depth. The game manages to pay homage to the golf games of the SNES with a diverse landscape of picturesque pixelated courses, and a cast of hilarious characters to keep you busy in between rounds.
If you haven’t picked it up, now is the time. Make sure you stay far away from its sequel though – check out our Sports Story review to find out why.
WGT Golf – mobile
The most realistic golf experience on mobile, WGT Golf throws you into the life of a pro as you challenge yourself at Pebble Beach, Wolf Creek, and over fifteen other legendary courses.
There’s no shortage of customization either, as you have complete control over your closet, your collection of clubs, and even your caddy. So, if you’re looking to kill time on the ride between holes on the back nine, there’s no better way than with WGT golf.
PGA Tour 2K21 – Switch
Still the big daddy of golf sims, without any addition in 2022, PGA Tour 2K21 is the golfer’s golf game. It’s by far the most realistic sim on our list, with tight swing controls, all the courses you could ever hope to play, and a stellar lineup of the world’s top tee-off talent.
While it does miss out on some of the fun additions from the PGA Tiger Woods glory days, PGA Tour is still the best way of experiencing the game of golf in its purest form.
Golf With Your Friends – Switch
If you want to recreate fun nights with pals putting at the local mini-golf course, Golf With Your Friends is the game for you. There are no-frills here, and no story either, just a collection of novelty courses to frustrate you and your friends, and provide a fun time for a couple of hours.
You can also adorn your golf balls with a collection of customization options, including for some reason, a poop hat. You don’t see that at the Masters.
The developers just updated Golf With Your Friends to add a new speed mode for those of you who like to get the ball in the hole, no matter how many strokes it takes. Use the strategically placed speed gates to your advantage and out-speed your opponents!
Golf Clash – mobile
For a free-to-play golfing challenge, Golf Clash is one of the better titles. With a massive player base of pitching professionals, you can test your own hazard-avoiding mettle as you take on 1-on-1 challenges against other players.
If you like your golf played fast, and don’t mind sacrificing some realism, Golf Clash is perfect for a quick back nine anytime you have a spare five minutes.
Nintendo Switch Sports – Switch
How could we forget Nintendo Switch Sports? As the name suggests, this game is a spiritual successor to Nintendo’s immensely popular family multiplayer titles Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort, albeit with refreshed graphics and a slightly different selection of sports to choose from.
Golf didn’t originally make the cut for Nintendo Switch Sports’ lineup, but a free content update that came at the end of 2022 added the classic activity for all to enjoy. Play solo or with up to seven friends across 21 holes, or try out survival golf.
There you have it, all the golf games you can swing a club at on Switch and mobile. For more competitive action, but at a much higher speed, take a look at our list of the best racing games on mobile and the best Switch racing games.