PGA Tour 2K25 Is a Cutting-Edge Video Game That Also Stirs Up Nostalgia

Modern video games continue to advance, writes Jeff Ritter, and the latest for Nintendo Switch includes some fun twists any golf video-game fan will enjoy.

Tiger Woods and St. Andrews, a matchup made for PGA Tour 2K25. | PGA Tour 2K25

To be honest, I’ve always been more of a Ms. Pac-Man guy. Funny how things change.

Back in the day, I’d get a lot of mileage out of a mere 25-cent deposit into those sturdy, stand-up machines. But video games, like the humans who play them, evolve. Over the years my Ms. Pac-Man expertise moved to Nintendo and then to PlayStation, Xbox and back to Nintendo with its interactive Wii.

In the mid-2000s I was in my mid-20s and living in a small apartment in suburban Detroit that had an open kitchen and a modest mouse problem. (“Modest” aptly describes both the rodent’s size and the frequency with which it appeared.) I had a PlayStation 2, and there was one game I played more than any other: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004.

The graphics were incredible, the game play was a blast, and you could build your own character and trick him or her out in clothes and gear via virtual money earned from virtual tournaments. As your character improved, they could eventually take on not just Tiger Woods himself, but also a separate souped-up version of Woods called “Super Tiger,” in which he always appeared in Sunday red and had maxed-out power and accuracy. He was effectively the game’s end boss (and one might say the 2000 version of himself), and a great one at that. 

Fast forward a mere 22 years, and I’m married with two kids, and living in a house on a cul-de-sac with no mouse problem to speak of. I rarely play video games and certainly wouldn’t call myself a “gamer.” My boys are a blast, and occasionally we fire up an old-school Nintendo and try help to Mario rescue the princess. But sometimes, at the end of long days where I ache from my temples to my ankles, a quick escape is welcome.

And so PGA Tour 2K25 landed this month on Nintendo Switch 2. Here are some thoughts from a golf media member who’s traveled a lot, watched a lot of golf and written a lot about the sport, but played very few new video games in the last 20 years.

PGA Tour 2K25 overview

Back in 2004 I distinctly remember spending a lot of time playing as John Daly. The 2K25 edition has 11 pros—including include Woods in Sunday red, (now his own brand, Sun Day Red) plus Max Homa and Matt Fitzpatrick. Look at these guys!

Virtual Homa, Woods and Fitzpatrick await in PGA Tour 2K25. | PGA Tour 2K25

While you can use 11 pros as your own character, when playing in tournament-mode golf fans will appreciate that the leaderboards are filled top-to-bottom with names of more than 100 tour pros, including Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, plus Lydia Ko and Rose Zhang from the LPGA Tour.

This is actually “Season 5” of the game, with new courses like Aronimink, site of this year’s PGA Championship, plugged in. Other highlights include TPC Sawgrass, Pebble Beach, Pinehurst No. 2 and the Old Course at St. Andrews. The graphics are stunning, and the visuals look as close to the real thing as I’ve ever seen. If someone walks past the screen while you’re playing, as happened in my house, they might well think you’re watching the real course on TV rather than playing a video-game version of it.

During tournaments, Luke Elvy of CBS Sports voices the play-by-play and Rich Beem rides shotgun as the analyst. Their delivery is smooth and professional, which adds to a generally mellow experience of playing the game. Scenes like this don’t hurt, either:

Pebble Beach shines in the new PGA Tour 2K25. | PGA Tour 2K25

PGA Tour 2K25 gameplay

Just as I remember from the mid-2000s, the controls are simple and intuitive. Either the left or right joystick, or a three-click method (you choose) is used to swing the virtual golf club, and tempo and direction are key to maxing out power and hitting a target. It’s simple to toggle ahead to spot hazards and the pin positions, and to switch clubs or the type of shot.

I found the full swing easy to groove, but putting is more of a mix of feel and mechanics, which, come to think of it, is not so different from real life. Putting is by far the toughest piece to perfect in this game, as a grid offers green speeds and slopes, but you still have to play the break and match the pace by easing on or off the throttle on the joystick.

I became a GIR machine in short order, but putting remains more of a wildcard and an area I’ll need to improve if my character is going to make hay as a star player in the 2K25 ecosystem. Speaking of which …

Player customization has leveled up

You can power up 2K25, grab the Tiger Woods character and play St. Andrews within minutes. (It’s exactly what I did in my first moments with the game.) But creating an account on the 2K25 sports site unlocks “My Career” mode, where you can name and create your own player right down to their cheekbones and earlobes, trick him or her out in apparel and gear, and access lessons and practice rounds.

You can also skip the practice and immediately enter tournaments alongside the pros. An efficient move for those of us with limited free time and no fear of getting waxed in their first couple of events.

Personal characterization has long been available in this game series, but it’s been elevated to new levels here, as players earn virtual money on the course and can purchase for their characters clubs and clothes from real golf brands. After a few high finishes, I had my character rocking a mix of Nike, FootJoy and TaylorMade swag. Your player’s attributes also improve the more you practice and play.

PGA Tour 2K25 gameplay is smooth and intuitive. | Jeff Ritter

Meeting the media

And the real surprise, which turned out to be more fun than I expected, is how your player also has an agent, who helps funnel media requests, build your virtual social media following and facilitate “rivalries” with other Tour players. (Immediately after my first competitive round, virtual Will Zalatoris reached out to start a rivalry. “Want some, get some!” I more or less replied.)

When you accept a media appearance, your character stands behind a podium and you choose how to respond to queries from the assembled golf press. I’m very accustomed to asking these questions; this was my time to respond to them. Should I boldly declare myself the best there ever was? Or should I take a more introspective tact? “Just be honest!” my wife said while I mulled one of my answers. Hey, it’s tougher than you think. Your responses shape your character’s image and grow their social following, which unlocks more opportunities as the game unfolds.

When new endorsement deals land, a quandary also presents itself: do you quickly dump your old sponsor to ink a fresh contract? If so, it hurts your image with fans and sponsors, even while boosting your strengths as a player.

Some of the action takes place off the course, and ironically, on your character’s virtual cell phone. | Jeff Ritter

It's indeed ironic that the game-play generally feels familiar, and alongside the crisp graphics and low-key commentary, buzzing through 18 holes is a relaxed experience. But when my character wrapped up his tournament and collected his winnings, the electricity began. What to buy in the virtual PGA Superstore? Which players want to start a rivalry with me? What club companies want to sign me as a pitchman? What media interviews are available? How would virtual me choose to handle them?

Add it all up, and the game is a blast. And as someone who has spent a significant chunk of his life covering this sport, I appreciated the details within the game’s the golf course layouts, player swings and gear, and also its peek into pro golf’s ecosystem. In golf, it’s all about the details, and this game has been paying attention.

From the moment I first powered it up, I haven’t thought much of Ms. Pac-Man, the 2004 edition or that old mouse-riddled apartment. But I do think about how much crap I’ll give Will Zalatoris when I kick his butt at Pinehurst.

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