“Thanks to LIV. Face it” – Fans react to PGA Tour’s GOLF+ introduction
The PGA Tour has done a five-year deal with Golf+, a leading virtual reality game. Golf+ promises to be an interactive virtual reality experience for its users.
Recently, the world No. 1 and also one of Golf+ investors, Rory McIlroy, tweeted about the announcement. In response, fans had a few things to say.
Coming in 2023👀👀 @golfplusvr https://t.co/m3cExYvsmb
"Thanks to LIV. Face it"
@McIlroyRory @golfplusvr Thanks to LIV. Face it, they upset the apple cart and the PGATOUR (and you) are the beneficiaries. You should be thanking GN, not castigating him. Amazing what completion does within a marketplace. Your TOUR took advantage of its players for years. Your anger should include them
"Golf+ is actually a blast."
@McIlroyRory @golfplusvr Golf+ is actually a blast been playing it with a few buddies the past couple months
Interesting question!
@McIlroyRory @golfplusvr Can PGA golfers compete with LIV golfers virtually or is that against the rules?
"LIV lovers are lames"
@McIlroyRory @golfplusvr For a bunch of dudes that talk about how much @McIlroyRory cries about LIV, they sure do a lot of crying themselves... y'all LIV lovers are lames.
Another user called the ace golfer a "mouthpiece."
@McIlroyRory @golfplusvr I used to admire and respect you but now you’re just a mouthpiece. No longer a fan
A few fans are quite excited about the game and have several important questions.
@golfplusvr @PGATOUR @WMPhoenixOpen @THEPLAYERSChamp Amazing! Can’t wait. Best game ever!
@golfplusvr @PGATOUR @WMPhoenixOpen @THEPLAYERSChamp Can’t wait! The real question is, is there a feature to throw virtual beers on the 16th hole??
The PGA Tour and GOLF+ did a long-term deal making GOLF+ the “official virtual reality golf game of the PGA TOUR.”
With this new agreement, GOLF+ players will get exclusive content and features similar to real-world PGA Tour tournaments.
Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and other big names invest in Golf+
Golf+ has several big names as investors. World No. 1 Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Stephen Curry, Tom Brady, and Mike Trout.
GOLF+’s latest investors are Breyer Capital Group. Two-time Masters winner Ben Crenshaw, who is also one of the most respected golf course architects around, has made an investment in the game as well.
Other major investors include Jimmy Dunne, 1-800 Contacts founder Jonathan Coon, and Sam Palmisano (IBM CEO). Pennybacker Capital founder and CEO Tim Berry, Kendra Scott (Tom Nolan), and founder of Silicon Labs, Nav Sooch, are other big names.
Breyer Capital founder Jim Breyer was one of the first names in Facebook's institutional funding round in 2005. This round of funding for Golf+ came to about $6 million.
“From the first moment that I met the GOLF+ team, I knew that they had both the technical expertise and passion for golf to bring the sport into the metaverse,” Breyer said.
The GOLF+ brand came to light in late 2021 when it added full course play. However, the company was founded in 2018 as a VR putting app. Golf+ was co-founded by two friends, Ryan Engle and Rob Holzhauer, who wanted to create a platform for golfers to socialize and compete in a virtual environment.
in 2020, Engle and Holzhauer launched the game Pro Putt and a VR Top Golf venue before it evolved into its present format.
“We’ve spent countless hours honing the GOLF+ experience to be as close to the real sport as possible, but it’s not an alternative or replacement to traditional golf," said Engle.
"It’s a new way to experience the game and our goal with GOLF+ is to bring golf into the lives of as many people as possible.”
The GOLF+ virtual reality is made to complement traditional golf. It omits problems like time, green fees, and weather, helping users to play as freely as they wish to.
The VR aspect can also be helpful to ones who are strangers to the basics of the game but have an urge to learn. One can learn at their own pace with their choice of time without much stress.
A variety of golf course choices, along with a real golf-like gaming experience, makes it even more interesting. Thousands of golfers have played more than six million rounds of golf within a year of its launch.