--- title: "Golf With Your Friends: Complete Guide" game: "Golf With Your Friends" game_url: "https://qna.gg/games/golf-with-your-friends" author: "Qloud" author_url: "https://qna.gg/players/Qloud" topics: ["Achievements", "Settings"] summary: "This guide covers how to shoot well, read courses, and use power-ups in Golf With Your Friends, plus hosting and lobby settings, game modes, the level editor, DLC, and what's known about the sequel. Researched…" url: "https://qna.gg/g/golf-with-your-friends-complete-guide-1dd7cf4f" published: "2026-09-27T17:18:22.742Z" updated: "2026-09-27T17:18:22.742Z" source: "QnA.GG" --- # Golf With Your Friends: Complete Guide This guide covers how to shoot well, read courses, and use power-ups in Golf With Your Friends, plus hosting and lobby settings, game modes, the level editor, DLC, and what's known about the sequel. *Researched September 2026 — current as of the Oct 2025 security patch and the Quality of Life update (May 2025, hotfix 2 July 23, 2025). Golf With Your Friends 2 is announced for Fall 2026 but not yet released. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.* ## Quick Start 1. **Everyone plays at the same time.** Up to 12 players tee off together online, so there's no waiting for turns. Collisions between balls can be turned on in lobby settings. 2. **Power is everything.** Most bad shots are overhit, not mis-aimed. Learn to use about half power for most putts. 3. **Watch the par and the stroke limit.** Each hole has a par and usually a max stroke count. Hit the max and you take the penalty score and move on. 4. **Look before you shoot.** Use the free camera to check the hole's layout, shortcuts, and hazards before your first stroke. 5. **Bank shots are your friend.** Walls are predictable. Bouncing off them is often more reliable than threading a gap. 6. **Power-ups change everything when they're on.** Honey traps a ball, freezing stops it, and the cube turns it into a block that won't roll. Know what's enabled before you start. 7. **Local play is hotseat.** Couch play is turn-based on one screen, not split-screen, and needs one controller. 8. **There's no crossplay in the original game.** Only players on the same platform can join each other. The sequel is promised to have full cross-platform play. ## Game Modes | Mode | What it is | |---|---| | Classic | Standard mini golf: fewest strokes wins | | Dunk (hoops) | Shoot for par through basketball-style hoops instead of holes | | Hockey | The hole is replaced by a goal; team-based chaos | Every course has a Classic and a Dunk version, and most also have a Hockey version. The Steam achievements track each course and mode separately, so a full completion run means playing every course in every mode it supports. ### Lobby settings worth knowing Hosts can pick presets or tweak individual settings from the lobby's Mode button: - **Collisions** on or off (balls bump each other). - **Power-ups** on or off. - **Hole time limit** and **max strokes**. - **Course and hole selection**, including custom levels. Lobby types include Public, Friends, Password, and Invite Only. The July 2025 hotfix stopped the host AFK timer from applying to Friends, Password, and Invite Only lobbies. ## Courses The base game has **13 themed 18-hole courses (234 holes)**, each with its own mechanics. Names below are the ones the game and its Steam achievements use: | Course | Theme and what to expect | |---|---| | Forest | The starter course: gentle slopes and simple layouts. Best for new players | | Twilight | A magical night-time forest; a step up from Forest | | Pirate | Pirate theme with sand and cannons | | Ancient | Prehistoric/dinosaur theme; the store suggests aiming for an albatross here | | Oasis | Desert and pharaoh theme | | CandyLand | Sweets theme; the practice area also has Gingy, who can eat your ball | | Haunted | Spooky Halloween theme | | Space Station | Sci-fi station holes | | Deep | Underwater theme | | Volcano | Lava and high ground | | Museum | Natural history museum | | Worms | Crossover with Team17's *Worms* series; explosive, chaotic holes | | Escapists | Crossover with Team17's *The Escapists*; prison-yard layouts | Stick to Forest and Twilight for a group of first-timers, and bring out the crossover and late courses once everyone knows the controls. **Paid course DLC:** | DLC course | Notes | |---|---| | Corrupted Forest | Darker take on the forest theme | | Bouncy Castle | Bouncy surfaces and wild rebounds | | Peaceful Pines | Scenic course with its own layout | | Olympus Odyssey | Greek mythology theme | **Cosmetic packs:** Caddy, Racing, Summer Party, Sports, Pizza Party, Fairytale Fables, Horrifying Headgear, Teams Mascot Hat, Critical Hit, Soaring Eagles Cosplay, and Legends of Olympus. The **Ultimate Edition** bundles the base game with the Corrupted Forest, Bouncy Castle, and Peaceful Pines courses and several cosmetic packs. It regularly goes on deep discounts (for example, 80% off during the December 2025 Steam Sports Fest). ## Shooting Fundamentals ### Aim - Line up using the aim guide and the camera. Aim through the center of the hole's opening, not the edge. - On slopes, **aim uphill of the hole** and let gravity bring the ball down. ### Power - **Short putts:** a small fraction of max power. Overhitting short putts is the most common mistake. - **Long straightaways:** medium-high power, and aim to land short so the ball rolls in. - **Ramps and jumps:** enough power to clear the gap, not max. Too much sends you off the course. ### Banks and rebounds - Ball angles off walls are consistent. Aim at the wall where the reflection lines up with the hole. - Use banks to go around obstacles and to slow a fast ball near the hole. ### Moving obstacles - Windmills, rotating arms, and sliding blocks all run on a timer. Watch one full cycle, then time your shot. ## Power-Ups When power-ups are on, you pick them up on the course and use them on opponents or yourself. The store page highlights: - **Honey**: traps an opponent's ball in a sticky blob. - **Freeze**: freezes an opponent's ball in place. - **Cube**: turns a ball into a cube that doesn't roll properly. Other power-ups affect your own ball or other players in different ways. Check the in-game list for everything available in your version. **Tips:** - Save disruptive power-ups for when a rival is about to putt out. - Use them when your own shot is already safe. - In collision games, defensive positioning near the hole can block others. ## Hosting a Good Game - **Pick a course everyone can enjoy.** Forest and Twilight are easy for new players. Save the trickier courses for regulars. - **Set a reasonable max stroke limit** to keep rounds moving. - **Turn on the hole time limit** in big lobbies. - **Collisions and power-ups** are fun but chaotic. Turn them off for competitive rounds. - **Use a Password or Invite Only lobby** for friends-only games. ## Level Editor and Custom Courses - The built-in **Level Editor** lets you design, share, and play custom holes and courses. - Custom levels can be loaded from the lobby's course selection. - **Design tips:** start with a simple par 2–3 hole, test with friends, then add hazards. Clear sightlines keep holes fun. ## Scoring Terms | Term | Meaning | |---|---| | Par | The target number of strokes for the hole | | Birdie | One under par | | Eagle | Two under par | | Albatross | Three under par (a hole-in-one on a par 4) | | Hole in one | Sinking the ball with your first shot | | Max shots | Hitting the lobby's stroke limit; you take the penalty score for the hole | | Out of time | Running out the hole timer before you sink the ball | ## Achievements The Steam achievements are mostly grind and course completion, with a few you can go for deliberately: - **Course achievements:** play a full game of each course in Classic, Dunk, and (where offered) Hockey, and get par or better on each course in Classic. The par-or-better ones are the hard part, so practice those courses in Local mode first. - **Shot milestones:** Beginner Putter (100 shots), Amateur Putter (1,000), and Master Putter (10,000) unlock through normal play. - **Scoring:** Hole in one, 10 birdies, 50 pars, one albatross, and 10 albatrosses. - **Failure achievements:** go out of bounds (once and 50 times), hit the max shots limit, and run out of time (once and 50 times). Easy to farm in a private lobby. - **Who's The Food Now?:** get eaten by Gingy in the practice area. ## Customization - Unlock **hats, skins, and trails** for your ball through play and DLC packs. - To change your hat: open the Customize menu, select the hat, and apply it. ## Performance and Settings - The PC minimum specs are modest (64-bit Windows 7 SP1 or 10, i3-2100 or FX-6300, 2 GB RAM, GTX 460 or Radeon 6870 class GPU). The install is about 5.25 GB. - Lower the quality preset in Settings or the Pause menu if you get stuttering. - **Keep the game updated.** An October 2025 patch fixed a Unity security vulnerability. Players on older builds should update. ## Golf With Your Friends 2 - **Release:** Fall 2026 on Steam and consoles, with full cross-platform play. - **Developer:** Radical Forge, rebuilt from scratch in a new engine. It launches as a full release, not Early Access. - **Content announced:** six new courses (including a skate park course and **Bumper Station**, a space course with Space Rails, Speed Ramps, and Anti-Gravity Ramps), new hole explosions, deep customization, up to 12 players, new modes, and an accessible level editor on Steam and consoles. - **Collision Mode** returns from the original. The original stays playable and still gets maintenance patches. ## Common Mistakes to Avoid - **Overhitting putts.** Less power is almost always better near the hole. - **Shooting without looking.** Check each hole's layout and shortcuts first. - **Ignoring moving obstacle timing.** Watch one cycle before shooting. - **Hosting huge lobbies with no time limit.** One stuck player holds everyone up. - **Aiming directly at the hole on slopes.** Aim uphill. - **Using power-ups too early.** Save them for key moments. - **Expecting crossplay.** The original game doesn't support it. ## Advanced Tips - **Learn shortcuts.** Many holes have high-risk shortcuts: jumps, hidden paths, or walls to bank off. They're worth it once you've learned them. - **Hole-in-one practice:** replay a course in local mode to learn exact power levels for key holes. - **Controller vs mouse:** mouse is often more precise for power control. Controllers work well for couch play. - **In collision games, go second.** Let others shoot first, then use their balls to bank or bump into position. - **Use banks to slow down.** A soft bank near the hole stops overshoots. - **Watch other players' shots.** Online play is simultaneous, so you can learn a hole from how others play it. ## FAQ **How many players can play?** Up to 12 online. Local play is hotseat on one screen. **Is there crossplay?** Not in the original game. Golf With Your Friends 2 will support full cross-platform play. **Can I play solo?** Yes. Use Local mode without adding extra players. **What's in the Ultimate Edition?** The base game, three course DLCs (Corrupted Forest, Bouncy Castle, Peaceful Pines), and several cosmetic packs. **When does Golf With Your Friends 2 come out?** Fall 2026 on Steam and consoles. As of late September 2026 it isn't out yet. **How do I make custom levels?** Use the built-in Level Editor, then load your creation from the lobby's course selection to play with friends. **Is there split-screen?** No. Local multiplayer is turn-based hotseat. ## Sources - [Golf With Your Friends on Steam (store page and announcements)](https://store.steampowered.com/app/431240/Golf_With_Your_Friends/) - [Official site FAQ: gwyf.golf](https://gwyf.golf/faqs) - [Official announcement: Golf With Your Friends 2 Bumper Station reveal (May 21, 2026)](https://steamstore-a.akamaihd.net/news/externalpost/steam_community_announcements/1833334318569401) - [Official announcement: Golf With Your Friends 2 Coming Fall 2026 (Apr 23, 2026)](https://steamstore-a.akamaihd.net/news/externalpost/steam_community_announcements/1830797770233901) - [Official announcement: Update Required (Oct 3, 2025)](https://steamstore-a.akamaihd.net/news/externalpost/steam_community_announcements/1811772772514451) - [Official announcement: Quality of Life Hotfix 2 (July 23, 2025)](https://steamstore-a.akamaihd.net/news/externalpost/steam_community_announcements/1806064758578325) - [Wikipedia: Golf With Your Friends](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golf_With_Your_Friends) - [Steam achievements list (course and mode names)](https://steamcommunity.com/stats/431240/achievements)