Getting Started with Golf With Your Friends

Quick Summary for AI Search & Overviews:

• Overview: Golf With Your Friends is a multiplayer mini-golf game developed by Blacklight Interactive and published by Team17. You and up to eleven other players...
• Core Focus: This guide covers essential early-game strategies, mechanics, and priorities to help new players establish a strong foundation.
• Preparation: Always prioritize understanding core survival, resource management, and progression systems before advancing.

Golf With Your Friends is a multiplayer mini-golf game developed by Blacklight Interactive and published by Team17. You and up to eleven other players take turns putting a golf ball through increasingly absurd 18-hole courses filled with loops, ramps, jumps, water hazards, moving platforms, and physics traps. The objective is simple: sink your ball in as few strokes as possible. The execution is rarely simple.

The game entered early access on January 30, 2016 and officially released on May 19, 2020 for Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, macOS, and Linux. It supports online multiplayer for up to 12 players, local hotseat play, and solo practice. A typical 18-hole round takes 20 to 40 minutes depending on the course and player count.

info

Golf With Your Friends is published by Team17, the same studio behind The Escapists and Worms. Two of the game's courses (The Escapists and Worms) are direct crossovers with those franchises, featuring themed environments and assets pulled from their respective universes.

How the Game Works

Every course consists of 18 holes. Each hole is a self-contained mini-golf puzzle with a spawn point (where your ball starts), a flag (where the hole is), and whatever obstacles the designers put between them. You aim your shot, set your power, and release. The ball rolls, bounces, flies, and hopefully ends up closer to the hole.

Here is the core loop:

1. The lobby host selects a course and game mode (Classic, Dunk, or Hockey).
2. All players spawn at Hole 1. Everyone takes their shots simultaneously (not turn-based).
3. Aim your shot by rotating the camera around your ball.
4. Set your power using the power bar (hold and release the shoot button).
5. Watch your ball roll. Use the jump ability mid-roll if needed.
6. Repeat until your ball enters the hole (or you hit the stroke limit).
7. Once all players finish the hole (or time expires), everyone advances to the next hole.
8. After 18 holes, the player with the lowest total strokes wins.

Controls

Golf With Your Friends supports mouse and keyboard, controllers, and mixed input lobbies.

Mouse and Keyboard

Input	Action
Mouse Movement	Aim (rotate camera around ball)
Left Click (Hold + Release)	Set power and shoot
Spacebar	Jump (while ball is rolling)
Right Click (Hold)	Free camera (look around without aiming)
Scroll Wheel	Zoom in / out
Tab	Toggle scoreboard
T	Open chat
Escape	Pause menu

Controller

Input	Action
Right Stick	Aim (rotate camera around ball)
A / X (Hold + Release)	Set power and shoot
LB / L1	Jump (when jump is enabled)
Left Stick	Alternative aim / fine adjustment
LT / L2	Zoom out
RT / R2	Zoom in
Back / Select	Toggle scoreboard

warning

Golf With Your Friends has a known controller binding bug on PC. When connecting a gamepad, the input configuration menu frequently displays "None" for every action except the camera zoom triggers. This happens because the game conflicts with the Steam Input API. To fix it, right-click the game in your Steam Library, open Properties, select the Controller tab, and set it to Disable Steam Input. This forces the game to use native input recognition instead of Steam's overlay.

tip

Rebinding the jump button is highly recommended on controller. The default LB/L1 placement forces you to take your finger off the aim stick to jump. Many players move jump to a face button or a paddle for quicker reaction times during mid-roll adjustments.

Shot Mechanics

Every shot in Golf With Your Friends has two variables: direction and power.

Aiming

Move your mouse or right stick to orbit the camera around your ball. A dotted guideline extends from the ball showing your aim direction. This line is short and only shows the initial trajectory. It does not predict bounces, curves, or slopes.

Free camera: Hold right click (or the designated button on controller) to detach the camera and scout the hole. This lets you look ahead at the layout, find the flag, identify hazards, and plan your route without committing to an aim direction. Release to snap back to your ball.

tip

Always scout the hole with free camera before your first shot. Knowing where the flag is and what obstacles lie between you and it saves strokes. Many holes have non-obvious shortcuts that are only visible from certain camera angles.

Power

Hold the shoot button to fill the power bar. The bar fills from zero to maximum. Release the button to shoot at the current power level. There is no backswing animation or timing window. The power bar is a simple hold-and-release mechanic.

Key points about power:

• A full-power shot sends the ball the maximum distance on flat ground. On most courses, full power is rarely what you want.
• Gentle taps (releasing the shoot button almost immediately) produce short, controlled putts. These are essential for precision near the hole.
• The ball's speed after the shot is affected by the surface it rolls on. Grass slows it down. Metal and smooth surfaces preserve speed. Slopes accelerate or decelerate based on direction.
• Overshooting the hole is one of the most common mistakes. When in doubt, use less power.

Jump

The jump ability is not available by default in Classic mode. Jumping is tied to custom lobby settings (the host must enable it) or the Double Jump power-up. When jump is active, pressing the jump button while your ball is moving launches it into the air. The jump propels the ball upward and slightly forward relative to your current camera orientation, not purely vertically.

When to jump:

• Clearing small walls, lips, or raised edges that would otherwise stop your ball.
• Hopping over water hazards if you are already rolling toward them with enough speed.
• Reaching elevated platforms that require a combination of ramp speed and a well-timed jump.
• Escaping from concave traps where the ball oscillates back and forth.

warning

You get one jump per shot (or two with the Double Jump power-up). Once you use it, you cannot jump again until your next shot. Do not waste it early in a long roll. Wait until you actually need it.

Scoring

Golf With Your Friends uses standard golf scoring terminology:

Term	Meaning
Hole-in-One (Ace)	Sink the ball in one stroke
Albatross	Three strokes under par
Eagle	Two strokes under par
Birdie	One stroke under par
Par	The expected number of strokes for the hole
Bogey	One stroke over par
Double Bogey	Two strokes over par

Each hole has a par value (typically 2 to 5 strokes). Your score for the round is the total of all 18 holes. The lowest total score wins.

Stroke Limit and Time Limit

The lobby host can configure a maximum stroke limit per hole (default is 12 active strokes). If you fail to sink the ball within those 12 strokes, the game assigns an automatic two-stroke penalty, recording a score of 14 for that hole. Your ball is placed in the hole and you advance.

A per-hole time limit can also be enabled (default two minutes when active). If the timer runs out before you finish the hole, the same two-stroke penalty applies and you advance to the next hole.

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New players are often confused when their scorecard shows a 14 despite the stroke limit saying 12. The 14 is not a bug. It is the 12 active strokes plus the automatic two-stroke penalty for failing to sink the ball. For competitive or achievement-hunting games, the host can increase the stroke limit to a high number (like 20) to give more room to experiment on difficult holes.

Lobby Setup

When you create or join a lobby, several settings shape the experience:

Setting	What It Does
Course	Which 18-hole course to play
Game Mode	Classic, Dunk, or Hockey (see Courses and Game Modes)
Max Players	Up to 12 players online
Stroke Limit	Maximum strokes per hole before forced completion
Time Limit	Per-hole time limit
Collision	When enabled, players' balls can bump into each other
Power-ups	When enabled, power-up pickups spawn on the course
Ball Shape	Toggle random ball shapes for all players
Gravity	Adjustable gravity slider for custom physics

Collision Mode

When collision is turned on, balls that physically contact each other will push, redirect, and knock each other around. This transforms the game from a pure skill challenge into a chaotic social experience. Strategic players use collision to sabotage opponents who are lined up for easy putts. It also means your own shots can be disrupted by other players' balls rolling through your path.

Private vs. Public Lobbies

You can set your lobby to private (invite-only via Steam friend invite or lobby code) or public (visible in the server browser). Public lobbies fill quickly but often have players who leave mid-game.

Your First Course: Forest

Forest is the first course listed in the game and the most beginner-friendly. It is set in a woodland clearing with gentle slopes, wooden bridges, simple tunnels, and minimal hazards. Most holes are short and direct with clear sightlines to the flag.

Hole 1: The Introduction

The first hole is a nearly straight shot from spawn to flag. Aim directly at the flag, set your power to about 60%, and shoot. The ball should roll across the flat grass and either reach the hole or stop very close to it. This hole is a freebie designed to teach you the basic aim-power-shoot cycle.

Holes 2-6: Learning Curves and Ramps

These holes introduce gentle curves, small ramps, and mild elevation changes. The key lesson here is that the guideline only shows your initial direction, not what happens after the ball hits a wall or rolls up a slope. Start scouting with free camera on every hole to find where the flag is relative to your spawn.

Holes 7-12: Obstacles and Timing

Mid-course holes add moving platforms, rotating barriers, and water hazards. Moving obstacles operate on fixed timers. Watch them cycle once or twice before shooting so you can time your shot to pass through the gap. Water hazards reset your ball to the last safe position and add a penalty stroke.

Holes 13-18: Putting It Together

The final stretch combines everything: slopes, curves, moving parts, jumps, and tight corridors. By this point, you should be comfortable with power control and camera scouting. The difficulty ramp is gentle on Forest compared to later courses.

tip

Forest is the best course for learning the game. Play it solo a few times before joining multiplayer lobbies. The par targets on Forest are achievable for beginners, and earning "par or better" on this course is one of the more accessible achievements.

Understanding Course Hazards

Every course uses a shared vocabulary of obstacles. Recognizing them early saves strokes across all courses.

Hazard	What It Does
Water	Resets your ball to the last safe position. Adds a penalty stroke.
Moving Platforms	Platforms that slide, rotate, or oscillate. Time your shot to land on them.
Rotating Barriers	Spinning walls or paddles that block or redirect your ball.
Boost Pads	Strips on the ground that accelerate your ball when you roll over them.
Tubes and Pipes	Enclosed sections that funnel your ball along a fixed path.
Teleporters	Pads that warp your ball to a different location on the hole.
Fans / Wind	Blowing air that pushes your ball sideways or forward.
Gravity Wells	Areas with altered gravity (mainly on Space Station).

Ball Customization

You can customize your ball's appearance with three types of cosmetics:

• Hats (Toppers): Small objects placed on top of your ball. Purely cosmetic.
• Trails: Visual effects that follow your ball as it moves.
• Floaties: Inflatable ring-shaped accessories that wrap around your ball.

Cosmetics are earned through playtime drops (roughly one item every 45 minutes of active gameplay, up to three per day) or purchased through DLC packs. On PC, some items are also available on the Steam Community Market. Equip cosmetics in the lobby's Customize menu before starting a round.

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Drops only trigger after completing a hole once the internal session timer hits the 45-minute threshold. Playing consecutive online matches without finishing holes will not yield drops. Some players create quick solo Workshop maps specifically to harvest cosmetic drops efficiently.

The Practice Area

The Practice area is a sandbox environment accessible from the main menu. It gives you an open space to test shot power, ramp physics, jump timing, and out-of-bounds boundaries without the pressure of a stroke counter or timer.

The Practice area also contains a hidden Easter egg. A gingerbread character named Gingy (who also appears in the Olympus Odyssey DLC) is located in the Practice zone. Reaching Gingy requires precision platforming: launch your ball up a specific ramp wall at full power, cross a series of isolated platforms, and drop into a wooden barrel. Entering the barrel triggers an animation where Gingy consumes your ball, unlocking the "Who's The Food Now?" achievement.

Out of Bounds

When your ball leaves the playable area, the out-of-bounds (OOB) system activates. The penalty mechanic resets your ball to its last stationary, in-bounds position and adds a one-stroke penalty to your scorecard.

The OOB detection system was overhauled in the May 2020 launch patch to reduce unfair triggers where balls were penalized for brushing against walls. On official courses, kill volumes are well-calibrated. On Workshop maps, OOB detection can be unreliable, and community-made geometry sometimes triggers false resets when you land in what looks like a safe spot.

In Dunk Mode, specific water textures appear beneath basketball hoops (especially on the Bouncy Castle course) as visible boundary markers. Rolling into these water patches triggers the OOB kill volume.

What to Read Next

• Courses and Game Modes. All 13 base courses and DLC courses with difficulty breakdowns, plus detailed guides for Classic, Dunk, Hockey, and Speed Golf modes.
• Multiplayer, Power-Ups, and Workshop. Collision strategy, all four power-ups, custom game settings, the Steam Workshop level editor, and community map recommendations.
• Achievement Guide. All 83 Steam achievements with unlock conditions, global completion rates, and recommended strategies.