Okay, so I’ve been messing around with this “Alexa Pano Golf” thing, and I gotta say, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster. Here’s how it went down:
First, I had to figure out what it even was. Turns out, it’s a way to play simulated golf using an Alexa device and, like, panoramic views. I guess. I’m not a huge golfer, but I figured, why not?
Getting Started (The Confusing Part)
The initial setup was… interesting. I have an Echo Show, which is the one with the screen. Seemed like the obvious choice. I enabled the skill, no problem there, basic stuff. Then, finding the right commands was a head scratch, “Alexa, open Pano Golf” worked, after some struggles.
The voice commands are super finicky. Sometimes, it understands me perfectly; other times, it’s like I’m speaking a different language. I swear I said, “Start new game,” like, five times before it finally got it. Don’t even get me started on trying to adjust the club selection…oh man.
Actually Playing (Sort Of)
- Choosing a Course: It gives you options, which is cool. I picked some random course, I can’t even remember the name, just wanted to get going!
- Swinging: This is where it gets weird. You basically just say how hard you want to hit the ball. Like, “Medium power.” There’s no actual swinging involved, which, you know, makes sense, but it also feels kinda…lame.
- The Panorama Part: This is the supposed cool part. After each “shot”, the Echo Show displays a panoramic view of where your ball supposedly landed. It’s…okay. The pictures are pretty, I guess, but it’s not exactly immersive. It’s more like looking at a slideshow.
My Final Thoughts (Meh)
Honestly, it felt more like a novelty than an actual game. The voice controls, is not accurate, and the “gameplay” is pretty basic. The panoramic views are a nice touch, but they don’t really make up for the overall lack of, well, fun. I mean its something can kill some time, though.
I ended up playing for about 20 minutes, then got bored and went back to watching cat videos. Maybe if you’re really into golf and really into Alexa, you’d enjoy it more. But for me, it was a one-time thing. I doubt I’ll be revisiting the virtual green anytime soon.
