This study compared the effects of real-world and immersive virtual reality (VR) practice on golf putting skill learning and conscious movement processing in novice performers. A semi-experimental pretest–posttest design was employed. Twenty-six novice participants were randomly assigned to either a Real Practice group (n = 13) or a VR Practice group (n = 13). Both groups completed the same practice protocol over three sessions. Conscious movement processing was assessed using the Task-Specific Conscious Movement Processing Questionnaire, while motor performance was evaluated using radial error (RE) and variable error (VE). Data were analyzed using repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance (RM-MANOVA). Results showed significant reductions in RE in both groups (p < .05), indicating improved putting accuracy. However, significant improvement in VE was observed only in the Real Practice group (p < .05). Conscious movement processing also decreased significantly only after real-world practice, whereas no significant change was found following VR practice (p > .05). Despite this, the VR group demonstrated significant improvement in putting accuracy when tested in the real environment. Overall, both practice conditions enhanced golf putting accuracy, but only real-world practice improved movement consistency and reduced conscious movement processing. These findings suggest that immersive VR can effectively facilitate motor skill acquisition and support the transfer of learning to real-world performance. However, under the conditions of the present study, VR practice did not promote stable and automatic motor control to the same extent as real-world practice.