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**VUSO 2018 and Announcement**

• alanti 10,564 Posts

  Sat, Mar 3 2018 4:28 PM

  amb1923:

  So I'm not completely convinced that it's the snootiness of Shinnecock or Winged Foot that means we won't get a new course for 3 years. Merion is a pretty snooty private club. So was Oakmont. I think it's just the general decline of WGT, especially after the TopGolf buyout.

  Even the size of the response on this thread is an indication of the decline. Remember when the TruGolf courses came out in 2010/2011 and people went crazy in the forums?Probably 30 pages of responses. The handwriting is on the wall for WGT, I think.

  And speaking of TruGolf, if we have to wait til 2020 for the next course, could the powers that be at least get rid of the greens fees so we can play around on Cabo & Whistler until Flash doesn't work anymore?

  Full Bandon sounds fun eventually. Who knows if there will be anyone around to turn off the lights by then...

  I agree, this has little to do with the clubs saying no, but far more to do with the reluctance to spend money investing in a wounded beast.

  WGT numbers have been dropping for a long time, and Andyson used to publish the unique visitors which backed this up.And as you say, a look at the WGT forum just proves this.......then a look at anyones "friends list" of mates who never or seldom play is testament to this.

  Golf participation is dropping in general.....however it is still strong, and juniors (especially girls) taking up the game is encouraging.

  Then take the boom in Asia and developing countries.....the market is still massive.

  We have lived through hard economic times, and this is partially the reason, plus one has to remember, golf is still seen as an elitist sport (the costs of equipment and membership are high), thus denying many people actually playing. 

  Enter driving ranges (especially gimmicky ones like TG provide where it is more "entertainment") where it is affordable, their is still sufficient demand for a game like WGT to be successful.

  But it has become stale with no real development and the gimmicks added for the time challenged millennials has further driven players away.

  TG's market has been the younger set as per DufferJohn's stats.......as Jim said, they get up too late to work, and more than three holes might interfere with snapchat......

  Will they keep the game going? No, someone playing for minutes a day will not spend, and probably cannot afford to spend (or have the time to do surveys).

  Flash will die, along with it, this game for us PC users......Mobile will probably continue, but will not have the allure to keep the golfers playing. 

  I hope TG do sell off the PC version, so someone can migrate the game to another platform, and actually invest rather than pillage. Only then, will the WGT potential be reaped.

• patrickmar 245 Posts

  Sun, Mar 4 2018 4:21 AM

  mkg335:

  Hi,
  Thank you for the message. Regrettably Shinnecock will not be one of the courses offered this year. Unfortunately we are unable to provide more information on this at this time.

  Best Regards,
  WGT Member Services

  Classic WGT response, we already put our own courses together in CC's and that the only reason that i continue to play only once a day. I guess that i will just create my own US open for my club members myself. TG has run this game in the ground.

• Woodie312 671 Posts

  Sun, Mar 4 2018 4:52 AM

  alanti:

  WGT numbers have been dropping for a long time, and Andyson used to publish the unique visitors which backed this up.And as you say, a look at the WGT forum just proves this.......then a look at anyones "friends list" of mates who never or seldom play is testament to this.

  Alanti this is so true. After reading this I went to my own friend list and started at the end (meaning the oldest adds first) and checked about 50 players. Other than members of my CC I ended up removing about 30 friends that showed either no play history since October of last year or no play history at all. (I don’t know how long they keep the score history up, but it appears to be at least 5-6 months.) That is 60% that this company has let drift away, yeah sure some of them may have been restarts or maybe it just was not the game for them.

  But how can a serious company that wants to have longevity in the market (which is what generates PROFIT folks) even lose 1% of the business base without listening to the consumers about what needs to be fixed, improved, or supplemented.

  There I used all the Buzzwords now maybe someone in the marketing department (if they still have one) will steal it and present it as their idea. LMAO

  alanti:

  I hope TG do sell off the PC version, so someone can migrate the game to another platform, and actually invest rather than pillage. Only then, will the WGT potential be reaped.

  +1 to this

• 9,041 Posts

  Sun, Mar 4 2018 6:21 AM

  Woodie312:

  (I don’t know how long they keep the score history up, but it appears to be at least 5-6 months.)

  3 months..

• kavvz 2,195 Posts

  Sun, Mar 4 2018 2:07 PM

  alanti:

  amb1923:

  So I'm not completely convinced that it's the snootiness of Shinnecock or Winged Foot that means we won't get a new course for 3 years. Merion is a pretty snooty private club. So was Oakmont. I think it's just the general decline of WGT, especially after the TopGolf buyout.

  Even the size of the response on this thread is an indication of the decline. Remember when the TruGolf courses came out in 2010/2011 and people went crazy in the forums?Probably 30 pages of responses. The handwriting is on the wall for WGT, I think.

  And speaking of TruGolf, if we have to wait til 2020 for the next course, could the powers that be at least get rid of the greens fees so we can play around on Cabo & Whistler until Flash doesn't work anymore?

  Full Bandon sounds fun eventually. Who knows if there will be anyone around to turn off the lights by then...

  I agree, this has little to do with the clubs saying no, but far more to do with the reluctance to spend money investing in a wounded beast.

  I really don't know how anyone could possible claim that without evidence.  

  Truth is every single person commenting on why no Shinnecock or Winged Foot has no idea why.  

  Nothing but speculation lacking substance is all it is.

   

• TWOMINUSONE 2,580 Posts

  Sun, Mar 4 2018 2:32 PM

  Come back Chad and Yuchang, and all will be forgiven.

• siggipj76 2,989 Posts

  Sun, Mar 4 2018 2:41 PM

  kavvz:

  alanti:

  amb1923:

  So I'm not completely convinced that it's the snootiness of Shinnecock or Winged Foot that means we won't get a new course for 3 years. Merion is a pretty snooty private club. So was Oakmont. I think it's just the general decline of WGT, especially after the TopGolf buyout.

  Even the size of the response on this thread is an indication of the decline. Remember when the TruGolf courses came out in 2010/2011 and people went crazy in the forums?Probably 30 pages of responses. The handwriting is on the wall for WGT, I think.

  And speaking of TruGolf, if we have to wait til 2020 for the next course, could the powers that be at least get rid of the greens fees so we can play around on Cabo & Whistler until Flash doesn't work anymore?

  Full Bandon sounds fun eventually. Who knows if there will be anyone around to turn off the lights by then...

  I agree, this has little to do with the clubs saying no, but far more to do with the reluctance to spend money investing in a wounded beast.

  I really don't know how anyone could possible claim that without evidence.  

  Truth is every single person commenting on why no Shinnecock or Winged Foot has no idea why.  

  Nothing but speculation lacking substance is all it is.

   

   I Think Alan is spot on, if you had been/played here a little longer , I think you would be able to see that too.

• kavvz 2,195 Posts

  Sun, Mar 4 2018 3:28 PM

  siggipj76:

   I Think Alan is spot on, if you had been/played here a little longer , I think you would be able to see that too.

  I'm no so sure.  No need to be here since the beginning to know that comparing interest in real life golf/TG's entertainment golf range's vs. this "game" isn't really comparing "like" products.  

  i.e. I really don't think an infux of young real world golfer's has any influence on numbers in this game.

  These forums lacking numbers is nothing more than an indicator of today's world, where mobile rules.  This forum having less posts is simply because most players find the game via facebook / Apple/Google play store --- not via this platform.  i.e. they don't know that this forum exists.

   

• alanti 10,564 Posts

  Sun, Mar 4 2018 3:51 PM

  kavvz:

  siggipj76:

   I Think Alan is spot on, if you had been/played here a little longer , I think you would be able to see that too.

  I'm no so sure.  No need to be here since the beginning to know that comparing interest in real life golf/TG's entertainment golf range's vs. this "game" isn't really comparing "like" products.  

  i.e. I really don't think an infux of young real world golfer's has any influence on numbers in this game.

  These forums lacking numbers is nothing more than an indicator of today's world, where mobile rules.  This forum having less posts is simply because most players find the game via facebook / Apple/Google play store --- not via this platform.  i.e. they don't know that this forum exists.

   

  As I an in moderation, this will not show until it is approved.....we may have well moved on my then....

  The unique site visits Andyson posted were real - and I have do doubt they have continued to decline.

  Sure some of the slack will have been pick up by app players, but the litmus test is seeing your friends simply bow out of the game but to glitches that are never fixed, the fact they do not necessarily play on an even playing field or they simply burn out or get bored of the lack of development....tons of reasons.

  Then getting a game of 4 players for an alt shot game can be like pulling teeth.

  I agree that the forum is not an accurate gauge, but it probably show some significance that fewer players play on the PC platform.

  The PC platform will die when flash is finally killed off....I think that is why Shinnecock will never see the light of day on WGT.....and it appears most mobile players (based on the uproar about matches being reduced from 3 to 1 hole) do not have the attention span to play a full course and why invest further when it is not longer term.

  Of course, neither of us know the real reason, but I would think I am far closer t the mark than you.

   As a golfer, I play for fun, for the graphics and glimpses of a couple of courses I have played in real golf, and to admire the courses I have not played. I will continue to play (albeit I do not grind out the rounds nor does the scoring really bother me) until the permanent closed for frost sign adorns my screen.

  It has (and still is) a great game.......but it never really reached its potential.

  Just for the record, business 101 is to look after existing customers - this is the fundamental rule that WGT broke....hence the decline IMO. 

   

• kavvz 2,195 Posts

  Sun, Mar 4 2018 6:51 PM

  We've delved into a half a dozen or so different topics it seems.

  Your friends leave for a myriad of different reasons & no doubt some are because of the reasons you stated, but this game is no different than any other.  Players will always leave no matter what the game maker does, it's just the way it is.  To be able to pinpoint it at 1 reason (i.e. friends leaving due to glitches) is suspect at best.  People just get tired of games all the time -- there could be Shinnecock and Winged foot and Augusta and Muirfield and whatever else people would still leave -- yes even your friends.

  There's no way we're not seeing Shinnecock because support for flash ends after 2020.  Think about it.  Why would they spend the time and money doing full Bandon if the game was on its last legs?  Business 101 says that's a bad idea.