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RG's can be tough way to make credits....

Tue, Dec 3 2019 7:37 AM (24 replies)
  • el3n1
    4,491 Posts
    Mon, Mar 4 2019 7:50 AM

    I have seen a few threads on RG's and hope to see more for certain tiers, etc... but I also was looking at some of my current options in the Legend tier, which a number of people regard as having the most options.

    RG's can be a tough way to make credits at times and your profit margin can be deceptive since it includes your cost to enter and the ball use (hits on balls) to play.  It doesn't include or reflect lost balls or WD's.  So true stats or profit margin has to be tracked individually.  

    While it is common knowledge to some, ball use can significantly cut into profits... when a particular event fails to fill up quickly it could be because people are trying to make rational decisions regarding participation.  There are a fair number of RG's where even placing in the top 5-10 could still mean lost credits depending on the ball being used.

    Here is something I worked on to help me estimate whether an event was practical.  Some courses I can get away playing a lower end ball, but others, in order to be competitive I may need more distance or bite (spin) in order to get close to pins on slippery elevated greens, but upgrading your ball lowers your profit margin.  

    I have tried to find a "sweet spot" or ideal ball based on observations and a ball I feel comfortable playing.

    If you don't consider these things, RG profits may be harder to obtain and mean it could actually be easier to click through 2 credit videos than possibly earn a handful of credits or lose credits in a RG despite a top 10 finish.  

    I made my estimates based on a regular course and projected score to finish top 10, minus putts because it was suggested putts don't reduce ball hits.  The scenario can vary from course to course.  Bop3 and Bop5 would obviously alter ball hit use and the calculations.

    I had read that most balls typically get around 120 hits/ball so that is what I used to base my numbers on in regards to ball hit use.

    above chart is for 18 hole RG and 3 of the lower entry fee's 50, 100, 200 credit.


     

  • lonniescott711
    4,180 Posts
    Mon, Mar 4 2019 10:26 AM

    Sometimes I think to much is put into playing the game . When it comes to playing for credits you cant penny pinch your way through it . You just have to find you a good ball and stick with it  The video offers are none right now at least for me . Im on the pc platform and havent seen any videos since the holidays .

    Im getting by on surveys and its only a couple every week . Trial Pay is also gone so earning the credits offer is becoming very difficult to do . I understand you`re trying to rationalize the cost of playing a RG and making it worth you while . There`s nothing wrong with that . To me the most important factor is "do you feel that you have a chance of winning or finishing in the top 10 payout ."

    If the answer is yes then go play because that`s all that matters . Not the cost of the ball or the the amount of strikes . So as of now playing to earn credits or doing offers are about the same . Both are just as unsure as the other and difficult to achieve .

  • el3n1
    4,491 Posts
    Mon, Mar 4 2019 12:23 PM

    I get that as well Lonnie... everyone tends to find their own way... not suggesting the path I have gone is what others would also pursue... sometimes the pressure of trying to play RG can take away the enjoyment of just playing and I know it is time to just get together with friends to just hit a few around in an AS game.  

    While surveys were never very reliable for me, I did build up credits watching the 2 credit videos on the mobile platform to cover the cost of equipment and ball use the first 12 - 18 months of playing.  Since then I have tried to see if I could do so playing RG's once I felt my game had progressed well enough that I wouldn't be throwing credits into the wind.  

    For me, while I could build credits clicking through videos, it seemed to take up time and distract me to the point I felt it was causing ADD.  I wouldn't concentrate on the movie or tv show, my mind would be trying to multi task and seemed distracted, heaven forbid someone try to talk to me while I half paid attention.  

    Just like golf though, maybe it is about finding a balance, rhythm, and good tempo... : )

  • DoctorLarry
    4,274 Posts
    Mon, Mar 4 2019 1:48 PM

    el3n1:

    I get that as well Lonnie... everyone tends to find their own way... not suggesting the path I have gone is what others would also pursue... sometimes the pressure of trying to play RG can take away the enjoyment of just playing and I know it is time to just get together with friends to just hit a few around in an AS game.  

    While surveys were never very reliable for me, I did build up credits watching the 2 credit videos on the mobile platform to cover the cost of equipment and ball use the first 12 - 18 months of playing.  Since then I have tried to see if I could do so playing RG's once I felt my game had progressed well enough that I wouldn't be throwing credits into the wind.  

    For me, while I could build credits clicking through videos, it seemed to take up time and distract me to the point I felt it was causing ADD.  I wouldn't concentrate on the movie or tv show, my mind would be trying to multi task and seemed distracted, heaven forbid someone try to talk to me while I half paid attention.  

    Just like golf though, maybe it is about finding a balance, rhythm, and good tempo... : )

    I totally agree with where you are coming from - everything in the game uses time and/or money.  For entertainment, that is quite typical, in fact, I don't know of anything you can do without time and not that many things that don't cost something!

    I never did a detailed analysis of projection like this, but that is they type of thing I would do if I played RGs.  Having tiered up to Legend not too long ago, it is hard to place anywhere high in anything in this tier!!

    In lower tiers, I played the "free" stroke play or CTTH tourneys and was able to do reasonably well - and worth it for the entertainment value if nothing else.  Now - I am trying to just have some fun (and learn more) without worrying about credits.  I do quite well with credit videos - seems I can do those without any of the problems you described (which I do not doubt at all), at least so far.

    Anyway, it does not hurt to remind folks that everything here has a cost and we can/should spend our resources wisely.

  • AussieMick11
    1,275 Posts
    Wed, Mar 6 2019 11:45 AM

    Good thread el3n1, thank you for sharing. Great info there, I think ball cost is important if you're playing RGs to make a profit.

    I tracked my RG progress for the first few months of 2017 when I was playing a lot of RGs, because I run a club and use credits for various club activities. I used 47 credits as my ball cost per 9 holes based on the way I played and the balls I used at the time (lvl 61 Nike, IIRC), and it looked like this...

    You're right, it can be a tough way to earn credits. Definitely need to pick and choose your spots. Nowadays the 2 credit vids on mobile, combined with some lucky rounds in the free tournaments, can fund the club activities for me :) 

    Have fun in the RG world, keep kicking butt!

  • DoctorLarry
    4,274 Posts
    Wed, Mar 6 2019 11:58 AM

    AussieMick11:
    I tracked my RG progress for the first few months of 2017 when I was playing a lot of RGs,

    Man, I love a good spreadsheet!

    To add to your comments, it looks like you played a total of 43 9-hole rounds, averaging a net of about 147 credits per round played (6321/43).

    I guess it depends on how fast you play (me - not so fast), you could compare that amount of time to how long it takes to rack up 147 credits on the videos.  For me, I can make credits faster on the vids!  YMMV.  Of course, I do most of the vids as a sideline while I am doing something else that does not require 100% attention.

    Of course, that is discounting the entertainment value of playing.  I guess I enjoy playing often without the virtual pressure of a tournament.  Sometimes, I like the pressure and play a tourney.

  • AussieMick11
    1,275 Posts
    Wed, Mar 6 2019 12:11 PM

    DoctorLarry:

    To add to your comments, it looks like you played a total of 43 9-hole rounds, averaging a net of about 147 credits per round played (6321/43).

    I think you can maybe only see 43 rounds in that view? But that month (Jan '17) I played 134.5 18-hole rounds. The first 3 rows of the sheet are frozen, but you can see the last entry is at row 183 so there are a lot that you can't see, that add up to the 6321.5 total.

    The entertainment value is priceless, there's nothing like hitting a great shot or making a big putt while under pressure :)

  • el3n1
    4,491 Posts
    Wed, Mar 6 2019 12:25 PM

    AussieMick11:
    Definitely need to pick and choose your spots.

    thanks for sharing your chart #aussiemick11.  The one I worked on similar to yours is broken up into different sections so that one is not as clear how I organized the information.  Your's does that pretty well.  

    It is why I shared the easier version of projecting profit.  I modified the 18 hole with a 9 hole version as well.  That said,  here is an example I was referring to and you point out.  

    Currently in the Legend tier there are a couple 100 credit RG's. 

    One is 9 holes the other is 18.  Now the 9 hole layout is on Olympic and I feel I can play the L61 ball there, but the 18 hole RG is on Congo which has elevated greens.  When I played Congo last year in the VT, I couldn't get the L61 ball to bite into those elevated C13 greens to give me more reasonable looks at birdie, so I had to upgrade to the L96 TM.

    But if you look at the 18 hole chart for 100 credit RG's  you will quickly notice, my expected profit margin drops quite a bit for a ball upgrade over 18 holes with a 100 entry fee.  -- So, for me and where my game is right now, it isn't a smart choice to spend roughly 170 credits to win 30 with a top 5-10 finish.  

    Again, another factor right now in Legend tier RG's is heavy winds... sometimes you need good heavy winds to post a reasonable score.  In the BOP5 event, I recently had what felt like almost entirely headwinds giving me very few looks at eagle and I had to scramble for birdie or par.  It was a tough round and while my WGT earnings increased, I actually lost credits on that round in particular.  

    Contrast that when you get favorable heavy winds in BOP5 you are more than likely shooting 18 -20 under and securing even a top 3 spot.  Sometimes, you just need your average to cover your overall cost and still make some headway.

    I can try to post the 9 hole as well if anyone is interested.  these are copy and pasted so sometimes, I have to tweak them to get them to look reasonable in the forum.

     

  • el3n1
    4,491 Posts
    Wed, Mar 6 2019 12:29 PM

    9 hole example... the excel sheet I created these in allow me to modify the number of hits expected to possibly place top 10, based on observations in the ready go history.  I can then assess my current potential with the conditions and whether I like my chances or not.  If the game seems to be playing rough, or my timing is bad... I might sit out... either way, being able to make "reasonable guesses or projections" has seemed to help me out.  What isn't shown, is WD, lost credits, failed attempts in unlimited entry events etc.  but that just seems like too much work.. : ) LOL


  • DoctorLarry
    4,274 Posts
    Wed, Mar 6 2019 6:28 PM

    AussieMick11:

    DoctorLarry:

    To add to your comments, it looks like you played a total of 43 9-hole rounds, averaging a net of about 147 credits per round played (6321/43).

    I think you can maybe only see 43 rounds in that view? But that month (Jan '17) I played 134.5 18-hole rounds. The first 3 rows of the sheet are frozen, but you can see the last entry is at row 183 so there are a lot that you can't see, that add up to the 6321.5 total.

    The entertainment value is priceless, there's nothing like hitting a great shot or making a big putt while under pressure :)

    Right - I did not notice the skip in row numbers (frozen).  Wow - that makes the numbers even worse as far as net credits/round.

    It's good that this is entertaining and not our job!

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