It is always amusing to read all the opinions on this subject. A lot of good points and I respect everyones opinion on the subject. We all play this game for a variety of reasons. It is truly a love hate relationship. I've heard it said that there are players that like the VEM, which may be true, but for the most part I think it is just tolerated.
There are 3 types of players that play this game, Golfers, Gamers and those that just like to play a game with others and have fun with the banter and making that one great shot. The golfers understand the VEM and what it does for the game. They may hate it at critical points of a game but they tolerate it. It's a challenge to see if you can get better and how you stack up against the real good players.
A gamer hates the VEM. And I understand that. It takes a lot of practice and coordination to get the timing of the meter, or what the wind, rough, sand and dots on the green do to the shot or putt. I think we all strive for perfection in this game and it is harder for a gamer to understand that the VEM makes this game more like real golf in a way. I don't consider myself a gamer, but I have played many a PlayStation game until I was so good at it, that it got boring and I lost interest. I'm sure many of you have played Tiger Woods Golf until you were so good that it wasn't a challenge anymore.
I know it sucks when you hit your snap and the VEM has kicked in and you lose a ball some how. Specially for someone that has a hard time affording this game. But if you watch real golf, you will see that even the best players play a lot of holes safe when they have to and rely on their putting skills. The green is one place I truly believe there should be no VEM. This is a place for you to truly let your skill in this game shine. It's tough enough putting when the dots are moving at different speeds or directions when you change views. Have you ever notice a putt that shows hardly any break, breaks way more than it showed and then when you go to take the next putt and you look at where your ball came from and the dots are moving faster than what you saw on original putt. That's where a good memory comes into this game. But the VEM should be taken out when you are putting IMO.
I consider myself a good player. I have my streaks and slumps like everyone else. I had a chat with a player once and he asked me how I got to be such a good player. I told him that I have always asked players how they made that shot when they made a good shot. There is a lot of different ways to make a shot out there and you have to find what works best for you. Don't be afraid to ask the better players how they did that or for any tips. One of the biggest things is to make the correct selection of shot for the situation. So you really need to learn the chip, pitch, flop and punch. The great thing is now you can go in practice mode and use the mulligan to try different techniques to a shot. It will cost you 2 strokes on your ball for that though, you greedy soms of beeches WGT lol.
Almost forgot. Don't always blame a shot on VEM. Some holes play long and some short. The same wind may play stronger or weaker on different holes. Look at the terrain around you. The trees or the hill or even the elevation will make the wind play different. The angle of the shot in some instances. If you've made a bad shot, assess what you may have done wrong and try and learn from it.