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Why isn't WGT more like real golf?

• darrenpaulLMB 180 Posts

  Sun, Feb 6 2011 3:34 PM

  I am more referring to the equipment rather than actual game play.

  in WGT you have to advance through the levels and tiers to unlock better equipment, starting off as you all know with not very good clubs and balls, eventually unlocking better clubs and balls.

  which means you can only play so well and do so much with your clubs until you unlock better ones, obviously giving you the incentive to play more and better to be able to get better equipment.

  when I first started playing golf myself at the age of 13, my grandad took me to the driving range and a 9 hole par 3 course at adlington, he had an old set of clubs (Memphis pin stalkers) from which he gave me a 7 iron, PW, SW and putter which he said would be all I needed for this course and was more than enough for me to enjoy and get hooked on the game.

  however, when I came to buy my first full set of clubs, I was advised to get the best clubs I could to give me the best chance of improving and enjoying the game more. I did think that the guy in the shop was just trying to get me to spend more money on a better set of clubs, but after thinking about it a bit more, I thought it all makes perfect sense. making sure of course that you are interested enough in the game to warrant buying the best clubs you can. if my first set of clubs were quite cheap, I didn't think it would be very long before I got better and wanted a better more expensive set of clubs.

  am I making sense with this? does anyone else agree with me?

  I did think that all the equipment should be available to you from the start, but that is just my opinion.

  what does everyone else think?

• MioKontic 4,601 Posts

  Sun, Feb 6 2011 4:47 PM

  I think the reason that it isn't is because of sandbagging that everyone complains about.  You could get a legend creating a new account and get very low scores because they would be off forward tees.

  Unfortunately, where there are prizes to be won, you will always get multi-account'ers.  Game creators/owners either don't know how to or simply don't want to put something in place to stop people creating multiple accounts.  Not allowing Hacks to have legend equipment (for example) is, I guess, WGT's way of 'controlling' sandbagging.  My suggestion would be to get rid of the prizes,then there would be no point in having multiple accounts.

  Can't say I agree with having the best clubs in the real game means you will play your best either; I'm sorry to say that's typical sales talk and you got suckered.  For example, I have a friend who, as a hobby, buys clubheads, shafts and grips and makes them up.  The heads are Dynacraft - not a household name in golf.  He made me a set and with that set I got to 8 handicap.  A few years later I was playing in a Pro-Am in Arizona.  As it was partly sponsored by Ping, all participants were able to get Ping equipment at a discount price.  Although it wasn't my intention, I tried the Ping ISI-K irons and they felt fantastic, so much so that I was measured up and bought a set.  And what is my lowest ever handicap?  8.

  It's not about having the best clubs, it's how you use the clubs you have.  It's about how they feel and how you handle them.  I do many sports and I can tell you similar stories from many of them.  Yes, obviously, if you have garbage you may struggle for consistency.  but just because it isn't Titleist, Ping, Callaway, etc, doesn't mean it's no good.  Although I can't remember the exact amount, my full set of Dynacraft clubs was a fraction of the price of the Ping irons.

• darrenpaulLMB 180 Posts

  Sun, Feb 6 2011 5:42 PM

  I did also think of the sandbagging aspect, and as you clearly said, when there is money to be made, some people will do whatever it takes to get it.

  I can say that buying expensive items of kit for sporting activities is more often than not a good thing. I'm a keen rock climber and cyclist, and as far as some items of kit go, only the best will do. after taking a few nasty falls when climbing over the years, buying the best kit available is the reason I am still alive, a cheap rope or harness could lead to your death if things go wrong which they can do quite easily.

  as for cycling, a cheap helmet isn't going to be of much use either. as I said before, when you are buying items of kit for sport that could one day save your life, it certainly makes you think, save your life or save a few pounds buying something cheaper, which would you rather do? 

• SGTBilko 1,686 Posts

  Sun, Feb 6 2011 6:12 PM

  darrenpaulLMB:

  however, when I came to buy my first full set of clubs, I was advised to get the best clubs I could to give me the best chance of improving and enjoying the game more.

  We have been down that road, it was horrible with the sandbagging, we do not want to go back down that road again.

• darrenpaulLMB 180 Posts

  Sun, Feb 6 2011 6:29 PM

  I can understand that, I never said I thought it was a problem. just that if you went to play a real round of golf, you would be able to buy your clubs based on personal choice and bank balance. you wouldn't be expected to log every round of golf you have ever played, only to be told that you couldn't buy a set of clubs just yet because your scores weren't low enough, that's all I was saying.

• borntobesting 9,632 Posts

  Sun, Feb 6 2011 7:01 PM

  darrenpaulLMB:

  I can understand that, I never said I thought it was a problem. just that if you went to play a real round of golf, you would be able to buy your clubs based on personal choice and bank balance. you wouldn't be expected to log every round of golf you have ever played, only to be told that you couldn't buy a set of clubs just yet because your scores weren't low enough, that's all I was saying.

  If everyone could buy any clubs their choice and bank account can afford then this site would run rampant with multi-accounters joining buying the best clubs and balls and just about destroy the its integrity. Can you imagine a hack who just joined but has already been playing for months maybe even years buying the I15 irons the 280 yard Taylor Made driver the Ghost putter and either of the Calloway balls then using his hack status to lure unsuspecting pros, tour pros,Masters and tour masters into a MPC and cleaning them  out.  Even though it's only credits if you win enough you can buy gift cards from Amazon and Golf Smith. Sure they cost over a 100,000 credits but  it probably wouldn't take that long if you only went for 1000 credit matches. 2 or 3 a day and you could make that in a month. That is the main reason that the equipment should be locked Sure people could call these people out in the forums except that it is against forum policy to do so and most of the time the name is edited out by WGT before many if any people see it. And very very many Masters tour masters and legends would be too embarrassed to admit that they got suckered into a MPC for a 1000 credits by a multi-accounter hack. Or too embarrassed to admit that they thought they had an easy 1000 credit win by accepting a MPC from a hack. Even though many people don't think so WGT it very actively searching out these multi-accounters and banning them when (yes when, not if) they are caught. But most grab what they can and are gone before WGT has been able to catch them. 

• darrenpaulLMB 180 Posts

  Sun, Feb 6 2011 7:12 PM

  when I mentioned buying whatever clubs you want, I ment for a real game of golf, I now understand how WGT works and why you have to unlock the clubs in the way that you do.

• mnshiner 1,382 Posts

  Mon, Feb 7 2011 10:46 AM

  Again and again I read about folks who might have multiple accounts. As a former web site owner of one of these message boards so to speak there is a way to stop it. It is called ISP. Every web host has a Control Panel where you as the Administrator handles for your specific site.

  For example if I was the domain owner of this site I could find a ISP address for everyone who has posted here and block a second username using that same addy.
  

• MBaggese 15,367 Posts

  Mon, Feb 7 2011 1:22 PM

  mnshiner:

  Again and again I read about folks who might have multiple accounts. As a former web site owner of one of these message boards so to speak there is a way to stop it. It is called ISP. Every web host has a Control Panel where you as the Administrator handles for your specific site.

  For example if I was the domain owner of this site I could find a ISP address for everyone who has posted here and block a second username using that same addy.
  

   

  And would that work if say I created a hotmail email addy for another account?  Or if I had one account on my work computer and another n my home PC?  Or my kids PC, etc?

   

  I dunno, just asking.

• TeeWade 1,216 Posts

  Mon, Feb 7 2011 4:39 PM

  Plenty of ISP addy hiders as well. Friend told me abut his being from Malaysia as he sat in Michigan  lol.