WGT Golf News

  • WGT on Golf Course Architecture’s Top 100 Golf Courses

    08 Aug 2013

    There's a new ranking of the world's top golf courses, this from Golf Course Architecture magazine, as voted on by professional golf course architects, making for an interesting selection.

    WGT is honored to have 10 of these top 100 golf courses available to play free on the World Golf Tour golf game. Below are the WGT courses that made the list, including #1 St Andrews Old Course.

    Sign up free on WGT

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    Golf Course Architecture’s Top 100 Golf Courses

    Ten top golf courses available on World Golf Tour.

    95. Olympic Club (Lake)
    California, USA
    Sam Whiting, 1927

    When the original 1924 Lake and Ocean courses designed by Willie Watson were damaged in landslides, superintendent Sam Whiting remodelled and rebuilt both. Robert Trent Jones reworked the Lakecourse, which is characterised by its severely sloping fairways, for the 1955 US Open, the first of five it has hosted, and Bill Love oversaw work in advance of the most recent, in 2012.

    88. Cabo Del Sol (Ocean)
    Baja California Sur, Mexico
    Jack Nicklaus, 1994

    Combining the best of desert and coastal golf, Cabo Del Sol’s Ocean course is one of just two Central American courses in the Top 100 list. In 2010/11 the club made significant changes to the fifth, sixth and seventh holes, taking play closer to the sea. Jim Lipe, who worked with Nicklaus to create the new holes, said: “With water crashing all around you on the sixth green and seventh tee, the connection to the ocean is greatly enhanced”.

    76. Harbour Town
    South Carolina, USA, 1969
    Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus

    Pete Dye had given Jack Nicklaus his first taste of design with a consulting role at The Golf Club in Ohio. But at Hilton Head Nicklaus had a hand in every hole, working alongside Pete Dye to create a design that remains one of the most distinctive on the PGA Tour.

    46. Bethpage (Black)
    New York, USA
    AW Tillinghast, 1936

    The first publicly-owned course to host a US Open, the Black is severely bunkered and extremely long. Tillinghast designed three of the five courses at Bethpage State Park, and Rees Jones’s firm conducted a thorough renovation of the Black in advance of the 2002 US Open.

    33. Kiawah Island (Ocean)
    South Carolina, USA
    Pete Dye, Alice Dye, 1991

    Originally designed to sit behind the dunes, Alice Dye suggested raising the entire course to provide views of the Atlantic. This also means that golfers are more exposed to the unpredictable winds, making a difficult course even tougher.

    27. Royal St George’s
    Kent, England
    Laidlaw Purves, 1887

    14 Open Championships have been hosted on the severely undulating links at Sandwich in south east England. With two loops of nine, rather than the traditional out-and-back links layout, players will typically have to cope with wind from all directions.

    21. Merion (East)
    Pennsylvania, USA
    Hugh Wilson, 1912

    Architects Tom Fazio and Tom Marzolf helped prepare the Merion for the 2013 US Open, demonstrating that there is still a place for historic courses with quirk, character and charm, and without excessive length, at major championships.

    14. Oakmont
    Pennsylvania, USA
    Henry Fownes, 1983

    “Oakmont is easily the best course I have ever played,” says Joe Jemsek. “It requires exacting shotmaking every hole, every shot.” David Krause adds: “Oakmont was a jaw dropping experience, beauty and terror all rolled into one.”

    8. Pebble Beach
    California, USA
    Jack Neville, Douglas Grant, 1919

    Jack Neville and Douglas Grant were amateur golfers hired by Samuel Morse to design a one-of-a-kind golf course at Pebble Beach. Neville told the San Francisco Chronicle: “Years before it was built, I could see this place as a golf links. Nature had intended it to be nothing else. All we did was cut away a few trees, install a few sprinklers, and sow a little seed.” A long roll-call of designers – including Herbert Fowler, the team of Robert Hunter, Chandler Egan and Alister MacKenzie, then Jack Nicklaus and most recently Arnold Palmer – have since also left their mark.

    1. St Andrews (Old)
    Fife, Scotland

    “The Old Course, incomparable, sits atop – forged by Mother Nature,” says Paul Mogford. Golf has been played at St Andrews for over 600 years, originally with players going out and then playing the same holes back in the reverse direction. The course evolved naturally, but Tom Morris, greenkeeper at St Andrews between 1865-1903, is generally regarded as having had the most influence on the current eighteen hole layout.

    Chad Goetz of Nicklaus Design says: “During the history of the profession, so many ideas and so much inspiration was taken from this course. I can’t think of any other course that has influenced design and the game more.”

    Brandon Johnson of Arnold Palmer Design Company says: “It is a place that is endlessly complicated, mysterious, intriguing, strategically challenging and stimulating under all circumstances and simultaneously breaks and defines all the rules of design. It stands in a category of its own.”

    Rick Robbins says: “The Old Course not only has such enormous tradition but in all respects has stood the test of time in regards to strategy of play and challenge to golfers. The fact that this icon of golf is open for all to play and is playable by all is an added bonus.”

    Top 100 Golf Courses

  • St Andrews Hole 18 Preview

    04 Aug 2013

    The best female golfers in the world are taking on the home of golf this weekend on the Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland, as part of the British Open Championship. WGT is previewing some of our favorite holes at St Andrews, which are all available to play free online on World Golf Tour.

    One of the most famous views in golf is the approach shot to the 18th green at St Andrews. Words can not describe the beauty and history of taking this shot. Enjoy!

    Play Hole 18 at St Andrews on WGT

    Sign up on WGT to create a free account and play all 18 championship courses online. Play with other players, upgrade your virtual equipment and join tournaments with fun prizes.

    See St Andrews Hole 17 Preview

  • St Andrews Hole 17 Road Hole Preview

    03 Aug 2013

    The best female golfers in the world are taking on the home of golf this weekend on the Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland, as part of the British Open Championship. WGT is previewing some of our favorite holes at St Andrews, which are all available to play free online on World Golf Tour.

    Possibly the most famous hole in all of golf, hole 17 starts with a blind tee shot over the corner of the hotel, followed by an approach over the infamous Road Hole Bunker to the shallow green. Hit too short and you're in the deep bunker, too long and you're out of bounds on the road...

    Play Hole 17 at St Andrews on WGT

    Sign up on WGT to create a free account and play all 18 championship courses online. Play with other players, upgrade your virtual equipment and join tournaments with fun prizes.

    See St Andrews Hole 11 Preview

  • St Andrews Hole 11 Preview

    02 Aug 2013

    The best female golfers in the world are taking on the home of golf this weekend on the Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland, as part of the British Open Championship. WGT is previewing some of our favorite holes at St Andrews, which are all available to play free online on World Golf Tour.

    One of the best known par-3 holes in the world, hole 11 is a classic design that is well-guarded by bunkers and hard to keep the ball on the green. A birdie here is a major accomplishment.

    Play Hole 11 at St Andrews on WGT

    Sign up on WGT to create a free account and play all 18 championship courses online. Play with other players, upgrade your virtual equipment and join tournaments with fun prizes.

    See St Andrews Hole 1 Preview

  • St Andrews Hole 1 Preview

    01 Aug 2013

    St Andrews Hole 1 Preview

    The best female golfers in the world are taking on the home of golf this weekend on the Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland, as part of the British Open Championship. WGT is previewing some of our favorite holes at St Andrews, which are all available to play free online on World Golf Tour.

    The first hole at St Andrews lets you know that things are a little different here than at your home course. A well-hidden canal, called the Swilcan Burn, cuts across the fairway right before a very large and undulating green.

    Play Hole 1 at St Andrews on WGT

    Sign up on WGT to create a free account and play all 18 championship courses online. Play with other players, upgrade your virtual equipment and join tournaments with fun prizes.

  • New Golf Course Over 10,000 Yards

    31 Jul 2013

    Play 18 of the best par-5 holes in the world, on the Best Of Par 5 stroke play course free on WGT.

    The new Best Of Par 5 virtual mash-up golf course features the best par-5 holes from 9 different championship golf courses available on WGT.

    Warning: this dream course is a monster -- at over 10,000 total yards from the back tees. Below is the detailed scorecard for this amazing new course. And don't worry, because par is 90, scores here won't count toward your overall scoring average.

    Select this course from the game menu to play now, and for WGT players Amateur Tier and up, play this special monthly tournament where the top 70 scores in each tier earn WGT Credits. 

    BEST OF HOLE COURSE HONOR COURSE HOLE YARDS PAR HIGHLIGHTS
    1 Kiawah 2012 PGA 2 543 5 three-shot dogleg over marsh
    2 Congressional 2011 U.S. Open 6 555 5 watch the greenside water on the right
    3 Olympic 2012 U.S. Open 17 522 5 reachable but well guarded
    4 Cabo del Sol Golf Digest #1 Mexico 2 573 5 uphill dogleg right
    5 St Andrews 2010 Open 14 591 5 longest hole at St Andrews
    6 Royal St George's 2011 Open 14 545 5 avoid the fairway canal
    7 Bethpage 2009 U.S. Open 13 605 5 very long but you can run it up
    8 Kiawah 2012 PGA 7 551 5 tight fairway
    9 Chateau Whistler Travel & Leisure #1 Canada 7 538 5 downhill eagle opportunity
    Front 9 5,023 45
    10 Merion 2013 U.S. Open 4 645 5 longest "Best Of" hole to a tough green
    11 Bethpage 2009 U.S. Open 4 517 5 one of the best holes at Bethpage, requires strategy and skill
    12 Congressional 2011 U.S. Open 16 579 5 elevated green
    13 Cabo del Sol Golf Digest #1 Mexico 4 555 5 need to clear the desert before the green
    14 Royal St George's 2011 Open 7 573 5 blind drive but eagle or birdie opportunity
    15 St Andrews 2010 Open 5 552 5 avoid the bunkers and navigate the 100-yard long green
    16 Chateau Whistler Travel & Leisure #1 Canada 1 505 5 avoid driving into the creek to set up reachable second shot
    17 Merion 2013 U.S. Open 2 568 5 avoid out-of-bounds and the deep rough
    18 Kiawah 2012 PGA 11 561 5 navigate around all the dunes and bunkers
    Back 9 5,055 45
    Total 10,078 90

  • New Par 5 Course, Callaway Balls, MAX Clubs and more

    31 Jul 2013

    Here's the latest from WGT, including a new "Best Of" WGT virtual golf course, HEX Chrome virtual golf balls from Callaway, new MAX virtual golf clubs at a great value...


    Best Of Par 5 Course

    The newest "Best Of" stroke play course on WGT features 18 of the best par-5 holes from your favorite WGT golf courses. Play more than 10,000 yards of championship golf for a serious challenge!

    The Best Of Par 5 course is now available in all game selection menus, and these scores won't count towards your official average, due to the higher par on this course.

     

    Callaway HEX Chrome Balls

    WGT has upgraded all the Callaway Tour balls to the latest Callaway HEX Chrome balls. These new balls have similar top-performance, with more distance, control, or a slower WGT swing meter, in Standard and Vapor Trail options, and are available at the same price as the original balls.

    Visit the WGT Pro Shop to see the entire HEX Chrome line, including the following:

    • Callaway HEX Chrome Balls with more control - start unlocking at Level 33 and Legend 
    • Callaway HEX Chrome+ Balls with more distance - start unlocking at Level 35 and Legend 
    • Callaway HEX Chrome+ Balls with a slower swing meter - unlock at Level 1 and Level 34

     

    New MAX Golf Clubs

    The MAX line of golf equipment provides maximum performance in one area of the game. For these latest MAX clubs, maximum performance has been combined with great value...

    The new MAX Meter clubs help slow down the WGT swing meter, with additional distance and forgiveness. Includes MAX Meter Driver, 3 Wood, Hybrid and Irons, plus a discounted Full Set option. Start unlocking at Level 22 and Level 46 for top players.

    The new MAX Distance Woods offer additional distance at a great value, including MAX Distance Driver, 3 Wood and Rescue. Start unlocking for new players at Level 10.

     

    New WGT Swing Meters

    Based on player requests, we've introduced two new WGT Swing Meter options. Changing your swing meter is free and optional, and we're looking forward to getting your feedback. To change your swing meter at the beginning of a round, just go to "Equip Clubs" and choose from the 3 swing meter choices:

    • Original - the horizontal swing meter you’re used to using
    • Vertical - a vertical design in the center of the screen that may be easier for newer players
    • 3-Click - a little nostalgia for long-time golf gamers, less power control but better swing tempo
  • Free R1 Driver from Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday

    30 Jul 2013

    WGT partner, Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday is hosting a special tournament for WGT players in the USA and Canada.

    Play the free Golf Holiday Summer Classic tournament on WGT for your chance to get a new TaylorMade R1 Driver prize. One lucky sweepstakes winner chosen at random will win the real driver, not the virtual version on WGT.

    Play as many times as you want in this 18-hole stroke play tournament on Kiawah, site of the 2012 PGA Championship.

    Enter Free Tournament

    *Special tournament is free to enter and runs thru 7/31/13, open to residents in the USA and Canada only. See rules for details.

  • Trip to Edgewood Tahoe and Korbel Custom Golf Bag

    26 Jul 2013

    USA players, don't miss your chance at some great prizes in the Korbel Toast Life Challenge tournament on WGT, ending on July 27th.

    Everyone who enters gets a free Korbel virtual champagne golf ball with a bubbly vapor trail, plus there are 3 amazing sweepstakes prizes awarded to 3 players selected at random...

    • Korbel Gift Bag
    • Korbel Custom Golf Bag
    • Edgewood Tahoe Golf Trip for two people

    Enter To Win

    This free closest-to-the-hole online golf tournament is unlimited play on the beautiful Edgewood Tahoe golf course, site of last week's American Century Championship tournament, won by former NFL quarterback Billie Joe Tolliver.

    Note: this special WGT tournament is limited by law to players from the USA who are 21 years of age or older, and runs now thru 7/27/13.

  • WGT Nation Seeing Double

    25 Jul 2013

    WGT Nation players, earn double Credits in the Nation Double-Double Challenge tournament this week.

    There are two ways for Nation players to win in this special tournament:

    1. Top 70 scores in each Tier earn double WGT Credit prizes
    2. Hole-In-One Challenges have double WGT Credit prizes

    This free, unlimited stroke play tournament is on the Best of Par 3 course, with 18 different par-3 holes, giving you the most chances to try the Hole-In-One Challenges to earn double Credits. 

    Play Free Tournament

    WGT NATION is a free program for top WGT players. Learn more and see if you're eligible here.

    *Special tournament open to WGT Nation members only, now thru Mon, 7/29/13.

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