Not sure if this has been suggested or not, but just an idea I'll throw out.
Allow players to earn 1 credit per ranked round played.
I know there are other ways to earn credits here, however I see many new players that don't play in tourney's, MP's and the like. For them, it would be a way to aquire better equipment and possibly cut down on the frustration factor for new players.
Also, if people knew they would earn something for completing ranked rounds, they would more than likely be inclined to finish their rounds and therefore be placed in their correct tier.
The more rounds played by a person, the more knowledgable a person becomes, the more that person is apt to get hooked on the game and quite possibly purchase the decent clubs/balls ect.
WGT would do well in my opinion to implement a feature such as this, for I think it would draw more customers as well as keep some potential customers that might otherwise leave out of frustration.
Just something to think about....