David, you'll have a much better experience if you simply avoid WGT tournaments. Like yourself, I come to this game with the attitude of a golfer and not a gamer. I consider finishing every round started as a badge of honor in and of itself but that is not what you are going to find in almost ANY computer game.
By sticking to a circle of friends and getting into a country club that stresses finishing rounds and respect for golf over the gamers' approach you'll suffer a lot less aggravation. Those WGT tournaments won't even be in your circle of awareness. Instead you can be playing single play tourneys and such in your country club with more realistic scores.
In a way it's like shopping in a big department store. No need to be concerned with every department in the store. Just shop the areas you like and try to ignore the others.
I understand your frustration but bear in mind something else. WGT doesn't care. They are a very uncaring company with a very poor track record when it comes to communication and customer service. We can complain all we want; there will almost never be a response from a WGT staffer. They tend to go for the low hanging fruit that doesn't require much effort.