RWH100:Can I progress without paying bucks for better kit ?
At first you can but eventually, not.
Your skills will improve and help you to use your equipment better, especially planning, aiming and hitting a shot. But, "power" = length only comes from expenses here, there's no "experience" bonus on your shots like in other games.
My 2 Pfennig on the subject:
Make up your mind concerning how much you want to invest in this leisure activity (give us a hint?), and, generally, be reluctant in purchases, because there's better equipment coming around at each new level. Also, unfortunately, there are a few shortcomings in the site which may spoil the fun.
Be aware that any purchase will improve your game and bring you closer to new tiers with new treats - added track length and/or green speeds. With Starter equipment, most players have to rearrange their bags at Master tier, but a few dare the challenge to stick with them.
Custom clubs are difficult to play with the cost-free Starter balls. To buy clubs for most players means to buy balls which have a limited lifetime. Start with the cheap ones, e.g. B-ES and Tour-SD. Take better ones when ambitions grow and if there's money left.
If you want to be a winner, you must practice a lot and always use the best clubs and balls available. It's more about spending credits than winning them, at least in the beginning. Also, there are a lot of sharks in the low tiers, talented players and "talented" players who take it all, instead of the honest people.
Don't be blinded by the "$$" winnings - that's but an intentional illusion. IMHO, players' goals should be more about fun than about earning something. Unfortunately, the most funny multiplayer games have most unreliable for a long time.
There's "free credit" offers, but they are a long and thorny way with a lot of disappointment by broken promises, and low-low hourly "wages".
An honest & budget way to go is,
- don't buy anything until L31 => R11 is a good and priceworthy choice for woods and irons.
- don't go the "slow meter" way unless your body condition enforces it -
"slow" always means "expensive".
- any iron set before the L59 Ping G25 will be intermediate - you need "high trajectory". Even the G25 will be intermediate if you seek some success as a Legend later.
- first priority, first must-buy for players of any ambition: quality wedges, starting at L38. Take a short 50-60 yds one at first. Take a second short one of 75-80 yds ASAP to improve your short game. A third one around 100 yds, replacing the hybrid wood, may later close the gap to your custom irons.
- don't buy a putter below 500 cr, use the Starter one until you're sure that your skills are better than it.
- a 3WD may replace a driver for some time, at about a third of the costs.
Maintained by users, there's a clubs table around as well as lists of tier requirements and XP/level correlation - get informed!
Seek an active CC with higher tier players for fun and tips. IMHO, using the free CC passes is enough support. If they demand more, question their goals.
Seek for information in the Search =>
and ask more questions if you need them - you're welcome!