SGTBilko:
get rid of that spider putter, it is the worse putter on this game site.
Congrats on your promotion :) The Spider is a bad putter to use.. I found the best is the Daytona (Rossa) for me at least.
Keep at it... I found when you first change Tiers it's just pain until you get used to it..The more you play and start going through the levels you can also get really good clubs that can make the game easier (if you have the credits). Just be careful of the meter speeds with some clubs, they can be a huge headache. Some of the balls you can buy will help on slowing down the meter for your clubs.
I also found that the lower your Ave. the harder the game plays.. eg; your shots aren't as forgiving as before. For me it was like climbing a mountain; you struggle to get to the top and when you do, you start to have quite few great games which causes your Ave to drop, then the shots you were playing is not the same anymore and the cycle starts again until you reach the top again...etc, etc.
Good Luck
Roger