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Merion Greens

• alanti 10,564 Posts

  Sat, Feb 4 2017 12:35 AM

  Originally I found this game when it was only CTTH, and I thought has potential, and did not come back. Then in 2010 when The Open was at St Andrews, I saw this game again....so signed up as I could not remember my original ID.

  I spent my first year using starters clubs, mostly playing St Andrews and Kiawah (as I have played both those courses in the flesh).The photorealism and accuracy was remarkable, and transported me back to when I played them.

  Well after hacking my way around....and giving up for a while (yes I found it hard, frustrating and infuriating) but never did I say the game was unrealistic. Yes I can drive the ball further in real golf than the starters driver and no, there is no grip, stance or swing variances, but the dynamics of the game were, and are realistic....including the inconsistencies,

  Occasionally I would play well, but the day I shot -2 at St A's (I only played 18 holes then...like real golf lol) with my free kit and balls was a highlight - probably still my most memorable round on WGT.

  The one course that was impossible to do well on was Olympic when it came out..........Bethpage had some Par 6's (how I had to play them lol) as well but courses with elevation were tough. But I had learned a bit and could go round with a few bogeys and the odd birdies....like real golf actually.

  Then D-Day arrived.......MASTER TIER. If I thought the game was hard before.....well now it was impossible, well just about. 

  I had a choice, upgrade clubs or quit. I liked the game, so I chose the former. Immediately the game got incrementally easier using the Raptures...... suddenly using a Tour SD ball the game was playable again.

  I also asked for advice and read the forums, and many players offered advice, tips and I would play with anyone.....I became a sponge for knowledge.

  To this day, I play by feel and do not have notes (if I did, I would be a lot better) but have the knowledge of past shots of how and where to play too (albeit the old grey matter does fail me from time to time....as does the skill to hit where I want to hit it to).

  I am just an average player who can occasionally score well - if I can, anyone can. But it takes patience and the willingness to learn.

   

   

• MainzMan 9,591 Posts

  Sun, Feb 5 2017 3:32 AM

  186con:

  Also, dont listen to the clowns telling you to learn how to play.

  Very good advice.  Never learn how to be good at anything.  What's the point?  Did it work for Tiger or Federer or any other top sports player?  I'm sure they wish they'd never taken the time to become among the best at what they do.

  You stick to serving at McDonalds and wondering why you can't remember how much change to give when someone pays for a 99c burger with a dollar.

• nanstar 4,914 Posts

  Sun, Feb 5 2017 3:43 AM

• Robert1893 7,721 Posts

  Sun, Feb 5 2017 6:32 AM

  alanti:

  I also asked for advice and read the forums, and many players offered advice, tips and I would play with anyone.....I became a sponge for knowledge.

  To this day, I play by feel and do not have notes (if I did, I would be a lot better) but have the knowledge of past shots of how and where to play too (albeit the old grey matter does fail me from time to time....as does the skill to hit where I want to hit it to).

  I am just an average player who can occasionally score well - if I can, anyone can. But it takes patience and the willingness to learn.

  My experience is the same. Every once in a while I think I should take notes, but then I decide I don't want to take the time. So, I'm content with decent scores and the occasional great round. 
  
  The game is both a great game and a frustrating one. If a person wants to get really good, it takes a lot of time and practice. But the game can be extremely enjoyable, if one just learns to manage his/her expectations and realize stuff happens from time-to-time. 

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Sun, Feb 5 2017 8:46 AM

  Robert1893:

  But the game can be extremely enjoyable, if one just learns to manage his/her expectations and realize stuff happens from time-to-time. 

  ^^ All day.  :-)

• cadornette 319 Posts

  Sun, Feb 5 2017 6:28 PM

  Couldn't have said it better:

  'If you think the game is unfair now, just wait until you get to Legend tier'

• Daimauwr 23 Posts

  Mon, Feb 6 2017 3:36 AM

  Would like to know where the practice putting green is. Some of the gradients (as portrayed by WGT) have to be a joke., not only on Merion but many other courses as well - and they get more severe as you move up the grades. I'm not sure that many of us who played golf for decades for real, ever took part in a PGA Championship where the speed was tournament 12 !!! 

  Daimauwr - NZ

• krskfr 458 Posts

  Mon, Feb 6 2017 7:21 AM

  The key to putting well on Merion is having an idea of where the troublesome areas are on the greens. Some spots are just treacherous to try to get the proper read for, while other spots can be manageable. The hole that gives me the most trouble is number 13. That hole is a beast.

• petervcpt 1,013 Posts

  Mon, Feb 6 2017 9:10 AM

  MainzMan:

  You stick to serving at McDonalds and wondering why you can't remember how much change to give when someone pays for a 99c burger with a dollar.

  Well that was a BOOM! moment!

  :-)

• kavvz 2,195 Posts

  Tue, Feb 7 2017 8:41 PM

  krskfr:

  The key to putting well on Merion is having an idea of where the troublesome areas are on the greens. Some spots are just treacherous to try to get the proper read for, while other spots can be manageable. The hole that gives me the most trouble is number 13. That hole is a beast.

  ...or one an just putt it the back of the hole.  :)  Shame this replay doesn't have a reverse view, but it literally went in the cup mostly on the other side of the hole.  Thought I missed it, but then it just came back.  Luckily it went in might have rolled a few extra feet as stimp meter was at 13.

  replay.aspx?ID=b874c36e bc03 4c47 b56e a7120050a269