Dubfore:
If only the game wasn't so inconsistant, I'm convinced it is. If I didn't experience so many similar shot situations and conditions with disproportionate results, all the analysing, debating and calculating about this shot and that wind could be taken seriously.
If only it was only a game.
WHAT ABOUT THE CHEATS?
Man I hear you, I have put way way way to much effort into this game. Sidewind charts and formulas, putting formulas, wind formulas, club distance charts by ball, power and spin, chip, pitching, rough, bunker and flopping charts. It's helped, I'm better, but it also allows me to more clearly identify the inconsistencies. That's not a good thing.
To drop $40.00 on pixels making up a putter to watch the putt the leap off the face sideways, makes me a sucker, to drop another $40.00 on top irons to have them fly offline makes me a sucker. The $40 driver works good enough, but I don't need precision with that club, close enough will do. $5.00 per sleeve of balls that I'm not clear they are producing better results, might be another sucker play on my part.
1 thing I learned, the par 3 challenges, not a chance in hell should I ever darken that doorstep.
I know people cheat, I know there are cheats, but I'm convinced without the work to learn the game, the countless hours of practice, there is no getting better at this game. I think cheaters look for shortcuts, they are not willing or able to do what it takes to get really good at this game.
Bottom line, you get, to some extent at least, get back what you put into this game, I do not for a second believe that any cheater can beat me in match play, if you put the effort in, the cheaters are not something to be feared or worry about. They can and will only go so far, the legit hard worker can far exceed any cheater.
I too, like many many others have been looking to bring some consistency to the game and something to stop the "lottery effect and feeling". I have no chance in a lottery, game of skill, I believe I have what it takes to succeed, lottery, not so much.
I believe I could get to another level if my putts would consistently roll true and my irons would have have no more than 5 yards of dispersion.
I will give up on a lottery far faster then I would game of skill. This game feels like it is behaving more and more like a 1 armed bandit. But is it?
So having said all that, I'm also fairly certain, no matter what the big boys have repeatedly stated, why they state that is a mystery to me, but not one single person here has found absolute consistency. The big boys tend to carefully word their statements, saying things like " I have never had a shot have an unexpected result" Well if you are not expecting a consistent result then that statement is true. That my friends, is as fair as it gets. I have had perfect rounds with all short putts, i have perfect rounds with all monster putts and chipins and holeouts, you just never know what you are going to get when you tee it up.
It would be nice to play well and tap in all birdies in a big tournament, it's just not possible for anyone, at least I like to believe it's not.
It's worth repeating, "you get, to some extent at least, get back what you put into this game". There are no short cuts to absolute consistency folks, if there were, a computer geek such as myself would of found it by now. You can short cut your way to a 67 or 68 average maybe, but that's about as good as any cheater will ever do.