johnaland: I suspect that some of the fanboys above must be much richer than me but it doesn't matter how rich one is, shady 'let's grab a bit more of their cash' practice is still that, and it goes against the spirit of golf in the real world. Shame really.
First off, I can tell you that the people that replied are knowledgable WGT players and are NOT fanboys. Learn their screen names and assume they are giving you good advice unless their post is full of smilies.
Second - this is not real world golf. This is a game of rules that exceed those in RL because it is a computer program. The program has it's own rules and it applies them systematically. The loss of any ball OB, in the water, in very limited types of "rough" is a rule that has been in place since before you joined. It is a known constant that we deal with. In RL golf, player often lose balls in some of the types of rough that WGT does not consider a lost ball - another rule.
Third, this is a business (for-profit, they hope) and they earn income from various sources. I suspect advertising, by far, accounts for most of that income and, yes, sale of balls, clubs, passes, boosts, etc., account for some. These are all defined and none are required for anyone. You can play with free equipment and/or get free credits.
Just enjoy playing and don't sweat the small stuff. Life is too short for that!
May you never lose a ball again! (GL with that!) ;)