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Virtual U.S Amateur @ Topgolf Las Vegas

• MartyFlanagan 2,488 Posts

  Mon, Aug 19 2019 1:27 PM

  I would like to think someone at WGT has suggested what I’m about to say as it could be very embarrassing for WGT when the finals are live to people around the world including the USGA and Pinehurst Golf Club in Las Vegas.
  
  The 4th hole at Pinehurst on WGT is 565 yards long which is 30 yards longer than it was used at the U.S Amateur 2019, no professional has played that hole with that yardage as a par 4, not even at the U.S Open.
  
  It’s now time for WGT to fix this issue which has been around for quite a few years, you can’t have the finalists in Las Vegas play from that tee box as it would be very embarrassing for WGT especially with USGA people in attendance and watching online. 
  
  WGT should be using the hard and medium tee boxes which are what the USGA have used this year and at the previous U.S Open, it cant be that difficult for a computer programmer to fix this, delete the hardest tee box and assign the tiers to the correct tee box using the three that remain.

  Im only thinking this from a business perspective, why annoy the USGA and Pinehurst Golf Club, it’s a no-brainer in my opinion 

• TopShelf2010 10,929 Posts

  Mon, Aug 19 2019 1:54 PM

  .

• kipdog87 2,070 Posts

  Mon, Aug 19 2019 2:32 PM

  Ditto....same here Don, i would like to think that on a good day i can play a hole as good as anyone, but when i have to lay up with my second shot just so i can hit my 3rd close for a one putt, without much hope of even an attacking chance of a birdie, this makes it one of the toughest holes.

  Mick

  .

• MartyFlanagan 2,488 Posts

  Tue, Aug 20 2019 8:01 AM

  TopShelf2010:

  MartyFlanagan:

  4th hole at Pinehurst

  The hole of death for many a player. So many times you can start out a brilliant round with birdies on the first 3 holes only to be demoralized getting to the 4th.

  I'm not exactly sure how WGT would go about changing it though. I guess they could eliminate the back tee and keep it a Par 4. I have never played Pinehurst from anything but the back tees so I am not sure what the yardage is from one of the forward tees.

  In all honesty, I like the challenge of the hole, but for me and my clubs/balls combination, if I have ANY type of headwind of 15mph or more, I have a really hard time making par.

   

  Don

  i cant see it being that difficult to fix this, hard tee box is 535yds

• DoctorLarry 4,311 Posts

  Tue, Aug 20 2019 3:13 PM

  TopShelf2010:

  The hole of death for many a player. So many times you can start out a brilliant round with birdies on the first 3 holes only to be demoralized getting to the 4th.

  Just happened to me.  3 under go for the flag (into the wind) and come up about a foot short of where I tried to land on the green - and roll off in the bunker.  

  It only got worse - not going to say any more.

   

  (I know - I usually just try to lay up or get in the middle of the green......Grrrrr)

• MGB01 1,469 Posts

  Thu, Aug 22 2019 5:28 AM

  even wind into its 3rd shot punch from 40 yds out.....par isnt too hard......side wind the hole is reachable....but yes still the toughest hole ...by far

• HackWilson1930 1,437 Posts

  Fri, Aug 23 2019 3:46 AM

  Regardless of what someone says par is for a particular hole, the winner of the match is the person with the lowest TOTAL score. Par is and always has been an artificial number that allows golfers to easily compare their efforts to others.

  The winner in Las Vegas will be the person who shoots the lowest score whether #4 is a par 4 or a par 5 hole.

• MartyFlanagan 2,488 Posts

  Fri, Aug 23 2019 4:44 AM

  HackWilson1930:

  The winner in Las Vegas will be the person who shoots the lowest score

  I agree with that but if they are playing the virtual U.S Amateur at least play from the same tee-boxes. I'm the kind of person that likes things done right especially for something that a lot of people could be watching around the world and be thinking, there is something not right about the 4th hole. I would never want it changed to a par 5, from the correct tee-box, 535yds, its tough, a challenge and good fun

• HackWilson1930 1,437 Posts

  Fri, Aug 23 2019 5:25 AM

  WGT allows its players to do things that real life players are unable to do. I agree that if WGT games were meant to replicate the real world then it should be true to the real world. 

  But since that is not the case, I think of WGT as a separate game based on the rules of golf. As soon as you insist that they play from the same tees just to match what the real world has, then you need to insist that players be able to fade or draw shots. Next you must insist that hazards should play as they do in real life. Unplayable drops should be treated the same. Every lose a ball on Kiawah #17? I am sure no one ever plays from where WGT places the ball after a ball goes into the water.

  They are two different games that are not really replicas of each other.Don't insist that they be played as if they are.

• MartyFlanagan 2,488 Posts

  Fri, Aug 23 2019 6:47 AM

  HackWilson1930:

  .Don't insist that they be played as if they are.

  i thought this was a friendly discussion, im not insisting anything, just making a nice suggestion, they dont have to do anything i suggest, i know its a game and not everything is right with it, i just thought it would look better in front of the USGA and Pinehurst to have it as close as they can get it, its all good :)