ForrestLeigh:
You're probably right, its just me, I have a problem with a site I pay telling me that just because I decide to play ranked tournaments I will move eventually into a tier that makes it tougher than anywhere else to play.
If I'd decided to play practice rounds, or non ranked I could legally stay at a lower tier with a really good average playing different courses and different conditions.
Most other games people play they aspire to the better levels because they get the better equipment, here its given out with the cereal - well irrespective of tier anyway, you get to a level you get the best equipment and that is just wrong
This part was utterly ignored, and is the most important part of this post. WHY, WGTIcon, are there absolutely NO tangible benefits to tier elevation (other than some balls that are not at all worth it because, despite having only 1/2 ball less durability they wear out twice as fast. And even then, you give us the Legend balls but take away the benefit by making them effectively quite a bit more expensive)? Why is it one encounters only hindrances when one elevates? Why is there NOTHING to make gaining tiers desirable?
I just played an alt shot with some masters on the front 9 at SA. On the par5, I hit my drive 330 yards. My opponent, using the R9, hit 301. In a few levels, he'll qualify to use the R11 I use. My opponent was 28 yards past me.
The reason we have sandbaggers, AND a big reason we have multi-accounters, is because of this bad decision making on WGT's part. Ensuring there are only benefits to staying at lower tiers, ensuring there are only hindrances to tier elevation, and ensuring that players with access to the same equipment and the ability to acquire the same skills can shoot on an effectively much easier course is just bad decision making.
Because of this and random winds, both of which are bad ideas, I have given up playing tourneys that aren't unlimited (so I have a chance to get winds as good as anyone else) and spending money on anything but CC tourneys (and balls).