My clubs are fine. I maxed them out to the best of my abilities in recent days (I played only 4 months, January to March 2023, August to September 2023). I have already scoree a few decent ones (and that was with the standard balls!). The problems come up when I have par 4 of nearly 550 yards and par 6 of 620+ yards and, on top of that, there is also a headwind. When after 2 shots, and with the clubs I have, I am still nearly 100 yards from the green, I see little purpose to play.
Also, there are other reasons to choose the courses I do as opposed to others: I have a profound dislike for links courses. I like courses with water, doglegs, trees, etc, but links not so much. The strange thing is Kiawah which I used to like it on Links 2003, but here it is frankly trash. In particular the views are completely inadequate for shooting on several occasions. On Links 2003 playing with PGA speed greens, those greens are a nightmare (that would be speed 13-14). Only course I really enjoy here is Pebble Beach, that is a course I never tire to play, although I think that hole No. 7 plays wrong. I do not live too far from Pebble Beach and I have been there... Of course, while the game is realistic lookwise, the Physics is not (and it could not be otherwise, or else people would not shoot 55 or even below 50!! That immediately tells everything there is to say: it is an arcade game with great views).
Joining the CC. Perhaps, but I do not want to play tamed courses set up to lower averages either. A lot of people who shoot in their mid to high 50's do not get the majority of their scores on the regular courses. And I was told that much by a Tour Champion whom I played and beat once in one of those Chelsea games (I used a couple of those to warm up before playing on the courses).
Thankfully I can afford to buy the balls I want as often as I want, but I do not like "magic balls" that stops on a dime even if I hit with a 3 iron. That is not realistic. However, I do hate to waste good balls for nothing: just because I am lucky to be able to afford the balls, it does not seem right to me to be wasteful.
I stand by my opinion that equipment should be by tiers and not by levels. Of course, economically it is much better for Topgolf to have it by levels, I get it, but it is bizarre or even comedic that I face a Tour Pro at level 100+ who starts 50-100 yards in front of me and, on top of that, has the best clubs that money can buy. Why should that player be rewarded for playing at a mediocre level and very likely even doing everything not to move up any tier to stay with the easy setup? With those clubs, he might probably overshoot the greens from time to time!
I just cannot wait 2-3 months to reach the levels to buy the 95-100+ clubs that are going to be the definitive ones.
Right now my wood is shitty... as it carries little distance.. And I cannot always approach the greens with 3 or 4 irons. Those let the balls roll too much and if, on top of the distance, the green is also sloped near the flag, I am done! I was having a great game on Erin (at -4) then disaster started to happen. It is not that I missed my shots, but either balls never stopped until the fringes (true, I was with the standard balls) or I could not carry enough distance to use my wedges (which are definitely quite good) and that cost me 2 shots that ruined my game. Not so much for the score, but because of the horrible way the balls reacted on the greens.
Finally, Topgolf should know that even USGA strongly recommends to put all pins in playable positions and putting a pin near a sloped section is not a good thing. 2 inches longer than it should and the ball will roll to the fringe. Also there should be a little flat area around the pin but at times putting from 2 feet is more cause of concern than putting from 10 because of the horrible pin setup that Topgolf used.
It is just a game, I know, still.. if I take my time to play it, I like to get the most out of it and enjoy myself and for me is shooting well and not seeing balls performing monkey businesses. I also wonder if some of the distances in the courses I am seeing right now are really PGA like. Frankly, I have my doubts. Torrey Pines is another course that I know very well. The problem there in real life is always to stop the balls on greens as they run and run and run... But in this game on Torrey's par 5s I am often 50-80 yards from the green after 2 shots. Mmmhh.. maybe.. Perhaps if I had the top drivere and 3W to squeeze extra yardage out of the shots...
Oakmont greens are not even close to the real deal. No greens are more nightmarish than Oakmont's. The PGA players are happy when they make par. Here, I myself played the first half in 30 shots once! Imaginary. Too bad Augusta is not available! Those greens are less hostile than Oakmont's in terms of unevenness, but they are so fast that if feels like putting on ice.
Maybe I will come back in a few months. But I doubt it. It was some fun for a while.