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Bethpage Black...The bogey course.

• SystemCrash 209 Posts

  Thu, Mar 4 2010 9:24 PM

  I thought for a while I was a bad golfer on WGT. Until I played on other courses too. On any other I score between PAR and +5 which is good. But on BP it starts well but it's almost a bogey at each hole.

  It seems that St. Andrews is the hardest one according to what I read in here. I handle this one pretty well but BP Black, it's a no no. And since the vast majority of the free tours are played on BP, then... It's not called Black for nothing, it's my black beast!

  Sorry for wasting your time, I had to express it and it feels better now... loll :-)

  Cheers all!

  Rob

• Ricjl 1 Posts

  Fri, Mar 5 2010 12:31 AM

  It is ridiculously stupid to even play that course. Very unrealistic. Wind only affects bad shots, putts don't travel downhill, but when putting uphill they mysteriously travel too far. Most greens are not reachable with perfect shots. I refuse to chip the ball, I use a full wedge on all chips, only way to reach the green. Have you been 1 foot off the green yet, hit a perfect chip and the ball goes 6 inches? Change it or get rid of it.

• SWoods 62 Posts

  Fri, Mar 5 2010 7:27 AM

  Well ---definitely a very diff course, but people do score exceptional scores on that course too...check out the leaderboards...

  In real life too, it is a very diff course --Pros struggle to break par on it and I think the game reflects it well...

  Better equipment may help you play the course better...and will it easier to reach greens in regulation....

  and hey...if you choose to make this a free game...why crib? 

   

   

   

• neildiamond11790 1,115 Posts

  Fri, Mar 5 2010 8:36 AM

  I havent noticed anything you guys are saying except on maybe one occasion.  Its called VEM, it can give you a strange result sometimes.  For chipping from greenside rough, you cant be so delicate otherwise the clubhead cant get through the grass, just like in real golf. 

  The course works fine for many a player on WGT, my first round ever was about what you guys are playing.  Use your real golf knowledge, and apply it to your rounds.  You both have been on this site for less time that I have been by 1 month and 2 months respectively, and if you want an honest response you are not learning any lessons during your rounds on how different shots behave. 

  As I have pointed out to some other frustrated newbies, read the tips to the right, and learn from other players.  As I predicted before even pulling up your stats, you both have NO match play experience.  That seems to be the theme of the overly frustrated new member.  I played match play day one, and have since, and I learned more from other better players in 1 match, than I could do in 10 rounds by myself.  Learn from your peers.

• SystemCrash 209 Posts

  Fri, Mar 5 2010 2:12 PM

  Hi Neil,

  First thanks for your valuable reply, good tips in it and I take it as a constructive post.

  neildiamond11790:

  Its called VEM, it can give you a strange result sometimes

  I've read a lot about it in the posts (and lot of emotions around it too) but learned almost nothing. I sense that it's some sort of random factor added to the gameplay but nothing more. Do you (or anyone else) have by any chance a direct link in WGT that  talks about it? I would like to learn more from a "formal" or "original" source (ie: a blueprint from the designer for example). I've searched the FAQs but no luck.

  neildiamond11790:

  Use your real golf knowledge, and apply it to your rounds.

  Unfortunately I have none. I wish... maybe one day for sure! ;-)

  neildiamond11790:

  and learn from other players.

  That's a great tip, thanks. I was a bit excited when I used this feature the first time. I used it twice. Unfortunately, the other players "ejected" themselves before the end when losing which ultimately sucks! It may explains why it is not showing in my stats.

  By the way, congrats. You seems to do pretty well on the courses. Good equipment too. I think I'll invest and take your example, except for the balls... I always lose them! So far I only bought a putter and driver.

  Cheers to all who replied! Golf is the sh...

  Rob

• neildiamond11790 1,115 Posts

  Fri, Mar 5 2010 2:36 PM

  Systemcrash, not sure what official response you are going to get about VEM, but you hit the ball on the screws of the club, it seems to impact a randomness to the game, but you shouldn't see it anywhere close to ever hole.  For me its usually a shot I expect to be no more than a  yard or two off the stick, but it starts off going further to the left or right off the club, I can deal with it because as is in regular golf I have hit shots that I expect to be all over the stick and end up 30 ft away, it happens.

  Too bad you dont play real golf, I think its a valuable tool in ones WGT belt, take it up some day, but this might be a good emulator for you learning golf one day.  You will know the lingo, the rules to an extent, but you will have an idea of how to play the game.

  As for the match plays, well you are always gonna get the quitters but in my opinion if you are looking for better players, sort them by Pro and better, I think you will get less quitters that way as well. 

  Keep practising, if you can spend a couple of bucks, do so, equipment really does help, especially off the tee.  Get some more rounds under your belt drop your average, and start winning some tourneys or placing in them, especially the ready-go's and you wont have to worry about spending money on balls, and you wont lose them as much.  I won 300 credits going from hack to master, I won the next 14K in ready-gos and match play challenges.  I play 4 ready-gos a day pretty much and havent had to restock my credits in a while, but I drop a couple of bucks every now and then for WGT.

• ghettocop1 259 Posts

  Fri, Mar 5 2010 2:42 PM

  To those that have trouble with the ridiculous greenside rough at BP, try the flop.  I will also take respectful exception to Neil's assertion that non match-playing noobs are "overly frustrated" and "not learning".  I've never played a multi-player game ever.  I suck, but don't feel frustrated or as if I'm stagnating.  How many credits do you charge to let me tag-along sometime and watch you?

• neildiamond11790 1,115 Posts

  Fri, Mar 5 2010 5:59 PM

  None, shoot me an invite sometime.

• jakestanfill7 949 Posts

  Sat, Mar 6 2010 10:06 PM

  Hmm.......don't know really where to start with this.  There's is nothing wrong or different with BPB.  Yes it is a challenging course but still yields low scores if you know how to play it.  I average anywhere from 30-32 on 9 holes and around 62 for 18 on BPB.   Low rounds of 27 and 58 from master tees (56 from the pro tees).  27 came on back in high winds too. The rough is no different either.  I frequently pitch from the 40-50 lie but sometimes chip if I'm inside 10 yds, and with good results if I strike the ball correctly. Set ups vary, but with GI SD balls and g10 master irons, a pitch (no spin) from 40 50 lie on level lie and very fast greens of 17 yards will travel 14.5 yards for me every time.  Same set up on BPB 15.....short of green 13 yards, pitch 17 uphill works perfectly.

  As for the VEM, this is the program used to give clubs different characteristics and that's all.  Yes you will see more deviations if you use Raptures as they are rated very low on precision.  The VEM is not a program designed to randomly screw up a great round as many contest it is. 

  My only advice would be not to shy away from the challenge.  Keep plugging away but try different shots.  For instance, I frequently get much closer to the pin on BPB 1 by hitting punch shots than I do with full swings.

  Good luck and happy golfing,  Jake

• borntobesting 9,706 Posts

  Sun, Mar 7 2010 12:00 AM

  ghettocop1:

  To those that have trouble with the ridiculous greenside rough at BP, try the flop.  I will also take respectful exception to Neil's assertion that non match-playing noobs are "overly frustrated" and "not learning".  I've never played a multi-player game ever.  I suck, but don't feel frustrated or as if I'm stagnating.  How many credits do you charge to let me tag-along sometime and watch you?

  The flop shot is good on the 30-40 % chips but so is the punch shot which I use most. I have had several shall we call the punch ins. One such shot is saved on my replays.And remember the greenside rough is setup at both BP and Kiawah Island like they were for the U.S. Open. and even the pros had a little trouble chipping then.