WGT Golf News

  • Play Kiawah Back 9 and Wolf Creek Now!

    24 Mar 2009

    Today's launch includes a new course and the back 9 holes of Kiawah Resort! Please let us know what you think in our forums, and check out the highlights from today's update:

    Back 9 Holes of Kiawah Island Golf Resort
    Stroke Play on 18 holes! WGT players now have full 18-hole access to The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island Golf Resort. Players have the option to play the front 9, the back 9 or the full 18. Look for some April tournaments to feature the full 18, so practice up!

    Wolf Creek Resort Closest-to-the-Hole Challenge
    Play a nine-hole challenge at Wolf Creek Resort, tucked into the northeast corner in Mesquite and carved beautifully out of the Nevada desert. Ranked as one of Golf Digest's toughest courses in America, Wolf Creek's challenging layout is matched only by its breathtaking scenery. Click the PLAY NOW button to experience it for yourself!

    WGT Tour Starters Set
    Hit the ball farther with the 2009 WGT Tour Starters Irons. These irons are tempo-matched to the more advanced drivers so the swing meter speed will be similar. Visit the Pro Shop and add them to your bag today.

    Invite Your Friends
    Now you can easily invite your friends to play WGT. Simply go to your Profile page and click on the "Invite Your Friends to Join WGT" banner. This feature helps you find people you know who are on WGT with an in-game friends invite, and also helps you send emails to friends who do not have a WGT account.

    Green Speeds
    We have changed up the green speeds on Kiawah to be faster and more true to the real-world course.

    Bug Fixes and Replay Wipe
    The following are bugs that have been fixed:

    • You should be able to change and save your clubs with no problems now.
    • The following awards have been fixed, and you should get them going forward. Birdies in a Game, Closest-to-the-Hole Accuracy, and Double Eagle.
    • A few changes have been made to decrease swing meter "stuttering". We will continue to investigate these issues to make the game more responsive.
    • You can now see the tournament you played in your score history, instead of just the course you played.
    • Delete links should no longer disappear after a certain number of posts have been reached on your profile page.
    • As a result of adding new courses, it was necessary to wipe the replays again. We apologize for any inconvenience.
  • Recent Tournament Winners 3/19/09

    19 Mar 2009

    Congratulations to the following recent tournament winners!

    Feb Amateur's Closest-to-the-Hole Tournament

    1st: CKEVIN2
    Prize: Nike SasQuatch Driver

    2nd: nivlac
    Prize: Snake Eyes Putter

    3rd: JaimePBPro
    Prize: Titleist Pro V1 Balls

    Feb Stroke Play

    HACK: JackMack
    Prize: WGT Credits

    AMATEUR: gitthe
    Prize: WGT Credits

    Feb International Open

    HACK TIER

    1st Place: Bungeemaster

    2nd Place: CGSparks

    3rd Place: AGPhillips

    AMATEUR TIER

    1st Place: Yoshi

    2nd Place: SWBAKER

    3rd Place: iconian

    Feb Shopping Spree Open

    HACK TIER

    1st: Tinclub
    Prize: Sky Golf SkyCaddie SG3

    2nd: TailorMade
    Prize: $50 Amazon.com Gift Card

    3rd: alansonofjack
    Prize: $25 Amazon.com Gift Card

    AMATEUR TIER

    1st: tibbets
    Prize: Sky Golf SkyCaddie SG3

    2nd: CKEVIN2
    Prize: $75 Amazon.com Gift Card

    3rd: nivlac
    Prize: $75 Amazon.com Gift Card

    Week 8 Stroke Play Tournament

    HACK: nivlac
    Prize: WGT Credits

    AMATEUR: golfswithbeer
    Prize: WGT Credits

    Week 9 Closest-to-the-Hole Sweepstakes

    Winner 1: 1mickie1
    Prize: 1,000 WGT Credits

    Winner 2: nayback
    Prize: 1,000 WGT Credits

    Winner 3: Phranc
    Prize: 1,000 WGT Credits

    Week 10 Stroke Play Tournament

    HACK: coopercg77
    Prize: WGT Credits

    AMATEUR: Skibum
    Prize: WGT Credits

    Week 10 Closest-to-the-Hole Tournament

    HACK: GLADSTONESCREWER
    Prize: WGT Credits

    AMATEUR: tibbets
    Prize: WGT Credits

  • Choosing Your Swing

    17 Mar 2009

    Choosing the right swing is essential to taking your game to the next level. Here is a break-down of the different types of swings that are available to you, and when to use them:

    Most shots from the fairway and rough call for full swings. A full swing delivers the most power, causing the ball to travel the farthest of all types of swings. Full swings are the most common types of swings on the golf course.

    Punch shots are flatter, shorter swings that cause the ball to fly lower than a full swing. Punch shots are useful when there is high wind or an obstruction in front of you, like a tree, that you need the ball to fly under. 

    Pitch and chip shots are compact, controlled swings that are useful around the greens. Pitch shots put more loft on the ball and travel further than chip shots. Chip shots are even more compact than pitch shots. Chip shots are most useful near or on the fringes of the green and give you the greatest amount of control.  

    Flop shots are touch shots that cause the ball to fly very high and stop quickly. Flop shots are useful when there is an obstruction in front of you, like a sand trap, which you need the ball to fly over. They are also useful when you don’t have a lot of green to work with and need the ball to stop quickly by the flag. Flop shots can be hit only with your wedges.

  • WGT Tip: Update Your Email

    11 Mar 2009

    It happens every month--someone enters a tournament and wins, but they never receive the prize because the email address provided to us at registration is incorrect. Don't let this happen to you! Check the email address you have on file with us at https://www.wgt.com/user/contactinfo.aspx and make sure it's correct. If you update it, be sure to click the "Update" button at the bottom of the page when you are done. Have fun!

  • New Clubs, Game Improvements, and Sneak Peek at Pro Shop

    05 Mar 2009

    We launched some new features today that we hope you will enjoy. Below are a few of the highlights, and the full list is posted in our forum. Remember that this month, most of the tournaments will start on March 10 in order to give everyone a chance to get a feel for the changes.

    New WGT Starter Set Clubs
    We have provided every player with a free WGT Starter set of clubs, which will replace your "Pre-Beta" set. Your player is automatically equipped with this improved set of clubs, so play now and let us know what you think. The WGT Starter set is meant for beginners and first-time players. We will release more clubs in the near future for advanced players.

    Game Improvements
    In our ongoing efforts to make WGT the most realistic online golf experience ever, we've made some major improvements to the way the golf ball interacts with ground surfaces and golf clubs in game play. Much like in real golf, you need to pay special attention to your lie. Knowing which type of ground surface (hard sand, mulch, second cut rough, etc) and how buried your ball is becomes critical to hitting an accurate shot. So be sure to check this graphic before every shot you take:

    PLEASE NOTE: One side effect of these changes is that all of your saved replays will be wiped from the site. We are working on a solution in the future where we will no longer have to wipe the replays when we make these types of updates.

    WGT Virtual Pro Shop - Sneak Peek
    The beta version of the WGT Virtual Pro Shop is available for a sneak peek! The Pro Shop lets you upgrade the golf equipment your player uses in the game. Just like in real golf, the right equipment combined with the right amount of skill can give you longer, more accurate drives or better touch on and off the green. Visit the Pro Shop to compare and purchase new clubs, and use them in the game to maximize your potential. Available today are the Ping G10, TaylorMade Burner, WGT Tour Drivers. We are working on many more clubs and they will be added as soon as they are ready.

    My Clubs Section
    To equip yourself with clubs you get in the Pro Shop, mouse over the My Settings tab in the game menu and choose My Clubs. Once you are in the My Clubs interface, click and drag the club you want to equip, from the Inventory section into the In My Bag section. Click Save to keep your selection. You can also access My Clubs prior to teeing off by clicking the View/Edit Clubs button.

    New countries eligible for tournaments - Norway, Australia, and Japan
    Starting this month, players in Norway and Australia are eligible to play in some leaderboard (score-based) tournaments, and players in Japan are eligible for prizes in the sweepstakes tournaments. We are working on our next batch of countries, so stay tuned! Keep in mind that each month we will run an international tournament where players in every country can compete for bragging rights. This month's international tournament will commence on March 9.

    Share Replays
    You can now share replays with your friends more easily. After watching a replay, click on the Share button, enter your friend's email address and a personal message and click the Send button.

  • Recent Tournament Winners 3/2/09

    02 Mar 2009

    Congratulations to the following recent tournament winners!

    Week 6 Closest-to-the-Pin Sweepstakes

    Winner 1: nathanad
    Prize: 1,000 WGT Credits

    Winner 2: ohmaxbiya
    Prize: 1,000 WGT Credits

    Winner 3: RTG1969
    Prize: 1,000 WGT Credits

    Week 7 Closest-to-the-Pin Tournament

    HACK: Manuntdfan
    Prize: WGT Credits

    AMATEUR: tibbets
    Prize: WGT Credits

    Week 7 Stroke Play Tournament

    HACK: bladeny
    Prize: WGT Credits

    AMATEUR: nivlac
    Prize: WGT Credits

    Week 7 Closest-to-the-Pin Sweepstakes

    Winner 1: 1underpar
    Prize: 1,000 WGT Credits

    Winner 2: GeneTW09
    Prize: 1,000 WGT Credits

    Winner 3: IsTLionK
    Prize: 1,000 WGT Credits

    Week 8 Closest-to-the-Pin Tournament

    HACK: Ross4Fun
    Prize: WGT Credits

    AMATEUR: tibbets
    Prize: WGT Credits

    Week 9 Closest-to-the-Pin Tournament

    HACK: jaybird0925
    Prize: WGT Credits

    AMATEUR: tibbets
    Prize: WGT Credits

    Week 9 Stroke Play Tournament

    HACK: jwsessions1982
    Prize: WGT Credits

    AMATEUR: ncviz
    Prize: WGT Credits

  • Heads-up on Next Week’s Product Release

    26 Feb 2009

    Thanks everyone for being patient and giving us a ton of very good feedback during this beta period. We have a release coming out next week that has taken longer than expected and has delayed our course releases, but addresses a few fundamental game dynamics the community has drawn to our attention.

    We have made major changes to the way the ball interacts with ground surfaces and the clubs (make sure you read your lie before you hit). We have also created a new set of clubs called the WGT Starters that will replace your Pre-Beta set.

    One side effect of these changes is that all of your saved replays will be wiped from the site. We are working on a solution in the future where we will no longer have to wipe the replays when we make these types of updates, and we will keep you updated as to our progress.

    Also in this release is the framework for the WGT Pro Shop, where in the future you will be able to upgrade your equipment. There will be a limited number of items in the beginning, but we will add more as they become available from our partners.

    Finally, we know that everyone wants to play new holes, and we can tell you that they are scheduled to come out in April.

    Thanks for making WGT the best place online to play golf, and we look forward to your feedback next week after the release!

  • Earn Your Entry to Premium Tournaments

    23 Feb 2009

    If you're someone who is tempted by the prizes in our paid tournaments but has been reluctant to enter because of the entry fee, did you know you can earn credits by playing in the weekly tournaments? Or for that matter, any of the free tournaments with credits as prizes? You will earn credits as long as you place in the top 70 in your tier, and it's a completely free way to accumulate credits that you can use towards entering the premium tournaments. Have fun!

  • WGT Tip: Putting Spin on the Ball

    18 Feb 2009

    For this week's tip, we are featuring nivlac's forum post about putting spin on the ball. Many players have found this useful, and we hope you will too. Enjoy!

    In the lower right hand corner of the game you'll see a ball with a green dot.

    Kinda looks like this. This is normal spin. Your ball has an average trajectory and average roll.

    Grab the green dot and move it upwards to impart topspin. Consequently, your ball will have a lower trajectory, will fly less and roll more if the ground is flat. Good in some situations, and not so good in others.

    Grab the green dot and move it downwards to impart backspin. Your ball will have a higher trajectory, will fly more and roll less if the ground is flat.

    Different shots will require varying degrees of topspin and backspin, but that part you gotta figure out on your own. :)

  • Don't Play Alone on Valentine's Day!

    14 Feb 2009

    Happy Valentine's Day from WGT!

    It's always more fun playing with others, especially on Valentine's Day. Finding a buddy to play with is easy on WGT. Just go to the WGT Players page and hit the Search button. You can leave the Search field blank, enter a partial string (i.e. "b" to find all player names starting with the letter b), or enter the entire username of the person you are looking for.

    If you find someone interesting among the available players but there is a grey button next to their name, it means they are in the middle of a tournament or multiplayer game. Sign their wall and pick someone else in the meantime! If you like who you played with, be sure to "friend" them afterwards by clicking on "Add as Friend" on their profile page, and it will be easy to find them next time.

    Cheers,
    WGT

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