Digital Sportspage Thanksgiving Open

J_Cauthen · Post by **J_Cauthen** » Thu Nov 28, 2002 6:37 pm

The Colonial Country Club, Master ability, and some rather severe conditions... I´ll be lucky to break par in the third Digital Sportspage sanctioned event on EASO´s Tiger Woods 2003 server. Should be a more competitive tournament than our last two events. The players are starting to learn the idiosynchracies of EASO, and we don´t expect as many technical disqualifications this time out. Good luck all!

CityWolves · Post by **CityWolves** » Fri Nov 29, 2002 1:56 am

Out of curiosity, what levels were the past two tournaments held been? If anyone shot in red numbers at the master level, I have to give them a hearty pat on the back. I have been playing pro but just went to the driving range on master level and hit one out of six balls straight. That, plus the putting without a grid of any type is extremely difficult.
 
 Excited to start the tourney. Hopefully I can at least break 100. I´d hate to say I can shoot a better game in real life than on the computer...

J_Cauthen · Post by **J_Cauthen** » Fri Nov 29, 2002 10:26 am

CityWolves, we had an 18 hole tournament played at MAster ability and the winner had a 63. Four other players broke par out of the field of 20, or so, who actually finished. We had scores in the 90´s as well.
 
 I do good to break 80 playing Master ability, but the caliber of golfer we seem to attract knows no fear of the difficulty of this setting. I enjoy playing it, although I do feel that reading the greens is overly difficult. I find it impossible to read a double breaker. I don´t mind playing Master ability offline as much as I do online. I´ve learned that when it´s used online, playing live against another human, the play tends to be slower. Some players take a lot more angles in looking at putts trying to gauge the break, hence the delay.
 
 Try this trick. When you get over a putt, hole the right mouse button down and lower the camera as close to the ground as you can. Look at the tilt of the aiming arrow and the green fringe line (if you can see it). Then hit the "4" key followed by "esc" (this will quickly take you to a ground level view from the hole looking back toward the ball. It can often confirm things you´re seeing from the front, or show you a break that you couldn´t see from the front.
 
 Stick with it - I promise you that you scores will improve as you play more with Master ability. Just don´t try to kill the ball. Keep the mouse movment slow and smooth. Concentrate on tempo, not speed. I switched to senior shafts and light perimeter weighted clubs to help me get the mouse speed I was after. I also use 2 piece distance balls.

J_Cauthen · Post by **J_Cauthen** » Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:44 am

I just posted my opening round score in the tournament.... an 87! <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_cool.gif"> It was truly one of the most horrid rounds I´ve ever played. It was one of the most humbling rounds of computer golf I´ve ever played. I was trying as hard as I could, and still could do no better than this. My goal was to avoid anything worse than a double bogey. I parred the first hole, and then triple bogied the second. I had a quadruple bogey on 9, a triple on 2, 3 doubles and 4 bogies. Only came close to making one birdie.
 
 Back to Q school for this kid!

btmmayor · Post by **btmmayor** » Sat Nov 30, 2002 12:17 am

An 87 to a 68? Under less windy conditions? Man, what was the secret there? Nice work!
 
 I couldn´t keep myself out of the trees for some reason in the second round. Its funny how one round you can fire darts, and the next its a struggle to keep it in play.

macmcslice · Post by **macmcslice** » Sat Nov 30, 2002 12:20 am

JC you´re a sadist <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_smile.gif"> ! The rough was a nightmare in round 2 <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_frown.gif"> . I went from bad (front 9) to worse (back 9), took a couple of 9´s and plenty of bogies and doubles. My putting was useless too.
 
 God I love this game <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_biggrin.gif"> !

J_Cauthen · Post by **J_Cauthen** » Sat Nov 30, 2002 12:54 am

"An 87 to a 68? Under less windy conditions? Man, what was the secret there? Nice work!"
 
 I wish I knew what I did differently this time bt! I know I played smarter - I hadn´t played Colonial in a while when I played the first round and made some course management errors. I also shortened my backswing to where I stop before hitting the mechanical stop of the animation. That seemed to help with my hook. I also took a little clubhead speed off most shots in favor of control. I didn´t have one three putt green, and made everything inside of 8ft!
 
 Weren´t those conditions bizarre!? Did you ever notice the little plasma/fog ball rolling across the fairway with the wind? Very strange. You´re right, it´s amazing how this game can change from one round to the next.
 
 Mac,
 
 I feel your pain bro! My first round was as horrid as one can imagine. Then I turn around and shoot what I consider to be the finest round I´ve ever played in TW 2003, all things considered. It wasn´t a pretty 68, but I didn´t have anything worse than a 5 on my card, and only bogied two holes.
 
 The rough is very tough, especially when it´s heavy at this course. It keeps you from carrying other undesirable stuff that you need to carry! <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_smile.gif"> And yes, I love this game also!
 
 We are really having a great tournament. I think it´s going to be the most competitive one to date, at least at the top.

btmmayor · Post by **btmmayor** » Sat Nov 30, 2002 12:05 pm

>>>"I also shortened my backswing to where I stop before hitting the mechanical stop of the animation."<<<
 
 Bingo.
 
 I have a terrible problem hitting the ball off the toe of my club. Whenever I´m getting myself into trouble its usually because of my toe hits, or because I´m doing something stupid trying to correct the toe hits. I´ve also noticed that making a shorter backswing helps me to control the ball when its one of those "spray it" days.
 
 If I´m having a bad day executing a straight mouse swing (planetary alignment, phase of the moon, too much ear wax???) I´ll take a 92% - 94% swing to keep it straight.

macmcslice · Post by **macmcslice** » Sat Nov 30, 2002 8:06 pm

Just played round three <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon27.gif"> . I was lucky to break 100! Two pars on the front, one on the back <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_cool.gif"> . Still last.
 
 Did I really say I loved this game?

J_Cauthen · Post by **J_Cauthen** » Sat Nov 30, 2002 10:46 pm

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 On 2002-11-30 16:06, macmcslice wrote:
 Just played round three <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon27.gif"> . I was lucky to break 100! Two pars on the front, one on the back <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_cool.gif"> . Still last.
 
 Did I really say I loved this game?
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 Don´t feel bad Mac, I balooned to an 87 myself. The conditions were too extreme, IMO. Several of the pin placements would not have been approved of by the USGA, not with the green speed being what it was.
 
 Yes, you did... and yes, I still do also! <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_wink.gif">

macmcslice · Post by **macmcslice** » Sun Dec 01, 2002 8:14 pm

Just when you think you´ve got it! I was only 2 over through 11 on today´s tourney - then I went 6,8,7,10,6,7,7! Last again <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_cool.gif"> [ This message was edited by: macmcslice on 01-12-2002 16:15 ]

J_Cauthen · Post by **J_Cauthen** » Mon Dec 02, 2002 10:19 am

Mac, I know the tale of two nines. I went 38-49 in route to my 87!

CityWolves · Post by **CityWolves** » Thu Dec 05, 2002 12:01 am

Just to let you all know, I am practicing for the next tourney with the master settings. I might be able to crack 100 by New Year´s... though I´m not going to hold my breath... <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_wink.gif">

RandyM · Post by **RandyM** » Thu Dec 05, 2002 10:26 am

Enough of Golf. Hey Cauthen, you got an XBox and a gamertag yet? Let´s play!

J_Cauthen · Post by **J_Cauthen** » Sat Dec 07, 2002 12:10 pm

I accept your challenge Mr. Magruder! Problem is that I´m lacking adequate funding to finance an XBox venture at this point. I´m looking at February as my XBox ownership window.
 
 What are my "must haves" when it comes to XBox online gaming? I´ve yet to experience Moto GP but I´m guessing that´s on your list. I´d love to have a good F1 online racer. I like F1 2002 on the PC offline, but the online capability is pathetic.
 
 I´m still big into NASCAR 2002 and GPL online, and I´m warming up to TW 2003 online more and more, even though it doesn´t have ready play.
 
 BTW, you will be shocked at my NASCAR 2002 prowess since the last time we raced
 
 <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_wink.gif">