Tiger Beware II: T.W. PGA Tour, Pro Level

thealmighty · 07-31-2003, 10:44 PM

Welcome to the next level, as they say.

Read the exciting adventures of T.E. Almighty as he made his way through the amateur ranks to the Pro Tour, now out in paperback. It is no Seabiscuit, but it IS better than The Billy Madison Story.

T.E. the Amateur

Read on for the continued shenanigans as T.E. fights his way to more fame and ever greater fortune (or busts back to amateur level).

Ryan S · 08-01-2003, 04:14 AM

Technically T.E was never an amateur, because amateurs can not win money.

thealmighty · 08-01-2003, 10:26 AM

Never even thought of that. Good point.

thealmighty · 08-01-2003, 10:40 AM

One of the good things about taking time before moving up to Professional level is that we seem to have some extra money in the bank. So, the first order of business is to spend a bunch of it, which we will start doing by increasing our attributes.



Attribute		Was	New

Power		        25	40

Accuracy		25	35

Recovery		25	25

Dist. Control	        25	35

Putting		        25	40

Cost: $50,000

Bankroll: $8,825

We are hoping that we will not outright lose to many events when there is an opportunity to split, and the fees are not to steep. We figure we do not need a large wad of cash, so might as well spend most of it.

thealmighty · 08-01-2003, 10:50 AM

Another thing you get to do is learn new kinds of shots that are needed in special circumstances. As a Professional, there are 3 new shots you can attempt, so we might as well add them to our repertoire immediately.

With that in mind, we go to the local club pro and take some lessons. We learn:

flop shot- third try
the power shot- takes 4 times to get it
high spin- done on 1st try

The flop shot is used to traverse obstacles you must go over, like water or a trap.
The power shot won't be useful too much until our 'Power" attribute is higher. We managed to pass the lesson only with a 100% , very fast swing.
High spin didn't really work. We got the ball on the target, but there was no backspin- the ball just rolled into the specified area.

Each lesson costs us $75.

Bankroll: $8600

thealmighty · 08-01-2003, 10:54 AM

We go to the practice range looking for some competition, but all that is offered today seems to be chipping contests that cost more than our current confidence with chipping allow us to persue.

We would like to take a Skills Competition, where ther are lots of events to work on in one competition, but that chance does not appear.

Getting bored on the range, we decide to try out our first calendar offering, a 6-hole match play event.

thealmighty · 08-01-2003, 11:00 AM

Calendar match, January 1st.
Site: TPC at Sawgrass, holes 5-10. Greens normal, rough average, winds calm.
Opponent: David Walker.
Setup: We are playing as a twosome, so I know what he is doing on every shot.
Scoring: The player with the lowest score on each hole gets a point. Most points wins.
Fee: $100
Purse: $5,500

First Hole, TPC #5: par 4, 410 yards
TEE- T.E. perfect, 271 yards. David fairway, 236 yards.
2nd- David 5W onto fringe of green.
2nd- T.E. 6I short of the green.
3rd- T.E 28 yard PW rolls past the hole
3rd- David 42 foot PW to 7 feet.
4th- T.E 14 footer misses badly.
4th- David putt to win from 7 feet is in.
Walker- 1 up

Second Hole, TPC #6: par 4, 343 yards
TEE- David-230 yards in fairway. T.E.- fairway, 250 yards
2nd- David- 9I from 113 yards on green.
2nd- T.E.- 87 yard PW just short of green.
3rd- David- 41 foot putt to 10 feet.
3rd- T.E.- 22 foot chip GOES IN.
4th- David- concedes hole.
All Square

Third Hole, TPC #7: par 4, 402 yards
TEE- T.E.- center of fairway, 266 yards. David- in fairway, 238 yards.
2nd- David- 5I from 164 yards finds the beach.
2nd- T.E.- 138 yard 8I on front of green.
3rd- David- SW from bunker rolls 12 feet by.
3rd- T.E.- 21 foot putt goes long.
4th- David- 12 foot putt goes in.
4th- T.E.- putt to halve hole from 5 feet drops.
All Square

First Hole, TPC #8: par 3, 191 yards
TEE- T.E.- 3I short of green. David- 3I rolls over the green.
2nd- David- 29 yard chip to 4 feet.
2nd- T.E.- chip skips 6 feet past.
3rd- T.E.- huge breaking 6 footer is in.
3rd- David- 4 feet for halve, no problem.
All Square

Fifth Hole, TPC #9: par 5, 532 yards
TEE- T.E.- 255 yards in fairway. David- in fairway, 235 yards.
2nd- David- 3W from 304 yards, first bad shot into rough.
2nd- T.E.- 3W from 280 yards still in fairway.
3rd- David- way short from 194 yards with 3W.
4th- David- SW from 71 yards safely on.
3rd- T.E.- LW from 56 yards to 8 feet.
5th- David- 9 footer to have a chance just off.
4th- T.E.- to take the lead from 8 feet- GOOD.
6th- David- concedes hole.
Almighty- 1 up, 1 to play

Sixth Hole, TPC #10: par 4, 355 yards
TEE- T.E.- 251 yards in fairway. David- 242 yards down the middle.
2nd- David- 8I from 130 yards bounces past the green.
2nd- T.E.- 9I from 125 yards on front fringe.
3rd- David- 59 foot PW to 5 feet.
3rd- T.E.- 41 foot chip close to pin.
4th- David- putt from 5 feet good for par.
4th- T.E.- 43 inches for the halve, and the win, is IN THE CUP.
Almighty- 1 up

T.E. Almighty WINS the match, 1 up.

$5500 is the prize for the victory.

Career Earnings: $77,457
Bankroll: $14,000

thealmighty · 08-01-2003, 11:04 AM

There was an obvious increase in the skill of our opponent from the amateurs we had faced before. Walker had only one poor hole and it cost him the match thanks to our good/lucky scrambling.

However, with all the scrambling we DID have to do for par saves and so forth, we can see that every competition will be much harder (since I am not really all that good... at least not yet) and there will probably be many more defeats than we have ever had in our life.

thealmighty · 08-02-2003, 01:21 PM

Site: TPC at Sawgrass.
Opponents: Eddie Rivera, 244 yard average on drives.
Scoring: Long drive wins the purse.
Fee: $2240
Purse: $4480

Round 1
Almighty: excellent drive
Distance: 254 yards

Rivera: poor effort
Distance: 228 yards

Almighty leads at 254 yards.

Round 2
Almighty: not very good.
Distance: 239 yards

Rivera: not good at all.
Distance: 223 yards

Almighty leads at 254 yards.

Round 3
Almighty: tried a power shot and missed, into water.
Distance: no shot

Rivera: still far below his average.
Distance: 231 yards

T.E. Almighty WINS with a drive of 254 yards.

I take home the $4480 purse.

Career Earnings: $81,937
Bankroll: $16,240

thealmighty · 08-02-2003, 01:24 PM

Site: Spyglass Hill Golf Club.
Opponents: Jimmy Alton, drives 253, putts 1.9/hole, avg. round of 76.
Setup: competition in 9 skills in various locations on the course. Each golfer has 3 attempts per skill, closest or longest shot, as appropriate, wins the event.
Scoring: outright winner of a skill gets 1/10 of the total purse, with the overall winner getting the remainder of the pot.
Fee: $1500 (he offered a larger one, but we thought not, for our first skills try.)
Purse: $3000

As there is way to much stuff in a skills contest for one post, I will break it up into seperate parts for your easy reading pleasure.

thealmighty · 08-02-2003, 01:26 PM

EVENT 1- mid-iron shot- 146 yards in the fairway.

Round 1
Almighty: not enough.
Distance: no shot

Alton: left it short.
Distance: no shot

no leader

Round 2
Almighty: finally on.
Distance: 13 feet

Alton: not good at all.
Distance: no shot

Almighty leads at 13 feet.

Round 3
Almighty: pitiful.
Distance: no shot

Alton: could not hit the green.
Distance: no shot

EVENT 1 WINNER: Almighty, 13 feet, $300.

thealmighty · 08-02-2003, 01:27 PM

EVENT 2- trouble shot- in mid-rough, 131 yards.

Round 1
Almighty: not enough.
Distance: no shot

Alton: left it short.
Distance: no shot

no leader

Round 2
Almighty: short again.
Distance: no shot

Alton: on the green.
Distance: 17 feet

Alton leads at 17 feet.

Round 3
Almighty: I suck.
Distance: no shot

Alton: no need.
Distance: no shot

EVENT 2 WINNER: Alton, 17 feet, $300.

thealmighty · 08-02-2003, 01:28 PM

EVENT 3- long drive

Round 1
Almighty: excellent stuff.
Distance: 260 yards

Alton: terrible.
Distance: 233 yards

Almighty leads at 260 yards.

Round 2
Almighty: power shot fails again.
Distance: no shot

Alton: worse.
Distance: 229

Almighty leads at 260 yards.

Round 3
Almighty: meager effort.
Distance: 244 yards

Alton: well short of his average.
Distance: 233 yards

EVENT 3 WINNER: Almighty, 260 yards, $300.

thealmighty · 08-02-2003, 01:28 PM

EVENT 4- greenside bunker- from 23 yards.

Round 1
Almighty: not close.
Distance: 10 feet

Alton: great shot.
Distance: 41 inches

Alton leads at 41 inches.

Round 2
Almighty: no better.
Distance: 10 feet

Alton: not great.
Distance: 8 feet

Alton leads at 41 inches.

Round 3
Almighty: left in the trap.
Distance: no shot

Alton: got worse, doesn’t matter.
Distance: 11 feet

EVENT 4 WINNER: Alton, 41 inches, $300.

thealmighty · 08-02-2003, 01:30 PM

EVENT 5- short iron shot- 105 yards in the fairway.

Round 1
Almighty: not enough, but good.
Distance: 5 feet

Alton: way long.
Distance: no shot

Almighty leads at 5 feet.

Round 2
Almighty: decent effort.
Distance: 12 feet

Alton: horrible shot.
Distance: no shot

Almighty leads at 5 feet.

Round 3
Almighty: no good.
Distance: 20 feet

Alton: couldn’t do it.
Distance: no shot

EVENT 5 WINNER: Almighty, 5 feet, $300.

thealmighty · 08-02-2003, 01:30 PM

EVENT 6- fairway bunker- 106 yards.

Round 1
Almighty: that won’t cut it.
Distance: 31 feet

Alton: not bad.
Distance: 11 feet

Alton leads at 11 feet.

Round 2
Almighty: piss poor.
Distance: no shot

Alton: not on.
Distance: no shot

Alton leads at 11 feet.

Round 3
Almighty: close but no cigar.
Distance: 13 feet

Alton: sweet shot.
Distance: 7 feet

EVENT 6 WINNER: Alton, 7 feet, $300.

thealmighty · 08-02-2003, 01:31 PM

EVENT 7- chip shot- 23 feet from fairway lie.

Round 1
Almighty: that’s what I’m talking about!!.
Distance: 12 inches

Alton: decent effort.
Distance: 34 inches

Almighty leads at 12 inches.

Round 2
Almighty: just ok shot.
Distance: 44 inches

Alton: getting closer.
Distance: 29 inches

Almighty leads at 12 inches.

Round 3
Almighty: another good one.
Distance: 15 inches

Alton: better, but not enough.
Distance: 24 inches

EVENT 7 WINNER: Almighty, 12 inches, $300.

thealmighty · 08-02-2003, 01:32 PM

EVENT 8- pitch shot- in mid-rough, 37 yards.

Round 1
Almighty: that was horrid.
Distance: no shot

Alton: not bad.
Distance: 12 feet

Alton leads at 12 feet.

Round 2
Almighty: take the lead.
Distance: 9 feet

Alton: better.
Distance: 10 feet

Almighty leads at 9 feet.

Round 3
Almighty: even closer.
Distance: 8 feet

Alton: great shot to steal the event.
Distance: 7 feet

EVENT 8 WINNER: Alton, 7 feet, $300.

thealmighty · 08-02-2003, 01:33 PM

EVENT 9- putting- from fringe, 39 feet.

Round 1
Almighty: not bad.
Distance: 4 feet

Alton: way too soft.
Distance: 7 feet

Almighty leads at 4 feet.

Round 2
Almighty: that is more like it.
Distance: 45 inches

Alton: slight improvement only.
Distance: 6 feet

Almighty leads at 45 inches.

Round 3
Almighty: no good.
Distance: 6 feet

Alton: not what he wanted, 3 inches short.
Distance: 4 feet

EVENT 9 WINNER: Almighty, 45 inches, $300.

thealmighty · 08-02-2003, 01:36 PM

Summary:

EVENT 1 WINNER: Almighty, $300.
EVENT 2 WINNER: Alton, $300.
EVENT 3 WINNER: Almighty, $300.
EVENT 4 WINNER: Alton, $300.
EVENT 5 WINNER: Almighty, $300.
EVENT 6 WINNER: Alton, $300.
EVENT 7 WINNER: Almighty, $300.
EVENT 8 WINNER: Alton, $300.
EVENT 9 WINNER: Almighty, $300.

T.E. Almighty WINS the Skills Competition, 5 events to 4, and pockets $3000.

Career Earnings: $84,937
Bankroll: $17,740

thealmighty · 08-02-2003, 03:33 PM

Site: Pebble Beach Golf Links.
Opponents: John Anosa, 244 yard average on drives.
Scoring: Long drive wins the purse.
Fee: $7500 (I raised the ante on him.)
Purse: $15,000

Round 1
Almighty: excellent drive.
Distance: 257 yards

Anosa: a little too good to suit me.
Distance: 252 yards

Almighty leads at 257 yards.

Round 2
Almighty: power shot RIPPED at 108% power. YeeHaw!!
Distance: 267 yards

Anosa: consistency is not necessarily a good thing.
Distance: 252 yards

Almighty leads at 267 yards.

Round 3
Almighty: what the hell, that was just sad.
Distance: 235 yards

Anosa: not the way you want to end things.
Distance: no shot

T.E. Almighty WINS with a drive of 254 yards.

I take home the $15,000 purse.

Career Earnings: $99,937
Bankroll: $25,240

thealmighty · 08-02-2003, 03:34 PM

With some Pro level practice events under my belt, and in my pocket, I figure it is time to test the waters of a calendar event. I am off to a 2-player scramble.

thealmighty · 08-02-2003, 03:43 PM

Calendar Event, January 6th.
Site: Colonial Country Club. Greens normal, rough average, winds breezy.
Opponents: 96 players in 48 teams of 2.
Setup: 2-Player Scramble. Both teammates tee off on each hole. They select the best shot and each then plays a ball from that spot. Continue until the hole is completed.
Scoring: Stroke play. Lowest score wins.
Partner: Keith Snidemiller. (do not have stats on him)
Fee: $100
Purse: $200,000

NOTE: The player whose shot is used will be listed. The shot not used will be omitted. The computer goes too fast to catch the shot distances on occasion.

Hole #1: par 5, 505 yards
TEE- Almighty 3W in light rough.
2nd- Almighty 3W from 295 yards.
3rd- Almighty PW from 75 yards on green.
4th- Almighty 21 footer is good. NICE START/HE SUCKS.
Almighty/Snidemiller T-27th place, 1 under par

Hole #2: par 4, 343 yards
TEE- Almighty Sweet on e over trees, 261 yards.
2nd- Almighty 85 yard SW on green.
3rd- Keith: from 27 feet within 3 feet.
4th- Keith: 35 inch par try is good.
Almighty/Snidemiller T-27th place, 1 under par

Hole #3: par 4, 421 yards
TEE- Almighty 207 yards in fairway.
2nd- Almighty 3W from 221 yards on green.
3rd- Almighty 30 footer lags up within inches.
4th- Almighty 20 incher for par drops in.
Almighty/Snidemiller T-27th place, 1 under par

Hole #4: par 3, 204 yards
TEE- Keith: SW in mid rough at 37 feet.
2nd- Keith: SW gets close.
3rd- Keith: 6 feet for par is good.
Almighty/Snidemiller T-23rd place, 1 under par

Hole #5: par 4, 400 yards
TEE- Keith: 202 yards in fairway.
2nd- Almighty: 5W from 202 yards on green.
3rd- Almighty: 16 footer for birdie good.
Almighty/Snidemiller T-19th place, 2 under par

Hole #6: par 4, 366 yards
TEE- Almighty: down the middle, 249 yards.
2nd- Keith: 8I from 125 yards HITS THE PIN and bounces back a bit.
3rd- Keith: 5 foot bird attempt goes down.
Almighty/Snidemiller 13th place, 3 under par

Hole #7: par 4, 397 yards
TEE- Almighty: down the pipe, 261 yards.
2nd- Almighty: 138 yard 7I finds a greenside bunker.
3rd- Almighty: 41 foot bunker blast on green.
4th- Almighty: scramble for par from 8 feet is down.
Almighty/Snidemiller 13th place, 3 under par

Hole #8: par 3, 192 yards
TEE- Almighty: 3I rolls close.
2nd- Almighty: 8 footer for bird drops in.
Almighty/Snidemiller T-7th place, 4 under par

Hole #9: par 4, 348 yards
TEE- Keith: over trees in the fairway.
2nd- Almighty: BABY, BABY 7I lips out.
3rd- Almighty: tap in for bird from 2 feet.
Almighty/Snidemiller T-3rd place, 5 under par

Hole #10: par 4, 381 yards
TEE- Almighty: 260 yards into rough.
2nd- Almighty: 7I from 122 yards to 6 feet.
3rd- Almighty: another birdie is in. 3 IN A ROW.
Almighty/Snidemiller 3rd place, 6 under par

Hole #11: par 5, 570 yards
TEE- Almighty: nice drive, 257 yards.
2nd- Almighty: 3W from 315 close to green.
3rd- Almighty: 89 yard PW DEAD ON.
4th- Almighty: 5 footer for 4 straight…YES.
Almighty/Snidemiller 3rd place, 7 under par

Hole #12: par 4, 397 yards
TEE- Almighty: beauty, 278 yards.
2nd- Almighty: 9I from 129 yards on front fringe.
3rd- Almighty: 50 foot chip WOW to 8 inches.
4th- Almighty: tap in for par.
Almighty/Snidemiller 3rd place, 7 under par

Hole #13: par 3, 143 yards
TEE- Almighty: 7I 136 yards short of green.
2nd- Keith: 29 foot chip, a good one.
3rd- Keith: 29 inches, no problma.
Almighty/Snidemiller 3rd place, 7 under par

Hole #14: par 4, 413 yards
TEE- Almighty: in the fairway, 158 yards from paydirt.
2nd- Almighty: 149 yard 6I on green.
3rd- Almighty: 26 footer to 2 feet.
4th- Almighty: in the cup for par from 2 feet.
Almighty/Snidemiller 2nd place, 7 under par

Hole #15: par 4, 380 yards
TEE- Almighty: 249 yards, perfect placement.
2nd- Almighty: 140 yard 6I short but on.
3rd- Keith: 26 footer rolls past.
3rd- Keith: par putt good from 29 inches.
Almighty/Snidemiller 2nd place, 7 under par

Hole #16: par 3, 171 yards
TEE- Almighty: Beauty, 5I to 7 feet.
2nd- Almighty: for bird to tie for first- DRAINO.
Almighty/Snidemiller T-1st place, 8 under par

Hole #17: par 4, 366 yards
TEE- Almighty: 5W bent around trees into fairway.
2nd- Almighty: 186 yarder into greenside bunker.
3rd- Almighty: 28 yard blasted to 10 feet.
4th- Almighty: putt to stay tied is perfect.
Almighty/Snidemiller T-1st place, 8 under par

Hole #18: par 4, 403 yards
TEE- Almighty: 259 yards in fairway.
2nd- Almighty: 148 yard 5I found the rough.
3rd- Keith: nice 44 footer to 5 feet.
4th- Keith: 5 feet to finish tied hits the bottom of the cup.
Almighty/Snidemiller T-1st place, 8 under par.

SUDDEN DEATH PLAYOFF(we play alone, not with the other team, unfortunately.)

Playoff Hole #1: #17, par 4, 366 yards
TEE- Almighty: 5W goes 185 yards into position.
2nd- Almighty: 188 yard 3I on the front of green, FAR away.
3rd- Almighty: 20 YARD putt a GREAT lag..
4th- Almighty: par for a victory from 43 inches is GGOOOOOOOODD.
Almighty/Snidemiller 1st place, 8 under par

T.E. Almighty and Keith Snidemiller WIN the tournament in a playoff.

2-Player scramble victory is good for $33,876.

***Career Earnings: $133,813***
Bankroll: $59,016

***NOW OVER $100K IN CAREER EARNINGS***

thealmighty · 08-02-2003, 03:52 PM

I don't know if it the luck of the draw or what, but my partner was not much help. His shot was used a grand total of 15 times, which is about 22.7%. I am not really good enough yet to carry a team, I don't think. If necessary, I guess I better GET good enough.

With a now $50K+ bankroll, I think it is time to raise an attribute or 2.

thealmighty · 08-02-2003, 10:48 PM

Winning $33K in one event sure does make raising the 'ol attributes easy. So, let's get on with it, then test it on the next calendar event.



Attribute		Was	New

Power		        40	50

Accuracy		35	45

Recovery		25	35

Dist. Control	        35	45

Putting		        40	50

Cost: $50,000

Bankroll: $9,016

As before, we are not in any hurry to move to the next level, especially since we are not that good yet and the next level could prove a bit tough. Therefore, we will bide our time, even though we only need a bankroll of $25K to have enough to raise our attributes high enough to go to the q-school for the next level.

We prefer to stay where we are until it is either not fun or too easy/boring.

thealmighty · 08-02-2003, 10:51 PM

Calendar event, January 9th.
Site: Poppy Hills Golf Club, holes 5-7. Greens normal, rough average, winds breezy.
Opponents: Jay Gianotti, Jeffrey Jarvis and Jimmy Clark.
Setup: 4 players, 3 holes. Player with the worst score on a hole is eliminated. In case of a tie, the players tied will have a ‘chip-off’ to determine who moves on. On the final hole, the 2 remaining players face a one hole, do-or-die, playoff.
Scoring: stroke play.
Fee: $100
Purse: $11,000

Hole 1, #5: par 4, 379 yards
TEE- in light rough, 279 yards.
2nd- PW 111 yards on the green.
3rd- 32 footer for bird is short.
3rd- 7 footer to move on is in.
Jeffrey Jarvis is eliminated with a bogey.

Hole 2, #6: par 3, 138 yards
TEE- 9I WOW, just missed an ace.
2nd- 3 footer to move on is tapped home.
Jimmy Clark is eliminated with a bogey.

T.E. Almighty and Jay Gianotti move on to ‘Shoot-It-Out’

Hole 3, #7: par 4, 335 yards
TEE- T.E.- 268 yards in the fairway. Jay- down the shute, 214 yards.
2nd- Jay- 8I to the right of the green.
2nd- T.E.- SW right at the pin.
3rd- Jay- 41 foot putt to 2 feet.
3rd- T.E.- 5 feet to win is IN.
Jay Gianotti is eliminated.

T.E. Almighty WINS the shootout.

First prize is good for $5500.

Career Earnings: $139,313
Bankroll: $14,416

thealmighty · 08-02-2003, 10:56 PM

Note to readers who are playing Tiger Woods on their own also...

The shootout was a lot of fun. In fact, that is my favorite part of the game, I think; all the variations of games in a career setting are great fun. The shootout is cool because the pressure (such as it is on a computer game) is big. One bad shot and you can probably kiss your ass goodbye.

I do wish, in a way, the fees to enter some of the events was a LOT more steep. That's one good thing about the practice range stuff- you can raise the stakes if you want to make it more interesting.

Buccaneer · 08-03-2003, 09:10 AM

I had not done a shootout yet but it does look like fun. I fully agree with you on the fees. It seems to be no penalty to play, esp. compared to a practice range challenge.

After 5 false starts, testings and incompletions, I finally have started my career in earnest. What I had to learn were choosing the right kind of challenge (ones that I can usually win) and the length of time it takes for the many types of challenges and calendar events. For example, I know for sure I can win driving challenges if the opponent comes up with an average of less that 240. There, I can bet up to the max and with two of these, I can triple my funds. I just love the variety of challenges and events.

thealmighty · 08-03-2003, 04:44 PM

I agree, Buccaneer, about the Driving challenges. In fact, even in the matches, I think the amateurs pretty much all use a 3W on every tee shot, like they have not made enough prize money to afford to buy a driver, or something.

I always max out the ante in a drive competition, mostly, which is nice in Pro level cuz the max is $10K instead of the $2k I think in Amateur (that is per person, not total).

Godzilla Blitz · 08-03-2003, 06:42 PM

Just installed and started a career last night. The career mode really looks like a lot of fun. I messed around once and have just started a "real" career.

I have decided to add two house rules to give the game a little more sense of time progression.

1. I'm going to play along with the calendar, and on any day for which there is no event scheduled, I can either take as many lessons as I want or practice one time. Basically, this means that I can only practice once a day.

2. If I practice, I have to accept the first challenge at the stated amount.

The amateur level is pretty easy, although I lost my share of events in my "warm-up career".

Are you all playing with the putting grid turned on?

Pumpy Tudors · 08-03-2003, 07:04 PM

Jeez, this game sounds far, far different from the Xbox version. I think I would've enjoyed playing the PC version a lot more. Thankfully, I only rented the Xbox game a couple of times instead of buying it. Oh, well. The next version of the game will be out fairly soon.

Buccaneer · 08-03-2003, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz
Just installed and started a career last night. The career mode really looks like a lot of fun. I messed around once and have just started a "real" career.

I have decided to add two house rules to give the game a little more sense of time progression.

1. I'm going to play along with the calendar, and on any day for which there is no event scheduled, I can either take as many lessons as I want or practice one time. Basically, this means that I can only practice once a day.

2. If I practice, I have to accept the first challenge at the stated amount.

The amateur level is pretty easy, although I lost my share of events in my "warm-up career".

Are you all playing with the putting grid turned on?

That's interesting. I struggled with challenges and events and finding a balance. My problem was that it takes me over an hour to play a match (assuming 16-18 holes). For a challenge, I have better have the time to complete that or else I lose the money.

For some reason, the putting grid seems generic looking. I've played JN6 GBC for years and there you can see every bump on the green. The putting grid in PGA doesn't seem to be that precise or mean that much. At the amateur, I am finding quite a bit of tolerance in driving, chipping and putting where I can mishit badly and still have a straight drive or a close putt. I guess that's the nature of the amateur level (encouraging you to continue) and I suspect it does get much harder at the higher levels where you have to be much more precise.

I have played around with TrueSwing and found it to be generic. I physically did not feel or notice any noticeable difference between drivinging the ball 61% or 101%. It may again be a factor of the amateur level where it has a wide range of tolerance. I still love my 3-click where hitting a putt 3.5 vs 4 can make a difference whereas in TrueSwing, you just have to "feel" it. I like methodical better.

Buccaneer · 08-03-2003, 07:14 PM

Pumpy, I would say that is true for every single console vs. PC game that has ever been made. Of course, given my bias in having mouse/keyboard controls, superb graphics cards and more CPU for AI controls would leave me not ever wanting to play console games. I cannot even imagine playing this game on a console hooked up with an ordinary TV. NCAA might be better but imagine if you were able to view TCY-like tables instead of simplistic, large font tables they are limited to.

Godzilla Blitz · 08-03-2003, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Buccaneer
For some reason, the putting grid seems generic looking. I've played JN6 GBC for years and there you can see every bump on the green. The putting grid in PGA doesn't seem to be that precise or mean that much.

I believe the putting grid gets more detailed as you spend points to increase your putting rating.

Pumpy Tudors · 08-03-2003, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Buccaneer
Pumpy, I would say that is true for every single console vs. PC game that has ever been made. Of course, given my bias in having mouse/keyboard controls, superb graphics cards and more CPU for AI controls would leave me not ever wanting to play console games. I cannot even imagine playing this game on a console hooked up with an ordinary TV. NCAA might be better but imagine if you were able to view TCY-like tables instead of simplistic, large font tables they are limited to.

I see where you're coming from, but that's not exactly what I'm referring to. I'd prefer to play Madden on a console, and I actually prefer playing Morrowind on a console (yes, I know how you feel about Morrowind, but humor me). I prefer console controls by far with games in which I have to move a character around. I despise mouse/keyboard combinations. Give me one or the other, but I hate trying to use both. Also, resolution on TV's doesn't bother me too much. I understand that the PC monitor can display many, many more pixels, but I'm generally happy with what I've experienced on the few consoles I've owned.

About the Tiger Woods game, though, I meant that there is nothing resembling this sort of "career mode" in the Xbox version. There's the "Tiger Challenge" in which you can compete against various players in match play, and there are some tournaments, but it's a completely different animal.

Buccaneer · 08-03-2003, 09:50 PM

Pumpy, I understand. Two thoughts. First, in FPS-type games, I like the mouse/keyboard because I can move and do mouse look at the same time. I've heard that's hard or impossible to do with just a gamepad. Second, regarding PGA, I think it is the lack of AI-based CPU that prevents a career mode. In other words, consoles have to sacrifice a lot just to maximize frame rates. That's probably why FPS, RPG and arcade games work good on consoles (provided you ignore low resolutions and gamepad limitations).

thealmighty · 08-03-2003, 10:45 PM

The putting grid is pretty lame and I haven't noticed if it is better now that I have advanced to Pro level. I always look at the level icon at the bottom to see the vertical change from the ball to the cup. Of course, that won't help if you are going over hills but it says level.

Buccaneer · 08-03-2003, 11:14 PM

Nor does it help to indicate much of a R/L or L/R lie, if the game cares about that, esp. on the fairway.

Buccaneer · 08-04-2003, 03:04 PM

Here’s a problem I have that is preventing me from advancing beyond the Amateur level and taking on a wider of challenges. I am having problems knowing how to set and hit short irons. For the driver and long irons, they are fairly simple. I take a look at the distance rating, see where the landing is going to be and use that to determine if I hit it normally (100%) or overpower. But this goes out the window for me on short irons, esp. out of bunkers and roughs. A few examples.

I’m in the Sand, 22y from the pin. I pick a SW, set it on Blast which has the distance of 76y. The landing shows me something in the next county so that doesn’t help at all. I hit it normally and it goes 15y beyond the pin. How would I have know how hard to hit that? Another example is being 38y in the Sand. Again, SW on Blast, I hit it about 85% and it comes up 21y short. Here’s a more typical example. On the Fairway close to the Green, about 21y to the pin. I select a LW, set it on BumpRun and hit it 30%. It goes only 36feet. On the practice range, I go back to that spot and come to find out that the best setting would have been LW set to Pitch (a 31’ distance rating???) and hit it about 60%. How in the @%#$ would I have known that?? I am keeping a detailed log of everything, but a lot of this stuff comes up for the first time during a challenge or event. What is the best way to set and to know how hard to hit in situation like these? Thanks.

Bee · 08-04-2003, 03:26 PM

You have to also take into account elevation difference. I don't know if that's the difference between the two examples you gave with the SW. It's basically a case of experience in figuring out how hard to hit it factoring in distance, wind, elevation and the lay of the green.

thealmighty · 08-04-2003, 04:27 PM

Anything around the green or any chip and putt, as far as I can tell, is a 'feel' shot. The regular distances for each club go out the window when chipping.

For example, I have a putt of 2 feet and try to hit the ball as hard as I can. It will not let me hit too hard. No matter how fast I swing or how far back I pull the mouse, the ball only goes a short distance.

Practice range 'til you get blisters (and even then, it seems, 1/3 of the shots do not work as you expect.

A conundrum, indeed.

thealmighty · 08-04-2003, 09:51 PM

Calendar event, Tournament, January 13th.
Site: TPC at Sawgrass. Greens normal, rough average, winds breezy.
Opponents: 97 Player field
Setup: 18 hole tournament
Scoring: Stroke Play
Fee: $100
Purse: $75,000

Hole #1: par 4, 363 yards
TEE- 3W in fairway, 262 yards.
2nd- SW from 103 yards finds a bunker.
3rd- blast out from 25 yards on green.
4th- 7 footer for par is too hard.
5th- 42 inches for bogey to start the tourney.
T-9th place, 1 over par

Hole #2: par 5, 498 yards
TEE- in fairway, 258 yards.
2nd- 3W from 240 in good position.
3rd- 23 yard PW is EAGLE BABY, YEAH. Trophy Ball
T-1st place, 1 under par

Hole #3: par 3, 138 yards
TEE- SWEET 8I is close.
2nd- 9 footer for birdie is in.
1st place, 2 under par

Hole #4: par 4, 331 yards
TEE- 249 yards in light rough.
2nd- 85 yard PW way long but on.
3rd- 45 foot putt a pussy shot.
4th- 9 footer to save no good.
5th- bogey putt from 4 feet is good.
T-1st place, 1 under par

Hole #5: par 4, 410 yards
TEE- 242 3W into mid rough.
2nd- 4I in rough again, way short.
3rd- 49 yard LW a good one.
4th- 7 footer for save is on target.
T-1st place, 1 under par

Hole #6: par 4, 343 yards
TEE- in the fairway finally, 256 yards.
2nd- 88 yard PW too hard again.
3rd- 24 foot putt JUST short.
4th- tap in from 15 inches good.
T-3rd place, 1 under par

Hole #7: par 4, 402 yards
TEE- down the pipe, 281 yards.
2nd- PW from 124 yards onto fringe..
3rd- chip from 42 feet JUST slides by.
4th- 9 incher tapped in.
T-2nd place, 1 under par

Hole #8: par 3, 191 yards
TEE- 5I heads for the pin.
2nd- 7 footer for bird drops in.
T-1st place, 2 under par

Hole #9: par 5, 532 yards
TEE- PERFECT, 285 yards.
2nd- 3W 241 yards into light rough.
3rd- EXCELLENT 32 foot chip.
4th- tapped in from 16 inches for the lead.
1st place, 3 under par

Hole #10: par 4, 355 yards
TEE- short but safe, 240 yards.
2nd- 129 yard 9I rolls JUST by the hole.
3rd- straight 21 footer is in to extend the lead.
1st place, 4 under par

Hole #11: par 5, 485 yards
TEE- BAD mishit into bunker, 158 yards.
2nd- safely out but short from 334 yards.
3rd- 216 yard 3W a beauty.
4th- 9 footer short to waste a chance.
5th- tap in from 25 inches for par.
1st place, 4 under par

Hole #12: par 4, 322 yards
TEE- 283 yards in the fairway.
2nd- LW from 60 yards in fringe, but tight.
3rd- 11 foot putt from fringe is good..
1st place, 5 under par

Hole #13: par 3, 164 yards
TEE- 6I is on, Oh, My. Oh, My ACE!ACE!!ACE!!! Trophy Ball
1st place, 7 under par

Hole #14: par 4, 420 yards
TEE- in the fairway, 261 yards.
2nd- 159 yard 5I safely on the green.
3rd- 13 foot huge breaker just short.
4th- par from 5 inches tapped in.
1st place, 7 under par

Hole #15: par 4, 413 yards
TEE- fairway, 250 yards.
2nd- 173 yard 5I is SWEET.
3rd- big right to left 7 footer goes in.
1st place, 8 under par

Hole #16: par 5, 475 yards
TEE- 237 yarder splits the fairway.
2nd- 245 yard 3W into light rough.
3rd- 27 yard chip shot HITS THE PIN and bounces back.
4th- 4 feet for birdie is down.
1st place, 9 under par

Hole #17: par 3, 136 yards
TEE- 9I short of green.
2nd- 27 foot chip on but well short.
3rd- HUGE breaking 12 footer no good.
4th- 37 inch bogey putt is in.
1st place, 8 under par

Hole #18: par 4, 413 yards
TEE- didn’t get it, 257 yards.
2nd- 165 yard 5I on the green.
3rd- 22 footer for bird ENDS IT RIGHT.
1st place, 9 under par.

T.E. Almighty WINS the tourney.
(Second was at 2 under, last place was +19)

Trophy Ball- two

$12,613 for the win.

Career Earnings: $151,926
Bankroll: $26,929

thealmighty · 08-04-2003, 09:57 PM

Trophy Ball is an award given for accomplishing tasks in a tournament format. There is a cash bonus along with the award, the amount depending on the difficulty of the accomplishment.

The Trophy Ball award won was for:

First Eagle- $10,000
First Hole-in-ONE- $20,000

Career Earnings: $181,926
Bankroll: $56,929

thealmighty · 08-04-2003, 10:04 PM

$30k for a couple of Trophy Balls do indeed speed things up a bit.



Attribute		Was	New

Power		        50	50

Accuracy		45	50

Recovery		35	49

Dist. Control	        45	50

Putting		        50	50

Cost: $24,000

Bankroll: $32,929

As mentioned previously, we do not want to 'power' through the levels. Tiger and the rest are not going anywhere. When we get too good, or tired of this level, we will raise the final attribute to 50 and go to the next Q-school.

thealmighty · 08-04-2003, 10:07 PM

While on the practice range, we received an invite to a driving competition. Ordinarily, we would decline, as we don't need to bilk poor unfortunates of money just for the hell of it.

However, the invitation was SPECIAL, so we are going to give them a crack at it.

thealmighty · 08-04-2003, 10:11 PM

That's right, Equality Breath, it is a girl. We would say "Let's get it on." but that may not be the PC way to address it. "Shall we..."

Site: Royal Birkdale.
Opponents: Darlene O’Conner, 245 yard average on drives.
Scoring: Long drive wins the purse.
Fee: $10,000 (I had to max the ante. It’s a girl, for crying out loud. If she beats me, I deserve to be broke.)
Purse: $20,000

Round 1
Almighty: beat that.
Distance: 275 yards

O’Conner: animal magnetism seems to be overpowering her.
Distance: no shot

Almighty leads at 275 yards.

Round 2
Almighty: better, still.
Distance: 278 yards

O’Conner: nice shot, for a girl.

Distance: 249 yards

Almighty leads at 278 yards.

Round 3
Almighty: 108% Power Shot. Eat that!!
Distance: 293 yards

O’Conner: at least she did not fold.
Distance: 253 yards

T.E. Almighty WINS with a drive of 293 yards.

I take home the $20,000 purse.

Career Earnings: $201,926
Bankroll: $42,929

damnMikeBrown · 08-04-2003, 11:36 PM

More playing & less chatting!

Buccaneer · 08-05-2003, 08:55 AM

That tournament seemed to have been way too easy. I wonder why?

Bee · 08-05-2003, 08:59 AM

I think he needs to move up to the next level.

thealmighty · 08-05-2003, 04:26 PM

If I hadn't gotten my first ever eagle and first hole-in-one, it would have been fairly close.

If I kick ass in the next tourney, I will be moving up. If not, I won't.

08-02-2003, 01:33 PM	#19
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	Skills Event 9, The Tie-breaker EVENT 9- putting- from fringe, 39 feet. Round 1 Almighty: not bad. Distance: 4 feet Alton: way too soft. Distance: 7 feet Almighty leads at 4 feet. Round 2 Almighty: that is more like it. Distance: 45 inches Alton: slight improvement only. Distance: 6 feet Almighty leads at 45 inches. Round 3 Almighty: no good. Distance: 6 feet Alton: not what he wanted, 3 inches short. Distance: 4 feet EVENT 9 WINNER: Almighty, 45 inches, $300. __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-02-2003, 01:36 PM	#20
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	Skills Event Results Summary: EVENT 1 WINNER: Almighty, $300. EVENT 2 WINNER: Alton, $300. EVENT 3 WINNER: Almighty, $300. EVENT 4 WINNER: Alton, $300. EVENT 5 WINNER: Almighty, $300. EVENT 6 WINNER: Alton, $300. EVENT 7 WINNER: Almighty, $300. EVENT 8 WINNER: Alton, $300. EVENT 9 WINNER: Almighty, $300. T.E. Almighty WINS the Skills Competition, 5 events to 4, and pockets $3000. Career Earnings: $84,937 Bankroll: $17,740 __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-02-2003, 03:33 PM	#21
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	Practice Range Drive Contest Site: Pebble Beach Golf Links. Opponents: John Anosa, 244 yard average on drives. Scoring: Long drive wins the purse. Fee: $7500 (I raised the ante on him.) Purse: $15,000 Round 1 Almighty: excellent drive. Distance: 257 yards Anosa: a little too good to suit me. Distance: 252 yards Almighty leads at 257 yards. Round 2 Almighty: power shot RIPPED at 108% power. YeeHaw!! Distance: 267 yards Anosa: consistency is not necessarily a good thing. Distance: 252 yards Almighty leads at 267 yards. Round 3 Almighty: what the hell, that was just sad. Distance: 235 yards Anosa: not the way you want to end things. Distance: no shot T.E. Almighty WINS with a drive of 254 yards. I take home the $15,000 purse. Career Earnings: $99,937 Bankroll: $25,240 __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-02-2003, 03:34 PM	#22
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	Calendar Time With some Pro level practice events under my belt, and in my pocket, I figure it is time to test the waters of a calendar event. I am off to a 2-player scramble. __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-02-2003, 03:43 PM	#23
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	Share the Wealth Calendar Event, January 6th. Site: Colonial Country Club. Greens normal, rough average, winds breezy. Opponents: 96 players in 48 teams of 2. Setup: 2-Player Scramble. Both teammates tee off on each hole. They select the best shot and each then plays a ball from that spot. Continue until the hole is completed. Scoring: Stroke play. Lowest score wins. Partner: Keith Snidemiller. (do not have stats on him) Fee: $100 Purse: $200,000 NOTE: The player whose shot is used will be listed. The shot not used will be omitted. The computer goes too fast to catch the shot distances on occasion. Hole #1: par 5, 505 yards TEE- Almighty 3W in light rough. 2nd- Almighty 3W from 295 yards. 3rd- Almighty PW from 75 yards on green. 4th- Almighty 21 footer is good. NICE START/HE SUCKS. Almighty/Snidemiller T-27th place, 1 under par Hole #2: par 4, 343 yards TEE- Almighty Sweet on e over trees, 261 yards. 2nd- Almighty 85 yard SW on green. 3rd- Keith: from 27 feet within 3 feet. 4th- Keith: 35 inch par try is good. Almighty/Snidemiller T-27th place, 1 under par Hole #3: par 4, 421 yards TEE- Almighty 207 yards in fairway. 2nd- Almighty 3W from 221 yards on green. 3rd- Almighty 30 footer lags up within inches. 4th- Almighty 20 incher for par drops in. Almighty/Snidemiller T-27th place, 1 under par Hole #4: par 3, 204 yards TEE- Keith: SW in mid rough at 37 feet. 2nd- Keith: SW gets close. 3rd- Keith: 6 feet for par is good. Almighty/Snidemiller T-23rd place, 1 under par Hole #5: par 4, 400 yards TEE- Keith: 202 yards in fairway. 2nd- Almighty: 5W from 202 yards on green. 3rd- Almighty: 16 footer for birdie good. Almighty/Snidemiller T-19th place, 2 under par Hole #6: par 4, 366 yards TEE- Almighty: down the middle, 249 yards. 2nd- Keith: 8I from 125 yards HITS THE PIN and bounces back a bit. 3rd- Keith: 5 foot bird attempt goes down. Almighty/Snidemiller 13th place, 3 under par Hole #7: par 4, 397 yards TEE- Almighty: down the pipe, 261 yards. 2nd- Almighty: 138 yard 7I finds a greenside bunker. 3rd- Almighty: 41 foot bunker blast on green. 4th- Almighty: scramble for par from 8 feet is down. Almighty/Snidemiller 13th place, 3 under par Hole #8: par 3, 192 yards TEE- Almighty: 3I rolls close. 2nd- Almighty: 8 footer for bird drops in. Almighty/Snidemiller T-7th place, 4 under par Hole #9: par 4, 348 yards TEE- Keith: over trees in the fairway. 2nd- Almighty: BABY, BABY 7I lips out. 3rd- Almighty: tap in for bird from 2 feet. Almighty/Snidemiller T-3rd place, 5 under par Hole #10: par 4, 381 yards TEE- Almighty: 260 yards into rough. 2nd- Almighty: 7I from 122 yards to 6 feet. 3rd- Almighty: another birdie is in. 3 IN A ROW. Almighty/Snidemiller 3rd place, 6 under par Hole #11: par 5, 570 yards TEE- Almighty: nice drive, 257 yards. 2nd- Almighty: 3W from 315 close to green. 3rd- Almighty: 89 yard PW DEAD ON. 4th- Almighty: 5 footer for 4 straight…YES. Almighty/Snidemiller 3rd place, 7 under par Hole #12: par 4, 397 yards TEE- Almighty: beauty, 278 yards. 2nd- Almighty: 9I from 129 yards on front fringe. 3rd- Almighty: 50 foot chip WOW to 8 inches. 4th- Almighty: tap in for par. Almighty/Snidemiller 3rd place, 7 under par Hole #13: par 3, 143 yards TEE- Almighty: 7I 136 yards short of green. 2nd- Keith: 29 foot chip, a good one. 3rd- Keith: 29 inches, no problma. Almighty/Snidemiller 3rd place, 7 under par Hole #14: par 4, 413 yards TEE- Almighty: in the fairway, 158 yards from paydirt. 2nd- Almighty: 149 yard 6I on green. 3rd- Almighty: 26 footer to 2 feet. 4th- Almighty: in the cup for par from 2 feet. Almighty/Snidemiller 2nd place, 7 under par Hole #15: par 4, 380 yards TEE- Almighty: 249 yards, perfect placement. 2nd- Almighty: 140 yard 6I short but on. 3rd- Keith: 26 footer rolls past. 3rd- Keith: par putt good from 29 inches. Almighty/Snidemiller 2nd place, 7 under par Hole #16: par 3, 171 yards TEE- Almighty: Beauty, 5I to 7 feet. 2nd- Almighty: for bird to tie for first- DRAINO. Almighty/Snidemiller T-1st place, 8 under par Hole #17: par 4, 366 yards TEE- Almighty: 5W bent around trees into fairway. 2nd- Almighty: 186 yarder into greenside bunker. 3rd- Almighty: 28 yard blasted to 10 feet. 4th- Almighty: putt to stay tied is perfect. Almighty/Snidemiller T-1st place, 8 under par Hole #18: par 4, 403 yards TEE- Almighty: 259 yards in fairway. 2nd- Almighty: 148 yard 5I found the rough. 3rd- Keith: nice 44 footer to 5 feet. 4th- Keith: 5 feet to finish tied hits the bottom of the cup. Almighty/Snidemiller T-1st place, 8 under par. SUDDEN DEATH PLAYOFF(we play alone, not with the other team, unfortunately.) Playoff Hole #1: #17, par 4, 366 yards TEE- Almighty: 5W goes 185 yards into position. 2nd- Almighty: 188 yard 3I on the front of green, FAR away. 3rd- Almighty: 20 YARD putt a GREAT lag.. 4th- Almighty: par for a victory from 43 inches is GGOOOOOOOODD. Almighty/Snidemiller 1st place, 8 under par T.E. Almighty and Keith Snidemiller WIN the tournament in a playoff. 2-Player scramble victory is good for $33,876. *Career Earnings: $133,813* Bankroll: $59,016 *NOW OVER $100K IN CAREER EARNINGS* __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-01-2003, 04:14 AM	#2
Ryan S Quarterback Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: London, England	Technically T.E was never an amateur, because amateurs can not win money.

08-01-2003, 10:26 AM	#3
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	Never even thought of that. Good point. __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-01-2003, 10:40 AM	#4
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	Attributes One of the good things about taking time before moving up to Professional level is that we seem to have some extra money in the bank. So, the first order of business is to spend a bunch of it, which we will start doing by increasing our attributes. Attribute Was New Power 25 40 Accuracy 25 35 Recovery 25 25 Dist. Control 25 35 Putting 25 40 Cost: $50,000 Bankroll: $8,825 We are hoping that we will not outright lose to many events when there is an opportunity to split, and the fees are not to steep. We figure we do not need a large wad of cash, so might as well spend most of it. __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-01-2003, 10:50 AM	#5
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	Lessons Learned Another thing you get to do is learn new kinds of shots that are needed in special circumstances. As a Professional, there are 3 new shots you can attempt, so we might as well add them to our repertoire immediately. With that in mind, we go to the local club pro and take some lessons. We learn: flop shot- third try the power shot- takes 4 times to get it high spin- done on 1st try The flop shot is used to traverse obstacles you must go over, like water or a trap. The power shot won't be useful too much until our 'Power" attribute is higher. We managed to pass the lesson only with a 100% , very fast swing. High spin didn't really work. We got the ball on the target, but there was no backspin- the ball just rolled into the specified area. Each lesson costs us $75. Bankroll: $8600 __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-01-2003, 10:54 AM	#6
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	Practice We go to the practice range looking for some competition, but all that is offered today seems to be chipping contests that cost more than our current confidence with chipping allow us to persue. We would like to take a Skills Competition, where ther are lots of events to work on in one competition, but that chance does not appear. Getting bored on the range, we decide to try out our first calendar offering, a 6-hole match play event. __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-01-2003, 11:00 AM	#7
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	South East Match Calendar match, January 1st. Site: TPC at Sawgrass, holes 5-10. Greens normal, rough average, winds calm. Opponent: David Walker. Setup: We are playing as a twosome, so I know what he is doing on every shot. Scoring: The player with the lowest score on each hole gets a point. Most points wins. Fee: $100 Purse: $5,500 First Hole, TPC #5: par 4, 410 yards TEE- T.E. perfect, 271 yards. David fairway, 236 yards. 2nd- David 5W onto fringe of green. 2nd- T.E. 6I short of the green. 3rd- T.E 28 yard PW rolls past the hole 3rd- David 42 foot PW to 7 feet. 4th- T.E 14 footer misses badly. 4th- David putt to win from 7 feet is in. Walker- 1 up Second Hole, TPC #6: par 4, 343 yards TEE- David-230 yards in fairway. T.E.- fairway, 250 yards 2nd- David- 9I from 113 yards on green. 2nd- T.E.- 87 yard PW just short of green. 3rd- David- 41 foot putt to 10 feet. 3rd- T.E.- 22 foot chip GOES IN. 4th- David- concedes hole. All Square Third Hole, TPC #7: par 4, 402 yards TEE- T.E.- center of fairway, 266 yards. David- in fairway, 238 yards. 2nd- David- 5I from 164 yards finds the beach. 2nd- T.E.- 138 yard 8I on front of green. 3rd- David- SW from bunker rolls 12 feet by. 3rd- T.E.- 21 foot putt goes long. 4th- David- 12 foot putt goes in. 4th- T.E.- putt to halve hole from 5 feet drops. All Square First Hole, TPC #8: par 3, 191 yards TEE- T.E.- 3I short of green. David- 3I rolls over the green. 2nd- David- 29 yard chip to 4 feet. 2nd- T.E.- chip skips 6 feet past. 3rd- T.E.- huge breaking 6 footer is in. 3rd- David- 4 feet for halve, no problem. All Square Fifth Hole, TPC #9: par 5, 532 yards TEE- T.E.- 255 yards in fairway. David- in fairway, 235 yards. 2nd- David- 3W from 304 yards, first bad shot into rough. 2nd- T.E.- 3W from 280 yards still in fairway. 3rd- David- way short from 194 yards with 3W. 4th- David- SW from 71 yards safely on. 3rd- T.E.- LW from 56 yards to 8 feet. 5th- David- 9 footer to have a chance just off. 4th- T.E.- to take the lead from 8 feet- GOOD. 6th- David- concedes hole. Almighty- 1 up, 1 to play Sixth Hole, TPC #10: par 4, 355 yards TEE- T.E.- 251 yards in fairway. David- 242 yards down the middle. 2nd- David- 8I from 130 yards bounces past the green. 2nd- T.E.- 9I from 125 yards on front fringe. 3rd- David- 59 foot PW to 5 feet. 3rd- T.E.- 41 foot chip close to pin. 4th- David- putt from 5 feet good for par. 4th- T.E.- 43 inches for the halve, and the win, is IN THE CUP. Almighty- 1 up T.E. Almighty WINS the match, 1 up. $5500 is the prize for the victory. Career Earnings: $77,457 Bankroll: $14,000 __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-01-2003, 11:04 AM	#8
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	There was an obvious increase in the skill of our opponent from the amateurs we had faced before. Walker had only one poor hole and it cost him the match thanks to our good/lucky scrambling. However, with all the scrambling we DID have to do for par saves and so forth, we can see that every competition will be much harder (since I am not really all that good... at least not yet) and there will probably be many more defeats than we have ever had in our life. __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-02-2003, 01:21 PM	#9
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	Practice Green Drive Contest Site: TPC at Sawgrass. Opponents: Eddie Rivera, 244 yard average on drives. Scoring: Long drive wins the purse. Fee: $2240 Purse: $4480 Round 1 Almighty: excellent drive Distance: 254 yards Rivera: poor effort Distance: 228 yards Almighty leads at 254 yards. Round 2 Almighty: not very good. Distance: 239 yards Rivera: not good at all. Distance: 223 yards Almighty leads at 254 yards. Round 3 Almighty: tried a power shot and missed, into water. Distance: no shot Rivera: still far below his average. Distance: 231 yards T.E. Almighty WINS with a drive of 254 yards. I take home the $4480 purse. Career Earnings: $81,937 Bankroll: $16,240 __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-02-2003, 01:24 PM	#10
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	Practice Range Skills Contest Site: Spyglass Hill Golf Club. Opponents: Jimmy Alton, drives 253, putts 1.9/hole, avg. round of 76. Setup: competition in 9 skills in various locations on the course. Each golfer has 3 attempts per skill, closest or longest shot, as appropriate, wins the event. Scoring: outright winner of a skill gets 1/10 of the total purse, with the overall winner getting the remainder of the pot. Fee: $1500 (he offered a larger one, but we thought not, for our first skills try.) Purse: $3000 As there is way to much stuff in a skills contest for one post, I will break it up into seperate parts for your easy reading pleasure. __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-02-2003, 01:26 PM	#11
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	Skills Event 1 EVENT 1- mid-iron shot- 146 yards in the fairway. Round 1 Almighty: not enough. Distance: no shot Alton: left it short. Distance: no shot no leader Round 2 Almighty: finally on. Distance: 13 feet Alton: not good at all. Distance: no shot Almighty leads at 13 feet. Round 3 Almighty: pitiful. Distance: no shot Alton: could not hit the green. Distance: no shot EVENT 1 WINNER: Almighty, 13 feet, $300. __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-02-2003, 01:27 PM	#12
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	Skills Event 2 EVENT 2- trouble shot- in mid-rough, 131 yards. Round 1 Almighty: not enough. Distance: no shot Alton: left it short. Distance: no shot no leader Round 2 Almighty: short again. Distance: no shot Alton: on the green. Distance: 17 feet Alton leads at 17 feet. Round 3 Almighty: I suck. Distance: no shot Alton: no need. Distance: no shot EVENT 2 WINNER: Alton, 17 feet, $300. __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-02-2003, 01:28 PM	#13
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	Skills Event 3 EVENT 3- long drive Round 1 Almighty: excellent stuff. Distance: 260 yards Alton: terrible. Distance: 233 yards Almighty leads at 260 yards. Round 2 Almighty: power shot fails again. Distance: no shot Alton: worse. Distance: 229 Almighty leads at 260 yards. Round 3 Almighty: meager effort. Distance: 244 yards Alton: well short of his average. Distance: 233 yards EVENT 3 WINNER: Almighty, 260 yards, $300. __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-02-2003, 01:28 PM	#14
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	Skills Event 4 EVENT 4- greenside bunker- from 23 yards. Round 1 Almighty: not close. Distance: 10 feet Alton: great shot. Distance: 41 inches Alton leads at 41 inches. Round 2 Almighty: no better. Distance: 10 feet Alton: not great. Distance: 8 feet Alton leads at 41 inches. Round 3 Almighty: left in the trap. Distance: no shot Alton: got worse, doesn’t matter. Distance: 11 feet EVENT 4 WINNER: Alton, 41 inches, $300. __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-02-2003, 01:30 PM	#15
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	Skills Event 5 EVENT 5- short iron shot- 105 yards in the fairway. Round 1 Almighty: not enough, but good. Distance: 5 feet Alton: way long. Distance: no shot Almighty leads at 5 feet. Round 2 Almighty: decent effort. Distance: 12 feet Alton: horrible shot. Distance: no shot Almighty leads at 5 feet. Round 3 Almighty: no good. Distance: 20 feet Alton: couldn’t do it. Distance: no shot EVENT 5 WINNER: Almighty, 5 feet, $300. __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-02-2003, 01:30 PM	#16
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	Skills Event 6 EVENT 6- fairway bunker- 106 yards. Round 1 Almighty: that won’t cut it. Distance: 31 feet Alton: not bad. Distance: 11 feet Alton leads at 11 feet. Round 2 Almighty: piss poor. Distance: no shot Alton: not on. Distance: no shot Alton leads at 11 feet. Round 3 Almighty: close but no cigar. Distance: 13 feet Alton: sweet shot. Distance: 7 feet EVENT 6 WINNER: Alton, 7 feet, $300. __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-02-2003, 01:31 PM	#17
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	Skills Event 7 EVENT 7- chip shot- 23 feet from fairway lie. Round 1 Almighty: that’s what I’m talking about!!. Distance: 12 inches Alton: decent effort. Distance: 34 inches Almighty leads at 12 inches. Round 2 Almighty: just ok shot. Distance: 44 inches Alton: getting closer. Distance: 29 inches Almighty leads at 12 inches. Round 3 Almighty: another good one. Distance: 15 inches Alton: better, but not enough. Distance: 24 inches EVENT 7 WINNER: Almighty, 12 inches, $300. __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-02-2003, 01:32 PM	#18
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	Skills Event 8 EVENT 8- pitch shot- in mid-rough, 37 yards. Round 1 Almighty: that was horrid. Distance: no shot Alton: not bad. Distance: 12 feet Alton leads at 12 feet. Round 2 Almighty: take the lead. Distance: 9 feet Alton: better. Distance: 10 feet Almighty leads at 9 feet. Round 3 Almighty: even closer. Distance: 8 feet Alton: great shot to steal the event. Distance: 7 feet EVENT 8 WINNER: Alton, 7 feet, $300. __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-02-2003, 03:52 PM	#24
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	I don't know if it the luck of the draw or what, but my partner was not much help. His shot was used a grand total of 15 times, which is about 22.7%. I am not really good enough yet to carry a team, I don't think. If necessary, I guess I better GET good enough. With a now $50K+ bankroll, I think it is time to raise an attribute or 2. __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-02-2003, 10:48 PM	#25
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	Raising Attributes Winning $33K in one event sure does make raising the 'ol attributes easy. So, let's get on with it, then test it on the next calendar event. Attribute Was New Power 40 50 Accuracy 35 45 Recovery 25 35 Dist. Control 35 45 Putting 40 50 Cost: $50,000 Bankroll: $9,016 As before, we are not in any hurry to move to the next level, especially since we are not that good yet and the next level could prove a bit tough. Therefore, we will bide our time, even though we only need a bankroll of $25K to have enough to raise our attributes high enough to go to the q-school for the next level. We prefer to stay where we are until it is either not fun or too easy/boring. __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-02-2003, 10:51 PM	#26
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	Tee It Up Calendar event, January 9th. Site: Poppy Hills Golf Club, holes 5-7. Greens normal, rough average, winds breezy. Opponents: Jay Gianotti, Jeffrey Jarvis and Jimmy Clark. Setup: 4 players, 3 holes. Player with the worst score on a hole is eliminated. In case of a tie, the players tied will have a ‘chip-off’ to determine who moves on. On the final hole, the 2 remaining players face a one hole, do-or-die, playoff. Scoring: stroke play. Fee: $100 Purse: $11,000 Hole 1, #5: par 4, 379 yards TEE- in light rough, 279 yards. 2nd- PW 111 yards on the green. 3rd- 32 footer for bird is short. 3rd- 7 footer to move on is in. Jeffrey Jarvis is eliminated with a bogey. Hole 2, #6: par 3, 138 yards TEE- 9I *WOW, just missed an ace. 2nd- 3 footer to move on is tapped home. Jimmy Clark is eliminated with a bogey. T.E. Almighty and Jay Gianotti move on to ‘Shoot-It-Out’ Hole 3, #7: par 4, 335 yards TEE- T.E.- 268 yards in the fairway. Jay- down the shute, 214 yards. 2nd- Jay- 8I to the right of the green. 2nd- T.E.- SW right at the pin. 3rd- Jay- 41 foot putt to 2 feet. 3rd- T.E.- 5 feet to win is IN. Jay Gianotti is eliminated. T.E. Almighty WINS* the shootout. First prize is good for $5500. Career Earnings: $139,313 Bankroll: $14,416 __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-02-2003, 10:56 PM	#27
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	Note to readers who are playing Tiger Woods on their own also... The shootout was a lot of fun. In fact, that is my favorite part of the game, I think; all the variations of games in a career setting are great fun. The shootout is cool because the pressure (such as it is on a computer game) is big. One bad shot and you can probably kiss your ass goodbye. I do wish, in a way, the fees to enter some of the events was a LOT more steep. That's one good thing about the practice range stuff- you can raise the stakes if you want to make it more interesting. __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-03-2003, 09:10 AM	#28
Buccaneer Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Colorado	I had not done a shootout yet but it does look like fun. I fully agree with you on the fees. It seems to be no penalty to play, esp. compared to a practice range challenge. After 5 false starts, testings and incompletions, I finally have started my career in earnest. What I had to learn were choosing the right kind of challenge (ones that I can usually win) and the length of time it takes for the many types of challenges and calendar events. For example, I know for sure I can win driving challenges if the opponent comes up with an average of less that 240. There, I can bet up to the max and with two of these, I can triple my funds. I just love the variety of challenges and events.

08-03-2003, 04:44 PM	#29
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	I agree, Buccaneer, about the Driving challenges. In fact, even in the matches, I think the amateurs pretty much all use a 3W on every tee shot, like they have not made enough prize money to afford to buy a driver, or something. I always max out the ante in a drive competition, mostly, which is nice in Pro level cuz the max is $10K instead of the $2k I think in Amateur (that is per person, not total). __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-03-2003, 06:42 PM	#30
Godzilla Blitz College Starter Join Date: Oct 2000	Just installed and started a career last night. The career mode really looks like a lot of fun. I messed around once and have just started a "real" career. I have decided to add two house rules to give the game a little more sense of time progression. 1. I'm going to play along with the calendar, and on any day for which there is no event scheduled, I can either take as many lessons as I want or practice one time. Basically, this means that I can only practice once a day. 2. If I practice, I have to accept the first challenge at the stated amount. The amateur level is pretty easy, although I lost my share of events in my "warm-up career". Are you all playing with the putting grid turned on? __________________ Current Blog Projects: Final Fantasy: Lost in Japanese Kaboom Review

08-03-2003, 07:04 PM	#31
Pumpy Tudors Bounty Hunter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Pittsburgh, PA	Jeez, this game sounds far, far different from the Xbox version. I think I would've enjoyed playing the PC version a lot more. Thankfully, I only rented the Xbox game a couple of times instead of buying it. Oh, well. The next version of the game will be out fairly soon. __________________ No, I am not Batman, and I will not repair your food processor.

08-03-2003, 07:14 PM	#33
Buccaneer Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Colorado	Pumpy, I would say that is true for every single console vs. PC game that has ever been made. Of course, given my bias in having mouse/keyboard controls, superb graphics cards and more CPU for AI controls would leave me not ever wanting to play console games. I cannot even imagine playing this game on a console hooked up with an ordinary TV. NCAA might be better but imagine if you were able to view TCY-like tables instead of simplistic, large font tables they are limited to.

08-03-2003, 09:50 PM	#36
Buccaneer Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Colorado	Pumpy, I understand. Two thoughts. First, in FPS-type games, I like the mouse/keyboard because I can move and do mouse look at the same time. I've heard that's hard or impossible to do with just a gamepad. Second, regarding PGA, I think it is the lack of AI-based CPU that prevents a career mode. In other words, consoles have to sacrifice a lot just to maximize frame rates. That's probably why FPS, RPG and arcade games work good on consoles (provided you ignore low resolutions and gamepad limitations).

08-03-2003, 10:45 PM	#37
thealmighty Pro Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: heaven	The putting grid is pretty lame and I haven't noticed if it is better now that I have advanced to Pro level. I always look at the level icon at the bottom to see the vertical change from the ball to the cup. Of course, that won't help if you are going over hills but it says level. __________________ Check out The Unofficial FOFC Movie Guide Here

08-03-2003, 11:14 PM	#38
Buccaneer Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Colorado	Nor does it help to indicate much of a R/L or L/R lie, if the game cares about that, esp. on the fairway.

08-04-2003, 03:04 PM	#39
Buccaneer Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Colorado	Here’s a problem I have that is preventing me from advancing beyond the Amateur level and taking on a wider of challenges. I am having problems knowing how to set and hit short irons. For the driver and long irons, they are fairly simple. I take a look at the distance rating, see where the landing is going to be and use that to determine if I hit it normally (100%) or overpower. But this goes out the window for me on short irons, esp. out of bunkers and roughs. A few examples. I’m in the Sand, 22y from the pin. I pick a SW, set it on Blast which has the distance of 76y. The landing shows me something in the next county so that doesn’t help at all. I hit it normally and it goes 15y beyond the pin. How would I have know how hard to hit that? Another example is being 38y in the Sand. Again, SW on Blast, I hit it about 85% and it comes up 21y short. Here’s a more typical example. On the Fairway close to the Green, about 21y to the pin. I select a LW, set it on BumpRun and hit it 30%. It goes only 36feet. On the practice range, I go back to that spot and come to find out that the best setting would have been LW set to Pitch (a 31’ distance rating???) and hit it about 60%. How in the @%#$ would I have known that?? I am keeping a detailed log of everything, but a lot of this stuff comes up for the first time during a challenge or event. What is the best way to set and to know how hard to hit in situation like these? Thanks.