Reply #32: update

[lazarus]

So, I talked to my dad. Apparently, the 18th green at TPC San Antonio, the one with the bunker in the freakin' middle of it, is quite famous, and now there are a couple of other holes like that around the country. He agrees it gives the whole thing a goofy golf feel.

He lives in San Antonio, and has played the TPC there, but only the other course, which is easier.

I'm currently playing TPC Scottsdale (he just told me he's a couple of miles from there this month and next). It's fucking raining in the game, like that ever happens in Scottsdale, AZ.

The greens are classified as "slow", but the video help I got isn't working at all. It said to take off 10% for a slow green. Bullshit. I'm having to nearly double my aim when the ground is level. And there's no bounce at all on drives or chips. I was four under the first day, with good weather. I'm 10 holes through, and only 1 under on the second day, for a total of 5 under.

So far, I've completed the bronze objectives for every course I've played, usually on day one. The silver objectives are hairy, though. Birdie five par fours in one round? Yikes! I did get all but one silver objective on my first course, which I can't remember what it was right now.

I have the Masters coming up in a couple of events, so I thought I'd see about qualifying. You have to either be top 100 in the rankings or pass all the Masters Moments. After my first two tourneys, I'm up to I think #187, so I doubt I'll make it to top 100 that fast.

So I decided to play around with the Moments. You recreated a classic moment from Masters past. You can either Pass it or Master it. You only need to Pass it to qualify. I got the first three fairly quickly.

For instance, one of them is recreating an incredible shot by Tiger. He chipped in from 120 feet to birdie. So, if you chip it in, you Master it. If you get within five feet, you Pass. I can't get within ten feet so far. I guess I need to put some XP in my accuracy now.

I think Mastering all the Moments is going to involve a lot of luck, to be honest.

One thing I've noticed. On one hole, which, iirc, you had to birdie to Pass, eagle to Master, every time I restarted it, the caddie was offering me different shots to start off with. Very strange. I can only assume that's a function of not even passing the bronze level on Augusta yet.

My putting is pretty good right now, except for this slow, soggy crap I'm playing on, so I'm putting XP into accuracy for a while. Try to shrink the circle a bit, I think.