01.18.08
World Golf Tour in Fortune Magazine!
We were thrilled to see an article in Fortune Magazine this month about the World Golf Tour! It is quite an honor being compared to Einstein’s theory of relativity. Clearly, the author really enjoyed our game. Just wait until we have a full 18-holes to play. Productivity could truly come to a screeching halt.
With all of the new people joining the site and playing the game it means a lot more competition. Will Sammy’s record score of 41.62 remain on the top of the leaderboard? We will send out a WGT golf shirt to anyone who beats his score! Time to hit the links!!
You can see the Fortune article here: http://money.cnn.com/2008/01/16/technology/online_golf.fortune/index.htm
kyle said,
January 19, 2008 at 10:02 am
great publicity, too bad i can’t register. i’ve tried many times since reading that Fri PM, on various computers, browsers and OSs - all giving a cryptic “error 102 - please contact customer service”.
Tyler said,
January 20, 2008 at 12:55 pm
This is actually how I found out about the game. Great publicity!
Greg said,
January 20, 2008 at 9:51 pm
How the heck did he get a 41.62? He must have hacked the code or something! lol
chuck said,
January 21, 2008 at 6:46 am
fun game, but I cant get a full screen, so I cant see wind, which would help a great deal….any ideas?
rich said,
January 21, 2008 at 12:27 pm
If you having problems seeing the entire screen it probably because of a screen resolution problem.
The best way to fix this is to load the Control Panel from the Start Menu. Click on the Display icon and then go to the Settings tab within Display. Move the slider on the Screen Resolution section to 1280 by 960 pixels. This should allow all of the information on the screen to be displayed.
Mike said,
January 21, 2008 at 4:41 pm
I am seriously hooked on this game. Right now I am playing 20 - 30 times per day. When can we expect the full version to come out and how much will it cost?
Mike said,
January 21, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Just like real golf… I can’t break 100!
rich said,
January 21, 2008 at 5:02 pm
We will have a playable version with The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island this summer. 90% of the content on the site will be free. You’ll be able to play with your friends or alone or play in tournaments against the rest of the members of WGT. We will have some pay-to-play tournaments where you will be able to win exciting prizes.
Glad you like the game!
Greg said,
January 21, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Are pin placements going to change for the “full round” version? That will take some of the advantage away for someone who plays 400 times per day, lol
rich said,
January 21, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Our full rounds will be on a completely different course so each player will have to learn how to play the new courses. That being said, we will also have several different pin locations for each hole so the course will not be the same round after round.
keith said,
January 21, 2008 at 9:03 pm
How long does it take to receive the email once you register in order to get started with your username? I am still waiting to receive the initial email so i can verify my account. I have put the address in the safe category as well. Thanks. This game rocks.
Jeff said,
January 21, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Fun game, but I have to admit that seeing the top score with 6 or so aces tells me people have found a way to hack the system. This is going to take the competitive spirit out of the system very quickly.
I don’t care how many time a day you play, with the number of random variables including wind, swing and club, this is just not possible without hacking.
I would highly recommend you fix whatever exploit these guys are using or risk losing your audience.
rich said,
January 22, 2008 at 12:03 am
Believe it or not, these people have not hacked the system. If you play enough you will learn the exact strength and set the exact aim for each shot. Since there are only nine shots right now, learning the nuances of each shot can be done. Remember, some of the players have literally played these holes thousands and thousands of times. When we have a full course with driving, putting, chipping, it will be a completely different story. Mastering it will become very difficult.
Dee said,
January 22, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Love this game. The full version won’t be out until summer 08?
Is Bali Hai the only course for demo now?
rich said,
January 22, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Yes, our full version will be released this summer. Right now, we have only the Bali Hai closest to the pin challenge. Kiawah Island will be the first course with many more big-name courses to follow. Glad you love the game!
Patrick said,
January 22, 2008 at 9:43 pm
This game is unbelievably addicting! I read the article in Fortune Magazine and have been playing every night since. Being up here in the NW, I don’t get to play much (if any) golf this time of year. Thanks for giving me my golf fix!
dean said,
January 22, 2008 at 10:02 pm
I have just joined your club. I am still learning things of course but so far I’ve notice a problem. I getting disconnected. It could be from heavy traffic I guess, but it’s bother-some for me to get half way through the nine hole course and lose the connection.
I’m committed though.
btezra said,
January 23, 2008 at 5:16 pm
I’m an avid golf player, well, online and PC-based game versions…not much of an actual golfer (I do make a great caddy and bartender!) and I look forward to the full version’s release later this year. the graphics here are fantastic, well done!
BigBriggy said,
January 23, 2008 at 7:12 pm
I had been able to get in many full 9 hole rounds until I registered. Now it is impossible to get past the 8th hole. The 9th hole never loads. I have been unable to complete a round in over 100 tries. I guess this shows how addicting this is. I usually quit after three or four attempts at anything that fails tpo produce.
Darryl said,
January 24, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Wow…beat 41 and get a T-shirt?!
Hey, if you cannot see the bottom of the playing screen, simply click on your zoom control at the bottom right of the window, click Custom, and lower it to 98% - simple and quick to view full screen.
Maybe no one hacked the code, but maybe they are using a key-text program or function buttons to click a perfect shot? Hard to believe these folks can average less than 5 feet over 9 holes.
Rolfo said,
January 25, 2008 at 5:41 am
Bloody painful, haven’t been able to play in 24 hours.
Everytime I log in I don’t have any club selection to choose from, just an avatar holding an invisible magic wand.
Cheers
John said,
January 25, 2008 at 4:11 pm
OK,I am a hack!!!! Does the choice of clubs change the speed of swing?How long is this free?This is a good challenge,but too many aces is questionable.I like virtual golf ,I score well on the 2 great series,but no aces make it a worthwhile challenge!!!!
John said,
January 25, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Now I am mad!!!! I can see improvement,but then in the water!!!! Like PC Golf this can be addictive,but my goal in life is to crack top 20!!!!!
rich said,
January 25, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Yes, your choice of clubs will drastically change the speed of the swing. The R7 Beginner clubs are much easier to hit (slower swing meter) but they are not quite as accurate as the R7 TP Pro Series clubs (fast swing meter). The Pro Series clubs also hit the ball further so you can hit your approach shots with higher lofted clubs.
The game will always be free. 90% of our content will be available to everyone for free. We will have tournaments that you can enter for a fee once we have our full courses up and running.
John said,
January 25, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Can you practice shots without effecting your score?
rich said,
January 25, 2008 at 6:54 pm
No, we do not have a “practice” mode yet. If you are concerned about your average score, you can always create another account to practice with.
Blake said,
January 26, 2008 at 3:33 am
Great way to pass the time when I am going to a tournament, at the airport I love to play World Golf Tour between flights. I will never make haste about my flights being delayed again..Lol
John said,
January 26, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Any ideas about this product being packaged for cell phone use?
Miguel said,
January 26, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Seriously, this is becoming the most addicting experience I’ve gone through in the pas 3-4 years.
Spending every single evening playing a few rounds.
Fantastic, can’t wait to play full 18 holes on your site.
Rock on!
latinagirl said,
January 28, 2008 at 12:09 am
Early on when WGT started I was 900 in rank and now I see I am at least 9,000. This tells me that many many users’ have become as addicted as myself. I was playing 50 or more times nightly but have backed off to a few times a week because I was stressing out. This game I love and looking forward to the full game in the future. Thanks!!
Tree
Robert said,
January 28, 2008 at 1:41 am
They are using something. The only reason I say that is that you say get the swing down. problem is there is wind. some times on the same shot , you get 2 different results. same hit point strength etc etc. same speed same hit point, 2 completely different result
Also, on some holes, you are clearly on the green , yet it says fringe. Others you are clearly in the fringe, but it says green.
I know its a beta, just hope those things are worked out. Other than that, its good
Eskom said,
January 28, 2008 at 8:32 am
Hi Rich,
Great game! Can’t we have the top scores reset every week? This way your ‘handicap’ will come into play and will give everyone a better chance to have their names displayed under the top scores from time to time.
Mickey said,
January 28, 2008 at 5:29 pm
I really like the game so far, but in the full game, will there be a way to shape shots (fade or draw)? That to me is more important to playability that moving the ball forward-back in the stance, for example.
rich said,
January 28, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Thanks for all the suggestions. We will look into wiping out the leaderboard in the near future. It would be good to give all of our new players a chance to earn a top spot.
We are working on our draw/fade interface right now. Our full version will definitely have a way to shape shots, as well as the ability to hit punch, chip and flop shots. We are also working on our “overswing” shot which will give you some extra power but will make the sweet-spot much smaller.
John said,
January 28, 2008 at 6:09 pm
The first hole is easy-very forgiving,no matter what I do I am on the green!But the second and last are another story-you have to be perfect on the swing to get reasonably close. Why such a difference?
WhiteShadow said,
January 28, 2008 at 7:34 pm
How about a driver for beating Sammy’s record? It was a battle!
rich said,
January 28, 2008 at 7:34 pm
The first hole is so easy because you are hitting a either an Approach Wedge or a Sand Wedge (depending on your clubset) and those are pretty forgiving clubs. The 2nd hole is much harder because it is longer…as is the 9th hole. I think if you add some backspin (using the the green dot on the ball next to the swing meter) you’ll find the 9th hole can be fairly easy.
WhiteShadow said,
January 28, 2008 at 11:45 pm
Using the Pro Series, club up to a 7, hit space bar for green view, position green arrow on the flag’s shadow where the flag meets the pole, full back spin and forward one tick in your stance, 100% back swing — guaranteed within 5 feet any wind, every time… Play with the arrow positioning, backspin and stance, slighlty for variable winds to come even closer. Take notes, they come in handy.
WhiteShadow said,
January 28, 2008 at 11:46 pm
Last comment for John on #2…
WhiteShadow said,
January 28, 2008 at 11:48 pm
Oh yeah, and you need to come really close to hitting the perfect swing — green bar on the mark
Gary Nosal said,
January 29, 2008 at 12:12 am
It is a very addicting game. Ive been playing quite a few months and under 100 is a very good score and hard imo.Some people mentioned about the whole in ones being easy but theres a stat for lifetime which is what you may of read.Not 6 made in one game. Gee I hope not. I have 22 but thats like a lot!! of playin the past year and they dont come easy. You can shape shots with the stance which I also think is needed in this type of games. One of the top ones ive played. I thought Sammy hacked that low score too but once I was going into the # 8th hole with a 33. You know the rest but that tells me it can be done fair.I was wondering if it is always possible to get a whole in one on every tee shot or is there something in the code to keep you from this?I agree with a practice whole too would be nice.Leave the stance meter on for both club sets. All clubs use the same speed. Why different speed for clubs?It may take more skill to hit the pros because of the speed but you can get the same results from either.Pro shots do go higher and land with less roll. I use the beginners 95 % of the time.My best is 75 . Boy I gag a lot on the 8th and if you make that you really pucker up on the 9th.But the difference in wind affecting distance is pretty extreme on that whole. Its hard as it is and a little unfair because of the big difference. Thats a hard shot when you could get a low score.You can tell I like this game a lot and just dropped in my 2 cents.One more thing
I get spikes and jumps in the meter. Is this from my computer being older ( P 4) or my internet? thks all see you on the tee Fuzzygazz
Fuzzygazz said,
January 29, 2008 at 12:15 am
The most important thing I forgot. Keep that Heartbeat on all games.
John said,
January 29, 2008 at 2:38 pm
We need tips-more than what is given.I never knew that green dot is for backspin!!! I just fired my Caddy…..
WhiteShadow said,
January 29, 2008 at 3:35 pm
This tip is for Gary on #8. This only works if the wind is about 6MPH E or ESE. Use the TP series and stick with the 2 hybrid, in green view position green arrow all the way left, move the ball back in your stance about half way, go full back spin and give it 100% power. Hit the perfect swing and you should come you within 5 feet everytime… The wind is a bear on this hole. At 9MPH this shot won’t even reach the green. Play around with the controls with different wind and take notes… Post some goodies back here. Good luck!
Terry said,
January 30, 2008 at 1:19 pm
I got a hole in one but halfway through the round, the battery on my laptop died and I did not get credit for it. Is there any way to recover it? A HIO is a huge deal for me!!!
rich said,
January 30, 2008 at 1:23 pm
I’m sorry but we cannot recover shots in a round that was not completed. In order to get credit for a hole-in-one, or any other awards, you need to finish the round. Sorry!!! Keep trying, you’ll get another one!
LIMA said,
January 30, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Rich, first of all, thanks for a fantastic game…
Secondly, please don’t overdo the complexity of the full version or at least create versions with and without a lot of different parameters.. The simplicity, yet cleverness of this beta I think is key to the pleasure.
Finally, more hole play tips from the toprankers are welcome!
John said,
January 30, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Whiteshadow-how many games/hours/day do you play? How long have you been at it? Do you play real Golf? What is your handicapp?
concrete1 said,
January 31, 2008 at 11:48 am
Thanks for all the tips Whiteshadow. Went from a 586 to a 249 in one afternoon. Hit the cup on #1 but jumped out, thats it im hooked. Good-Luck to all.
John said,
January 31, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Drinks on me when I break 200!!!!!
ChiChimama said,
February 2, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Rich,
Addictive game. That’s coming from someone who hates video games. The beauty is in the simplicity. I was reading an article yesterday in the NYTs about how the Wii is such a big seller despite not being particularly liked by gamers. It appeals to the masses because it’s not overly complex. I recommend you follow K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid. No offense.
ecuaump34 said,
February 7, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Rich,
Can you fix the bug in hole #2. When you aim STRAIGHT at the flag and the wind pushes you left and you stop the meter just LEFT of the perfect shot meter, the ball should NOT go to the right!!!!!!
rich said,
February 7, 2008 at 6:02 pm
ecuaump34, we will take a look at that issue. Thanks for pointing it out.
RUGE said,
February 7, 2008 at 7:28 pm
In looking at ecuaump34 request could you look at utilizing less RAM. Maybe do load performance testing using HP Load Runner on the application so it isn’t so processor and RAM intensive. I am using half a gig of ram just for this web application. I am sure there are opportunities for improvements.
The product is visually appealing and catchy. Just need to fine tune it. I know this isn’t something you can do over night but maybe in the next year have that as a focus point.
scott said,
February 8, 2008 at 11:59 pm
white shadow….you got to get out more. fun game, but come on!
Zippy Pivot said,
February 12, 2008 at 8:57 pm
I was going to throw in my 2cents worth, but I gotta go……..Pro shop calling “Zippy Pivot to the Tee”
RedOctober said,
February 13, 2008 at 12:30 am
Great game. I just switched to the Pro clubs yesterday and it only took a day to shoot an 85, beating my former best round score of 121. The Pro clubs make all the difference.
Can’t wait to see what’s coming up next for World Golf Tour, although I’m quite pleased with the ‘closest to the pin’ format and would hope that option remains available once the full version goes live.
Debbie Booze said,
February 20, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Hi Guys:
Stanford loves WGT! The article references 100K members, how many members do we have today as of 2/20/08? What is the worst score on record for a completed round at Bali H?
Ted said,
February 22, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Great to hear from the Cardinals!
Let us know when Michelle Wie wants to play a virtual round.
Over 500,000 players have tried our little demo. Thanks for all your support.
- Ted at WGT
Ben said,
March 15, 2008 at 2:04 pm
I had a 38 going into the 8th hole, but for whatever reason I can never get it close on that mammoth. I use the pro clubs. Suggestions?