INTRO
Although I am an apple girl at heart re my desk iMac and iPhone I had never had a tablet so decided to treat myself in May 2022 to an iPad Air in order to get some much needed fun into my life. I was thrilled when it arrived and chuffed that I set it up myself. I ventured into a new world of game apps which at first was quite overwhelming. I tried hidden objects / colouring books / detective & various tennis and golf apps. The various golf apps were where I kept coming back to but when I downloaded the WGT golf app in July I knew I had found my place … the perfect golf app for me
At first I didn’t know how or where to start & found it all a bit daunting. One thing about my personal Bipolar Affective Disorder is that I tend to get easily overwhelmed … so at first WGT sent my head spinning !
I started to play it every day … to explore and try to understand it step by step. I looked forward to seeing where in the golfing world it would take me. I soon realised that although my ability to play any form of physical golf again due to my ongoing knee issues this new virtual golfing world would reignite my inner golf girl.
I had my x3 month review with my psychiatrist Dr Singh in July and explained how this WGT iPad game was proving to be a real game changer for me & he was very encouraging and although he’s not a golfer he could see it was the perfect transition for me to accept & move on from physical to virtual golf.
I play my virtual golf mindfully. I take it one shot at a time … shot by shot … hole by holeI I try to stay in the present moment shot by shot. Peaceful putting calms and centres me . Stroking each putt = line & length pace gives me a sense of control.
WGT golf gives me so much. Helps me fill my golf void with something positive to look forward to each day. A daily purpose to understand its different choices & steps needed to enjoy them. It ticks all my boxes … whether golfing or photography or managing my mental health. It’s an outlet for my golf knowledge and experience to share with others.
The inner sports teacher in me wants me to share it to help others … whether golfers of any ability or handicap / a club member / or a complete novice who is thinking of taking up golf in 2023 or just someone looking for a new virtual sporty hobby to try.
WGT.com
World Golf Tour is the most realistic free online golf game which is loved by more than 15 million players across the world. It is the No. 1 top rated 3D online sports game which is playable on various platforms & is the most accurate full game simulation available
WHY IT WORKS FOR ME
- it calms me
- it challenges me
- outlet for my competitive side
- makes me feel I am playing again
- focuses my busy brain
- slows me down
- gives me something to look forward to daily
- it is visually stunning and very realistic
- it helps fill the void
- it makes me smile
- it tells me when I’ve done a beautiful shot
- it tells me when my shot timing has been excellent
- gives me a sense of achievement & getting better
- gives me a purpose
- gives me something positive to talk about
- gives me a webpage project to work on & share later
HOW IT WORKS
STEPS TO GETTING STARTED
- Download free WGT golf app onto chosen device
- Choose new player user name
- Decide WGT password
- Swing Training = Power / Swing Meter accuracy / mini map zoom & aim
- Putter Training = reading the green / use reverse camera icon
- receive 100 coins
- play x1 hole Head-to-Head Level 1 Tier = Hack / 45 second countdown
- earn XP Experience Points & go up to level 2
- buy £ credits to get balls from the pro shop
- Secure your account (optional)
- Pro Shop free club rental = rent & equip WGT Driver for x2 hours
- Choose a sponsor
- win Head-to-Head game & get coins & receive Silver Sponsor aparrel pack
- Go to Avatar & edit shirt = upgrade & equip
- Key tip re Putting = tap camera icon for reverse view … move target & use green power bar
- Create new avatar appearance & add Swing Edge shirt
- Go to home screen = GAME MODES for courses Stroke Play & Closest to the hole (CCTH)
GAME MODES
Solo options = Tournaments Stroke Play Putting Green practice Swing Training
Multiplayer options = Head – Head Playing with friends Top Golf driving range
Stroke play options = Random x3 holes Front 9 Back 9 Full 18
Stroke play = choose ranked or practice rounds
TIERS = reflect skill level & you are challenged at each tier with longer tees & faster greens. LEVELS release virtual golf equipment to improve your game & levelling up earns you virtual £ coins . As you play more Head to Head matchplay you earn sponsor gift packs of apparel to create the personal look and appearance of your avatar
TIERS = Hack Amateur Pro Tour Pro Expert Tour Expert Master Tour Master Legend Tour Legend Champion Tour Champion
COURSES
COURSE / AREA / MY BEST SCORES / Slope Rating difficulty
- PGA NATIONAL / Florida / 64/ 144 = -8 under
- TORREY PINES / California / 73 +1 / 134
- WOLF CREEK / Nevada / 72 Level Par / 154
- PEBBLE BEACH / California / 75 +3 / 145
- KIAWAH ISLAND / South Carolina / 68 4 under / 155
- ST ANDREWS / Scotland / 70 2 under / 142
- BANDON DUNES 3 / / 58 +4
- CONGRESSIONAL / Maryland / 71 Level Par / 142
- CHAMBERS BAY / Washington / 76 +5 / 146
- ERIN HILLS / Wisconsin / 73 +1 / 145
- BETHPAGE BLACK / New York / 73 +3 / 155
- OAKMONT / Pennsylvania / 72 +2 / 148
- MERION / Pennsylvania / 72 +2 / 142
- PINEHURST No. 2 / North Carolina / 70 Level Par / 136
- THE OLYMPIC CLUB / California / 70 Level Par / 141
- ROYAL ST GEORGES / England / 65/ 138 = -5 under
CLOSEST TO THE HOLE (CCTH) = 1 shot challenge
Each 18 hole course has 1 or 2 challenges plus other courses at
- EDGEWOOD TAHOE / Nevada
- CELTIC MANOR / Newport Wales
- LANAI MANELE / Lanai City Hawaii
- VALHALLA / Louisville KY
- LANAI KOELE / Lanai City Hawaii
- PINEHURST / Pinehurst North Carolina
- HARBOUR TOWN / Hilton Head North Carolina
MY HIGHLIGHTS
- longest Drive at St. Andrews = 337 yards
- Most Pars in a single round at Congressional = x13
- Hole in One at Pebble Beach = 7th hole Par 3
- back to back Pars at Erin Hills = holes 3 4 5 & 11 12 13
- Drove the green at St Andrews = 3 wood on the 9th hole
- Drove 12th green at Chambers Bay
- Eagle at Wolf Creek = 13th hole
- Most birdies in a single round = Wolf Creek x5 Kiawah Island x 10
- eagle at Wolf Creek 13th Eagle at Wolf Creek Par 5
- Eagle at Pinehurst No.2 on the 3rd Eagle at Royal St George’s on the 14th
- Eagle at Pebble Beach 6th hole
- Eagle at Royal St. George’s 14th hole
- x9 Pars plus x2 Birdies in a single round at Torrey Pines
- CCTH at Manele = x8 greens in regulation out of x9
- Played Back 9 at Torrey Pines in level Par
- eagle at Kiawah Island 11th hole
- drove 12th green at St Andrews
- x13 GIR (greens in regulation) at Pinehurst
- x5 birdies at St Andrews
- x16 GIR (greens in regulation) at Oakmont
- Hole in One at The Olympic club = 8th hole Par 3
- Eagle 2 on 10th at St Andrews
- Eagle at Chambers Bay Par 5
- Eagle at Congressional 16th Par 5
- Eagle at Torrey Pines 13th Par 5
- Pars on every hole on front 9 at Congressional
- x6 drives over 300 yards at St Andrews in a single round
- longest drive 341 yards at St Andrews
- eagle 3 on 10th at PGA National
- Eagle 3 on 6th at PGA National
- Eagle 3 on 14th at St Andrews
- eagle 2 on 9th at Kiawah Island
- Best Putts = 35 foot in for a birdie at St Andrews
- Best Putts = 31 foot in for a birdie at St Andrews
- Best Putts = 50 feet to 5 feet & in
MY GOLF EQUIPMENT
- Titleist TSi2 Driver
- Titleist TSi2 Fairway 3 Wood
- Titleist TSi Hybrid
- Titleist T100 Iron Set
- Titleist T100 Pitching Wedge
- WGT starter Sand Wedge
- Titleist Vokey SM8 64 degree Lob Wedge
- Titleist Scotty Cameron Select Newport 2 Putter
MY FAVOURITE x3 COURSES
PEBBLE BEACH
Pebble beach is a public links course in west USA and widely regarded as one of the most beautiful courses in the world. It hugs the rugged coastline and has wide open views of Carmel bay & the south side of the Monteray Peninsula Pacific Ocean. The course was designed by jack Neville & Douglas Grant in 1919.It hosts annual events re PGA / PGA Tour Champions and AT&T Pro Am and it’s £ green fees are the highest in the world.
Why I Like it
- hardest WGT course
- very challenging
- visually stunning
- very fast greens
- sea views on x10 holes
- hazards = deep rough cliffs trees wind brush
- beautiful houses around most holes
ST ANDREWS
ST ANDREWS is the oldest course in the world established in 1552 in Fife Scotland. It is also known as The Old Lady or Grand Old Lady and The Royal & Ancient Golf Clubhouse is adjacent to the 1st tee. the first Open Championship was played there in 1873 and it hosts the annual Alfred Dunhill Links championships & team event. The Open Championship has been held on The Old Course x29 times including the 150th centenary event.
Why I Like it
- iconic links course
- history
- The Old Course is The Home of Golf
- in the heart of the town
- enormous fast greens
- shared greens on x14 holes
- sea views on x7 holes
- named pot bunkers
- mountain views
- hotel and buildings around 1st 17th 18th holes
- Hazards = The Swilcan Burn water Fescue rough gorse pot bunkers heather
- big blue skies white fluffy cumulus clouds
- Challenge = 17th tee shot over the buildings to reach the fairway
- Challenge = 18th sot to the green avoiding the Valley of Sin
OAKMONT
Oakmont Country Club is in East USA was designed by Henry Fownes in 1903 & is regarded as the oldest top ranked USA golf course and one of the hardest. It is links style with no water hazards but has 175 bunkers including the famous Church Pews bunker on the 3rd & 4th holes. The course has big slopes and very fast undulating greens and was named as a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
Why I Like it
- It’s a Country Club
- It reminds me of My favourite Wirral clubs = Bromborough Brackenwood and Wirral
- lovely mix of trees
- Autumn colours red & gold leaves
- views of the rolling hills
- views of the beautiful clubhouse on x5 holes
- Hazards are the brush and very big bunkers
PUTTING
I always enjoyed Putting and always did some practice on the green at whichever course I was playing . My pride and joy was my Scotty Cameron putter.is all about line & length, pace & control, stroke & touch. It’s the game within the game and has a real affect on our scores. many a beautiful approach shot has been ruined by a x3 putt. The green speeds are determined by the stimp meter :
- 7.4 = slow
- 7.9 = standard
- 9.0 = fast
- 10.0 & 11 = very fast
- 12 = Tournament
There are choices when doing putting practice. You select your distance and can retry your last putt . Options are Easy at Bethpage Black / Medium at Kiawah Island or Hard at Merion
PRO SHOP
- Buy or rent Clubs
- Buy Balls
- Buy apparel to wear
- Buy enhancements = Notebook for hole strategy / Putter Pal to read the greens
TOP GOLF
- Driving Range hitting bays
- aim at targets
- calculate yardage select club
- speed is key multiplayer = up to x6 players
- 5 minute timed game
- leaderboard positions & coin payouts
- My best score so far = 73
EACH COURSE THAT I PLAY
- is a fresh start
- another opportunity
- brings different conditions
- brings different challenges
- brings their own different hazards
COURSE DIFFICULTY RATING
All the golf courses are ranked according to difficulty … and there are no easy ones ! All are given moderate ratings with the exception of Royal St Georges which is the hardest.
- 2.0 PGA National Torrey Pines Wolf Creek Erin Hills
- 2.5 Kiawah Island Bethpage Black
- 3.0 St Andrews Bandon Dunes Oakmont Pinehurst No.2
- 3.5 Congressional Chambers Bay Merion The Olympic Club
- 4.0 Pebble Beach Royal St George’s
WGT A – Z Keywords
Aim Birdie Control Decisions Eagle Fairway Game Hazards Imagination Joy Knowledge Lie Mindful Numbers Offline Par Quiet Realistic Scotty Tempo Uphill Visualise Wind Xcellent ! Yardage Zen
MY WAYS TO BETTER SCORING
Remember that golf is not a game of perfect !
- Find the fairways and greens = GIR greens in regulation
- course management & hole strategy
- Get out of the rough and back onto the fairway & accept lose yardage distance
- sometimes use a 3 wood instead of a driver to find the fairway
- improve my pitching & chipping short game skills
- 1st putt pace is key try to get it up to or just past the hole
- 2 putts just fine … x1 put is a bonus !
- avoid 3 or 4 putts !
- bounce back after a poor hole
- focus on one shot at a time
- regroup after a rubbish shot
- make a good pitch & putt
- aim for right area on the green
- deal with different wind speeds and directions
- can be more aggressive on uphill putts
- decide when laying up is the smart option
- on long putts pace is more important than the line
- make a great putt to save par
- take notice of the course topography
- take notice of tricky pin positions
- limit the damage
- assess is the wind hurting or helping and by how much
- a short par 4 = risk or reward ?
- get better at reading the greens
- I don’t always need driver off the tee
- stay and play within myself
- accepting that the golfing gods can be cruel or kind in equal measure
- coax long downhill putts to the hole
- try not to short side myself on the approach shot to the green
- enjoy turning a challenge into an opportunity
- wonder is it a one club or two club wind ?
- stroke my putts … don’t hit them
- play mindful golf … one shot at a time
- use a punch shot to get out from under the trees
- develop scrambling skills
- stay patient
- avoid making mental mistakes
- carefully judge the putting distance
- aim for a bogey free round
- sink a good putt to make par
- play smart golf
- are putts high side or low side ?
- get putts pin high
- do the maths to calculate the yardage depending on slope or wind speed & direction
CURRENT STATS
Level = 90 Tier = Tour Pro My Scoring Average = 73.24
YET TO EXPLORE
- perhaps join a country club
- play with a friend
- Create my own club = MindfulgolfersUK
FINALLY …
Two years of covid lockdowns and coronavirus anxiety plus my fall in February 2022 markedly affected my confidence and mental wellbeing . WGT golf has given me both back. It got me through a very wobbly Christmas and I shared it with my family & friends and they could see just how positive it was for me. I wish I had had it earlier but am very grateful to have it now.