The super-low scores players are shooting.

[Jack Clark]

Some folks seem to be averaging about half eagles and half birdies when they play. What on earth are they doing that allows them to score something as unrealistic as a 46 at Pebble (Rocky Coast)? Actually, I'm not sure I want to know.

As far as comparing my abilities on GL Golf with my actual play on a real golf course. The obvious differences are: I never slice on GL golf, so the fairway bunkers are just for decoration, I'm never in them. I putt on GL golf better than any real golfer who ever lived, and I can't judge distances with wedges on GL golf 1/10th as good as I can on a real course. I'm thinking that one of the secrets to low scores here might be to avoid the pitching wedge entirely by calculating how much intentionally short to play your previous shot to give you a numbered iron instead. I'll give that a try. But right now, I figure that I'm probably at least stroke a hole better player on GL golf than in real golf.

[pb2au]

I have shot some pretty low scores and even managed to win a couple of tournaments, but my hat is off to George_HALAS, a player I've not seen until recently.
Here is what he has accomplished in a period of 6 days!
He beat the existing all time best scores on Winding Meadows (by 5 shots!), Snowflake Ridge (by 11 shots!!!), Torre Pines South (by 10 shots!!), Grand Lake (by 5 shots!!), Badger Pass (by 8 shots!!), and Blind Man's Bluff (by 8 shots!!).
What makes this even more amazing is that for a long time the difference between the best and second best has been 0 or 1 shot, the singular exception to this has been another player, gak.
gak has the best scores on Rocky Grove (by 4!), Augusta (by 3!), Moroccan Links (by 9!!), St. Andrew's New Course (by 9!!), Isle South (by 7!!), St. Andrew's Jubilee Course (by 10!!!), and Ashdown Country Club (by 5!). Except for Ashdown (1/23/10) all of his scores were posted over a period of 10 days.
I guess when you're hot, you're hot.
The other fourteen courses have leading margins of 0, 1, or 2 strokes.
So congratulations to gak and George_HALAS. They obviously have a talent, or have discovered secrets, that the rest of us have not.

[michael]

Somehow gak and GEORGE_HALAS have hacked their way into the game. I nailed snowflake I time for a 52 on the pro level - I just can't see GEORGE_HALAS shooting a 38. It's like running a two minute mile! Michael

[pb2au]

I have to say that a 38 on Snowflake is quite a feat. Since I don't believe a double-eagle is possible on any hole, that means 14 eagles & 4 birdies. Not in the same round I have eagled holes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 8, plus I've birdied all of them. Unless someone shows me, I won't believe an eagle is possible on 7, but it can be birdied. So an eagle on all but 7 & 9 and birdies on 7 & 9 is possible. But to do it all in one round (twice!) is beyond both my talents and my comprehension. You really have to be in the zone.
As for hacking the program, Jake says it's possible, but I'm a chemist, not an IT person, so I wouldn't know where to begin. My 49 involved some luck.

[Jake]

First, Sorry I missed this thread back in November!

I went ahead and deleted some of the scores by GEORGE_HALAS and gak, they are most likely hacks. However, I won't be able to keep an eye on the scores so when they pop up they will probably stay, just keep in mind that they are probably fake.

I know its possible to birdie just about every hole and maybe eagle a few of them on most courses, but when people start hitting hole in ones more than 50% of the time it's very suspect.

Jack, an 80 yard wedge will be available in one of the next few updates, that may help. Personally, I try to get as close to the hole as possible and have gotten quite good with the 120 yard wedge and a little backspin.

[pb2au]

Jake,
You might also consider deleting George_HALAS' scores from the current season from Rocky Coast, Winding Meadows, Snowflake, Torre Pines, Grand Lake, Badger Pass, & Blind Man's Bluff. And gak from Ashdown. As a matter of fact, once you are convinced that a player has cheated, I'm in favor of removing ALL of his scores, even the reasonably achievable ones. Once a person has cheated, ALL scores are suspect.
I'm also in favor of creating a policy that states, in essence, that a cheater's scores will never be posted. One of golf's best features is it's Honor System. There are many instances where a player has called a penalty on himself, even when there were no other witnesses. This sometimes cost him the tournament, but always cost him financially. The game of golf, which this program has so successfully emulated, has no room for cheaters.

At least neither gak nor George_HALAS appear on the Tournament Champions List.

[michael]

Jake, I know we have talked about this before, but George Hallas' round at ST Andrews old course defy's all odds. A 32! The only way to shoot a 32 is to have a long holeout at all 18 holes! 4 shots for the 4 par threes, 24 shots for the 12 par fours and 4 shots for the two par Fives. This time there is no probability about it being a hack, It is a hack! PS George Hallas,Gaz and Ted Petrie must be the same person.

[pb2au]

Michael,
I agree, and it's not just that one course.

[michael]

Dave, I had a little fun with the Snowflake course on the normal level using the name HALAS CHEATS. I got lucky on the seventh hole getting a birdie and the second first hole getting a long eagle. Thats how I got my 48. Also I figured out you have to hit the tree on the eight hole to have a good birdie shot, but you probably know this. And my perfect round still comes up way short of GEORGE HALAS! Michael

[pb2au]

michael,
Wow! A 48 is exceptional! And, yes, it does take luck (a hole in one, or a long eagle) to shoot a 49 or a 48. In my humble opinion a 38 is impossible. Now if I had any idea how to 'hack' this game, I would post scores that were reasonable. And I would win every tournament by a shot or two. It's my guess that somehow i's harder to hack the tournament, because he's never played.
Keep shooting the good, legitimate scores. It challenges me (although I'm never going to be as good).

[pb2au]

I did an analysis of shooting a 32 (-39) on Rocky Grove. Here is what I consider to be the most likely scorecard for this score.

Hole Par Birdie Eagle Double Eagle
1 .......4...............2
2 .......4...............2
3 .......3.............. 1
4 .......5 ..............3
5 .......4 ..............2
6 .......4.............................1
7 .......3 ..............1
8 .......5 ..............3
9 .......4 ..............2
10 .....4 ...........................1
11 .....3 ..............1
12 .....4 ..............2
13 .....3 ..............1
14 .....4 ..............2
15 .....4 ..............2
16 .....4 ..............2
17 .....4 ..............2
18 .....5 ..........................2

The color Green is what I consider a feasible score for a good golfer.
The color Red is what I consider possible, but extremely lucky.
The color Blue is what I consider almost impossible.

I'll leave it to the reader to draw his own conclusion.

[michael]

GEORGE HALAS has never needed a putter has he? michael

[Jack Clark]

Personally, I try to get as close to the hole as possible and have gotten quite good with the 120 yard wedge and a little backspin.

I'm pretty good with the 120-yard wedge and some backspin, too . . . when I'm 120 yards from the hole. It's when I'm 100 yards away . . . or 90 . . or 80 . . . or 70 . . . or 60 that there's a problem. I'm just guessing when I have to make a half-shot with the wedge. So I have tried playing intentionally 150 yards short of the pin when I can't reach the green with any club anyway, and it's working well for me. For example, on a 385-yard par 4, when I can't reach the green with a driver anyway, I'll use an iron to hit my tee shot about 235 yards, leaving me near the white post. This leaves me a full shot with the wedge or a short iron.

[Jack Clark]

Jake, I know we have talked about this before, but George Hallas' round at ST Andrews old course defy's all odds. A 32! The only way to shoot a 32 is to have a long holeout at all 18 holes! 4 shots for the 4 par threes, 24 shots for the 12 par fours and 4 shots for the two par Fives. This time there is no probability about it being a hack, It is a hack! PS George Hallas,Gaz and Ted Petrie must be the same person.

Michael or Jake-

Which course is the St. Andrews Old Course? It doesn't have that name on my lists and I checked the courses I do have looking for a pseudonym and can't find one. I've played that course, so I know a little about what to look for, but I'm not recognizing it. Which course is it? Thanks.

[Jake]

Must be St Andrews New or Jubilee

[michael]

I meant to say new. My bad. Michael

[pb2au]

I just saw the posting of a 31 (-42) on Ravenswood by ted.petrie!
With these incredibly low scores I'm wondering if somehow 9-hole scores are being posted as 18.