What Skill Level to use?

[WillK]

Hello, new player here and loving the game after a long time TW05 fan.

I was messing around with Golfer settings and tried out the Elite and Champ settings. I'm normally using Pro on the back tees with the classic swing method. The swing changes didn't seem too dramatic, but I was wondering if people actually play without the putting line and if that is a common thing to do in tournament play. I want to practice with what most competitive tourneys would use, even if I don't plan on competing for now. Do most tourneys use Elite or Champ skill levels?

[pmgolf]

The level that people choose to use to play Links is entirely up to the player and what tournaments they choose to play in. There are tournaments for just about any level of skill, but amateur is usually used for players to learn the basics before they start tournament play. The majority of players use Classic swing, which is either 2 or 3 left mouse-clicks, and Pro level. After a while though, depending on the player, that level of play becomes quite easy. Some people like their games to be very easy (sometimes even very, very easy) and will continue to play at Pro that level so they can shoot ridiculously low scores along with other players who think the same way. Most people, however, enjoy the challenges of the game of golf and will switch to the next level which is Champ level. A little more precision and accuracy is required at each higher level, but you get a little more distance with each shot.

There are two other swing types - RTS (real time swing) and PS (Power stroke). RTS uses horizontal back then forward mouse movement which is synchronized with the player on your screen. That's what I use and it makes you feel like you are making the swing. PS is a side-to-side mouse movement with a left mouse-click at the point of club-ball contact. RTS and PS have skill levels that are just like Classic's.

Most tournaments do not allow the "Putting Assistant", but the "Break line Indicator" (BLE) is widely accepted, as is the Caddy.

Any other questions?

Pete
pmgolf
Tournament Director of The World Tour at LSPN.net

[WillK]

This is exactly the answer I was looking for, thanks!

[GoBucks]

Champ level. you get a little more distance with each shot.

Pete
pmgolf
Tournament Director of The World Tour at LSPN.net

Played Champ level for 15-20 years. Never new that.

[MrT]

I had switched to Champion over a year ago. It is a bit more challenging than Pro, but still quite playable, just less assistance and it seems to me less forgiving. Get a bit extra distance (I can see that from my top speed with the driver which, at the Pro-Elite level, reaches higher speeds than at the Pro level).

For the last 4-5 maybe 6 months, I play Firm and Fast (stimp estimated at 13.5 so pretty close to the PGA levels). The Firm/Fast thing has much more of an impact on the difficulty of the game than the level one chooses for his player (except perhaps Elite, where basically all assistance is given up).

Some courses are magnificent and even at Firm/Fast play realistically, some are impossible as the greens were not conceived for that kind of settings and only a few holes can actually be playable.

I have been trying to give up the grid when putting, but I find having to look at the green for every shot very annoying. Maybe one day.

The main reason I did not go for elite is that one can no longer aim using the map from above and, unless one knows the course really well, it is very easy to aim wrongly because of wrong perceptions.

The batch of most recent courses, those created with LIDAR data or really well conceived are basically very playable at all levels. Firm and Fast settings take longer to adjust.

[pmgolf]

MrT, sounds like you've explored all of the early version of Links, but if you want to experience all of it you'll apply the 1.07 update and all of the features that were added - more than just firmer hardness and faster speeds for the greens. Moderate Frmness and Fast-challenging speeds play differently than the old Firm and Fast, and Firm-challenging plus Fast-challenging play differently from that. And the newer courses have 18 pin positions rather than the old courses' 6. But I can understand if you don't think you're good enough to be able to handle them.

Pete

[WillK]

I'm back with another question regarding difficulty. What wind, green speeds, and green hardness should be used for advanced play? I assume challenging flag pins. I was using course settings, but some modded courses seem to bug out so I have to use another setting. Is Green Speed Slow (Challenging) more difficult than Green Speed Fast?

[Bit Left]

I'm back with another question regarding difficulty. What wind, green speeds, and green hardness should be used for advanced play? I assume challenging flag pins. I was using course settings, but some modded courses seem to bug out so I have to use another setting. Is Green Speed Slow (Challenging) more difficult than Green Speed Fast?

Hi Will. This supplementary question (sounds like Parliament) may get lost in the shuffle, as you have shifted topic mid thread. Another time maybe post a new topic that catches the eye of those keen on the subject of Green Speeds.
What I can suggest is a search for this thread: "Re: Green Speed and Firmness Stimpmeter Settings" - it's a contribution from Adelade - highly respected and ultra knowledgeable for all things Links. Sorry I don't have the time or tech savvy just now to attach the link for you. It's dated Aug 30, 2022 at 1:11 pm. There are other threads I see when I search "stimp" in the main Search box. Hope this helps.

[Adelade]

Here is a link to that post: viewtopic.php?p=15325#p15325

Seems like all images on the forums have been lost with the recent upgrade issue I re-uploaded the one in that post just now though.

You'll see that, somewhat unintuitively, the firmness setting not only effects bounces and spin, but also actually has a significant effect on putting speeds as well.

So yes, Slow(challenging), or Sc as many prefer to abbreviate it, is faster than Fast, or F as many prefer to abbreviate it. I guess your question was whether it was more difficult, not whether it was faster, but in general faster tends to be more difficult.

As for which settings to use for advanced play... depends who you ask, and what you mean by advanced. I tend to agree with pmgolf, about it being prudent to increase difficulty if scores start being unrealistically low. There are always ways to make Links more challenging, if you're not already playing PowerStroke Elite with Windy and Fc/Fc, you havent even come close to running out of ways to increase the challenge.

I dont play in online tournaments, but I like playing Champ/Classic without the top cam, I do any wind settings except No Wind (too boring), and my favourite green setting is M/Fc , but I mix it up with a healthy dose of Mc/Mc , F/Mc and Mc/Fc here and there, sometimes even S/Fc to simulate a rainy day.