APBA Golf Master Game and GC novice, IDJESTER, has created a second “practice” video in which he plays a few holes by himself. He has asked me to provide feedback, so that he and those watching can improve their skills. This post will do just that.
In this video, he once again gets most things right. What’s really helpful is that he thinks out loud, so anyone watching can understand why he’s doing what he’s doing. I greatly appreciate his willingness to “practice in public” and openness to suggestions!
Before I get started, I have to acknowledge that IDJESTER runs into a problem working-the-ball (WTB) on hole #1 that has nothing to do with him. To my chagrin, he “discovers” a coding typo. His second shot on that hole should have gone exactly where he thought it would, but the GC mistakenly returns a WTB number of -5 on his 6I shot when it should have been +5. This will be fixed in the next update.
As I did last time, I’m going to present my notes and tips (mostly) in the order in which things occur. Not everything I comment on is a mistake; some of the bulleted items below are just explanations. Some clarify the Master Game rules, while others are specific to the Game Caddie. IDJESTER, like many new GC users, is trying to learn both at the same time.
- When first setting up a round on the Conditions tab, it’s probably better to conduct three separate dice rolls–one for Pin Location, one for Day Wind, and one for Course Conditions. While the GC Dice Roller on the Conditions tab produces three sets of numbers with one click, these numbers are not independent of one another. Of course, you can always roll your APBA dice instead.
- The fastest and surest way to determine where a W/I shot lands or an Approach shot ends up is to look at the (New) Ball Location tool. If you are puzzled by what you see there, you can always consult all the other tools on the Caddie tab to see how that result was derived. If you follow this advice, you will play MUCH faster.
- The W/I Shot Planner uses your distance from the centerline (CL) to determine your Carry Objective. You do not need to add any adjustments for being 15 yards or more off the CL.
- According to the Master Game rules, you decide whether you will use your W/I “bonus” BEFORE you take your WTB roll. The GC automatically does the Shot roll and WTB roll simultaneously, but in the spirit of the rule, you should make your decision before looking up the WTB Play Result Number (PRN).
- When WTB, you use the same column on the player’s card as you did for the shot (i.e., W-W or I-I).
- Never use the Update Arrow and Ball on Green tool for the same shot. If you do, it will record the shot twice. Once you have located your ball on the green, count the number of straight lines and diagonals to the pin. Enter those numbers into the Putting Caddie and click the CALC button. (If you are on the pin, leave the Putting Caddie boxes blank and click CALC.) Then click the Ball on Green tool to record the shot. To summarize: When you are NOT on the green, use the Update Arrow; when you are on the green, use the Ball on Green tool. Never use both together.
- There are three Hole Wind charts on the Conditions tab: Calm, Moderate, and Blustery. If you have a Moderate Wind, use the Moderate Wind chart for the entire round. Same for Calm and Blustery.
- The GC automatically performs the 1st Wind roll for you when you load a new hole. You don’t have to roll again unless you just like to for some reason.
- When you birdie (or eagle) a hole, you can use any Momentum points you have when you tee off on the next hole. When you bogey a hole (or worse), you can use any Bounce-Back points you have when you tee off on the next hole. In both cases, the W/I Shot Planner will display a colored reminder.
- In the Approach Caddie, the white boxes are editable. If you want to target a shot so that it is closer (or farther) in distance, replace the number that appears next to the middle arrow with your new target location.
- There is never any roll on Approach shots. The (New) Ball Location tool tells you where your Approach shot ended up for shots between 100 – 25 yards. (APBA’s Approach boards do not tell you carry or roll–only the final destination.) For shots from 5 – 20 yards, the final destination will be presented in feet in the Putt Dist. box of the Notes on the Caddie tab. Those shots are always on the green, so click the Ball on Green tool to record them.
- To check whether you have accidentally loaded the wrong hole, compare the Pin Location on the Caddie tab with your APBA course board. They should be the same. If not, get the correct APBA course board or go to the Course tab, click the Reset Hole and Xfer buttons and enter the right hole number.
- According to Master Game rules, you cannot aim on par 3’s but can WTB. However, the GC will let you aim if you want to.
- According to Master Game rules, you round up any remaining roll in the Regular Rough.
- Some older APBA courses do not give you Dogleg information. However, when courses are created for the GC that information is always included. Sometimes, you will see it in the Hole Notes (at the upper right of the screen). You will always find it in the Dogleg tool on the Caddie tab. When there is a Normal or Severe dogleg, the Dogleg tool will turn on for the tee shot and turn off after you close the All in One Menu or update the shot. You can turn the Dogleg tool on or off by clicking its Applies? box.
- When you are on the Clubs tab, you can quickly jump to the club you want by clicking on its name in the Dashboard (at the top of the screen).