Real Tournaments 2023

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Lord Hearteater
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Location: Mesa, Arizona, USA

Real Tournaments 2023

Post by Lord Hearteater »

As the real world PGA Tour winds down for the season, the focus turns to readying the next year's Career Mode offering. This will be my final Real Tournaments season. After 20 years of Links 2003, it is time for the torch to be passed, much as it has already been passed, among the course-designer element of the community. There are some very tough decisions to make.

As of right now, we lack next year's PGA Tour schedule, but it won't be long. Based on 2022, we have more real high-level pro tour courses worthy of an event than there are slots in a 24-week season. We are not quite there to be able to do a 36-week season; there would still be a few open slots. With all of this in-mind, and given the rather dated, tradition-laden aspects of Career Mode in general, the decision has been taken to end Real Tournaments 2023 at The Open Championship, with the Ryder Cup still filling Week 24. The problem is, the current math puts the Open in Week 22, leaving just one slot to have a player's choice from four different courses and events. I went with the 3M Open, since the last few seasons have had the Rocket Mortgage Classic, and there's a hole on the front 9 of East Lake where the spectators are on the green as you putt (no bueno). Furthermore, the 3M is not a playoff event. Players would thus be able to edit Week 23, perhaps inserting the FedEx St Jude Championship, as this is a recent course release, and that tournament deserves recognition.

We thus have to await the release of the real PGA schedule, for further developmental news. I am already intending to put the match play event at Austin above the Valspar Championship, as an invitational. The Byron Nelson Championship will make it's Real Tournaments debut for that reason, and the Honda Championship will be returning.

With the start date of RT2023 actually being in the new year (farewell RBS Championship @ Sea Island), I am affording myself some extra time to make my final large CM season offering the best that it can be. A mid-December release is the target.
ACES: far too many to list
ALBATROSSES: Atlantic Point (aced par4), Barton Creek 2003, Bay Hill (VGA), Bighorn (LS), Doonbeg, Firestone North,Tribute@Otsego, Torrey Pines (LS), TPCs Harding Park and Woodlands, St Andrews New
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Lord Hearteater
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Joined: September 24th, 2019, 5:18 pm
Location: Mesa, Arizona, USA

Re: Real Tournaments 2023

Post by Lord Hearteater »

The lineup is set. Now, it will be a matter of editing, and perhaps playing the waiting game for new course releases. This is a grab from the 8/1/22 release of the PGA Tour schedule. It is not yet up on pgatour.com:


J 2-8 Sentry Tournament of Champions Plantation Course at Kapalua Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii 15.0
9-15 Sony Open in Hawaii Waialae Country Club Honolulu, Hawaii 7.9
The above two events will be in Week 1; Kapalua being at the invitational level.

23-29 Farmers Insurance Open (Saturday finish) Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course, North Course) San Diego, California 8.7
F 30-5 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course, Monterey Peninsula
Country Club (Shore Course) Pebble Beach, California 9.0
6-12 WM Phoenix Open TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Course) Scottsdale, Arizona 8.5
13-19 The Genesis Invitational The Riviera Country Club Pacific Palisades, California 20.0
20-26 The Honda Classic PGA National Resort (The Champion) Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 8.4
M 27-5 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge Orlando, Florida 20.0
6-12 THE PLAYERS Championship TPC Sawgrass (THE PLAYERS Stadium Course) Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida 25.0

13-19 Valspar Championship Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead Course) Palm Harbor, Florida 8.1
20-26 World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play Austin Country Club Austin, Texas 20.0
The above two events will be in Week 9; Austin being at the invitational level.

A 3-9 Masters Tournament # Augusta National Golf Club Augusta, Georgia (15.0)
10-16 RBC Heritage Harbour Town Golf Links Hilton Head Island, South Carolina 8.3
17-23 Zurich Classic of New Orleans TPC Louisiana Avondale, Louisiana 8.6
M 1-7 Wells Fargo Championship Quail Hollow Club Charlotte, North Carolina 9.3
8-14 AT&T Byron Nelson TPC Craig Ranch McKinney, Texas 9.5
15-21 PGA Championship # Oak Hill Country Club Rochester, New York (15.0)
22-28 Charles Schwab Challenge Colonial Country Club Fort Worth, Texas 8.7
J 29-4 the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday Muirfield Village Golf Club Dublin, Ohio 20.0
5-11 RBC Canadian Open Oakdale Golf & Country Club Toronto, Ontario, Canada 9.0

12-18 U.S. Open # The Los Angeles Country Club (North Course) Los Angeles, California (17.5)
19-25 Travelers Championship TPC River Highlands Cromwell, Connecticut 8.6
The above two events will be in Week 19, with the US Open being at nearby Riviera CC, which has hosted the event in the past. An alternative would be to do this event "ultimate style," but I happen to be an L.A. native, and know that Riviera is in the same part of town; it'll do.

J 26-2 Rocket Mortgage Classic Detroit Golf Club Detroit, Michigan 8.8
3-9 John Deere Classic TPC Deere Run Silvis, Illinois 7.4

17-23 The Open Championship # Royal Liverpool Hoylake, Wirral, England (14.0)
24-30 3M Open TPC Twin Cities Blaine, Minnesota 7.8
The above two events will be in Week 22; the Open being done "ultimate style," due to the lack of an adequate version of Royal Liverpool.

A 7-13 FedEx St. Jude Championship TPC Southwind Memphis, Tennessee 20.0

Ryder Cup @ Celtic Manor (the real venue in Rome is not yet available) for Week 24.

As always, major championships will be invitationals, with European or bygone US PGA events below the first two of them, at the pro level. The final two majors will have real pro events below them, as an inclusion measure. As you can see, I even found a way to bring in the first FedEx Cup event. The St. Jude Championship shall make its' Real Tournaments debut. This will ensure that players have the widest array of real PGA Tour events possible within RT2023; a fitting farewell.
ACES: far too many to list
ALBATROSSES: Atlantic Point (aced par4), Barton Creek 2003, Bay Hill (VGA), Bighorn (LS), Doonbeg, Firestone North,Tribute@Otsego, Torrey Pines (LS), TPCs Harding Park and Woodlands, St Andrews New
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Jimbo
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Re: Real Tournaments 2023

Post by Jimbo »

One of our Linksters is worki g on Oakdale.
It's another course on Toronto's "Murderer's Row" on Islington Avenue.

It's unfortunate that the RCGA insists on holding the tournament in the Greater Toronto area (west as far as Hamilton) instead of moving It around the country-the US Open is the following week in LA. There are many courses on the lower mainland and/or the greater Victoria area on Vancouver Island that would be wonderful (not to mention Alberta) and the Maritimes (if the US Open or the PGA) is in the northeast..
Last edited by Jimbo on December 3rd, 2022, 8:23 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Adelade
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Re: Real Tournaments 2023

Post by Adelade »

What does ultimate style mean?
Finished Courses - Main: Amedal (fictional), Nine Bridges (real)
Other: Austin, Sheshan, Kauri Cliffs, Le Golf Nat. Updates: Whirlpool, Royal Lytham, Royal St George's, Chicago, Chambers Bay, Munchen Nord E
Working on: 2 fictional courses + a couple things...
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Lord Hearteater
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Location: Mesa, Arizona, USA

Re: Real Tournaments 2023

Post by Lord Hearteater »

Ultimate style was born of necessity. When there is no crz available for the specific year's venue, I use four courses that have hosted that same major in the past, and call it "ultimate." We were lucky in 2022: All four majors had crz files.

I observe that we don't really have a decent crz for the 2023 PGA yet. That event may also happen ultimate style. Since the explanation was sought, here would be the lineups:

Ultimate PGA Championship: Hazeltine, Whistling Straits, Valhalla, Baltusrol

Ultimate Open Championship: Royal Lytham St Annes, Royal Troon, Carnoustie, St Andrews Old

I also appear to have overlooked the Canadian Open venue change. That event has been done ultimate style before, with Royal Montreal (2 versions), Glen Abbey (2 versions) and St George's being available. The other option would be to pull it from the roster, move the rest of the season up a week, and give the 3M Open full honors for Week 22. That's the more probable route, as I have come to disdain the need for ultimate non-major events.

There's more to choose from for both of the above major events, but I have illustrated the likely candidates for RT2023. You now have an insight into the kind of resourcefulness that has been behind my CM seasons from the start.
ACES: far too many to list
ALBATROSSES: Atlantic Point (aced par4), Barton Creek 2003, Bay Hill (VGA), Bighorn (LS), Doonbeg, Firestone North,Tribute@Otsego, Torrey Pines (LS), TPCs Harding Park and Woodlands, St Andrews New
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Jimbo
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Location: Victoria-but a Raven at heart!

Re: Real Tournaments 2023

Post by Jimbo »

HEY!!! WE Canucks got screwed this year when LIV started up. My suggestion would be to do another St. George-as I said before there's a tournament version but it didn't get uploDed. There's also a Hamilton course that has already been "nit-picked" but the original crz seems to have vanished. Sage, I still have my Beta along with the nitpicks if you're interested.
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Captain Nemo
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Re: Real Tournaments 2023

Post by Captain Nemo »

Re: Real Tournaments 2023

Post by Jimbo » Wed Aug 31, 2022 11:10 pm

One of our Linksters is worki g on Oakdale.
It's another course on Toronto's "Murderer's Row" on Islington Avenue.


Jimbo: Not trying to nitpick :naughty: , but what does the ref. to "Murderer's Row" mean. Isn't "Murderer's Row" in New York City? Also, Oakdale is located on Jane St. about 7 kilometers North East of the Dixon, Islington intersection (which is near the backside of Weston G.C.).

Note: I grew up just North of your "Murderer's Row" area, in Rexdale and cadied at Oakdale in the late 50's and then moved over to Lambton 60/61, so I'm pretty familiar with the area.
:cheers1: Dave
I always wanted to write something intelligent in my signature. Now that I think about it, I guess I just did! :clapping: :smile:
dko
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Re: Real Tournaments 2023

Post by dko »

Not that it will make any difference with your lineup, but Glenn Braden fixed the spectator problem at East Lake #6 shortly after it was identified.
Doug
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Lord Hearteater
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Real Tournaments 2023 CANCELLED

Post by Lord Hearteater »

There are simply too many challenges ahead of me to be able to create a quality season for 2023. Not only does the final PGA schedule present numerous logistical challenges, but life is also largely getting in the way. I have come to the realization that RT2022 was my finest, and therefore should be my final effort to create a season. The decision has been taken to abandon the RT2023 effort. I thought of doing a simpler 12-week "Road to the Masters" season, but there are challenges in that area that proved unworkable.

My Links skills have deteriorated a bit, largely due to apathy and the resultant limited play. Major upheavals in my personal life are the primary factor in all of that. At this time, I want to thank all of the course designers for their work, without which I could make my own contributions to this wonderful community. I also want to thank everyone who has downloaded and enjoyed my past seasons. Seeing those high download numbers was always an encouragement, but I don't think that I can deliver, this year. We'll see what late 2023 and 2024 have in store for this game, and the Links 2003 community. I shall do my best to visit regularly, but am all-too-painfully aware that our numbers decrease with time, as not every one of us has a golden sunset to ride off into. We've lost a number of true legends, and good people, over the two decade span of our beloved game. Perhaps Andy could institute a Links Hall of Fame to remember the best things about the last 20 years. This game has been a blessing, and was crucial in getting me through one of the worst years of my life (2011; years ending in double digits have always been my most turbulent, for some reason). It was in 2011 that I found new life on Game Ranger, although I am not there too regularly, any more (my handle is BassCat, a holdover from my days in the OFC).

Some goodbyes are more gradual, I guess; a fading away. As long as Andy keeps this community going, and as long as people keep playing Links 2003, I will do my best to be a part of it, but sometimes, even one's best does not measure up to expectations. Thank you for reading this far, and understanding that I am undergoing a self-reinvention. Perhaps we'll play on GR, or you'll see me near the bottom of a LinksTour leaderboard. May the golf gods smile upon your game.
ACES: far too many to list
ALBATROSSES: Atlantic Point (aced par4), Barton Creek 2003, Bay Hill (VGA), Bighorn (LS), Doonbeg, Firestone North,Tribute@Otsego, Torrey Pines (LS), TPCs Harding Park and Woodlands, St Andrews New
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Jimbo
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Location: Victoria-but a Raven at heart!

Re: Real Tournaments 2023

Post by Jimbo »

Sorry for the delay in adding my thanks for what you did in 2022. You set a standard that will be hard to beat. :clapping:
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