The Second Links Traveler

Previewing the Masters at Rainbow Valley in Second Life

In First Life, it’s considered one of the most prestigious events in professional golf, takes place in Augusta, Georgia in the height of Spring, and the winner each year gets a sporty green blazer.

We do it a little bit different.

Welcome to the Masters Second Life style, fellow duffers. And this year it’s going to be a tournament like none other we’ve experienced. I hope y’all are as excited as I am, and that this post helps you not only get ready for the tournament itself, but clears up some of the changes we’ll see.

1. Handicap

The Masters will be the first SLPGA tournament held incorporating a golfer’s handicap. If you’d like to learn more about what a handicap is, how it’s established, and what it means for your golf score, I did an interview with the awesome Poppy Williams in which she broke it all down for me. If you’d like the TL;DR version, a golfer’s handicap is subtracted from their score at the end of the round with the purpose of leveling the playing field in mind. Let’s do a for example:

Let’s say I play a round with Lexy and my partner, Sam Daltrey. I shoot a 59, Lexy shoots a 53, and Sammie shoots a 66. Lexy’s handicap is zero, so her 53 stands. Mine, as you can see above, is six, so my score for the round is reduced to 53. Sammie’s handicap is 14; her 66 becomes a 52 and she has won the day.

Incorporating a handicap into a tournament means that it’s not going to be just the same names at the top. Less experienced golfers have a very real chance at placing towards the sharp end of the field. In fact, I’ll bet we see a lot of new names in the top five, and I think that’s pretty darn exciting.

2. The Schedule

For the majority of Second Life golf tournaments, competitors play four rounds anytime they want over a 1-2 week period. You could play all four on one day or spread them out – whatever works out for your schedule. The SLPGA Masters is a little bit different, and maybe a little bit more challenging.

For The Masters, you’ll have a designated window in which to play each round. The reason for this schedule is to give the course owner (in this case, Lexy Amore) time to change the B-wind AND the pin location on each green. The location of the hole can make a dramatic difference on your club selection, shot execution, and strategy for the hole, so those changes between rounds will be a new curve ball for us. While I can see this could have the capacity for really adding a whole new degree of difficulty to a hole, I also think it means it will add a unique new level of challenge and I’m excited to get stuck in.

(It’s important to mention here that even though the B-wind is a factor, golfers using clubs other than TrueGolf are 100% welcome to participate in the tournament.)

3. Getting Ready

I don’t think I can emphasize this part enough: unless you are a scratch golfer and can shoot a 54 or better at Rainbow Valley EVERY TIME you go out (and I only know of two of them), establish a handicap! It’s easy to do and you can incorporate it into your practice rounds.

After attaching your Rainbow Valley scorecard, click the TrueGolf logo in the upper left corner. The usual window will pop up on your display with an option to record this round for handicap. Make sure that square is filled in and not empty! (see below)

Having that box next to Hcp filled in ensures that your score will be sent to the handicap server and used in establishing your handicap for the tournament. That handicap WILL be a huge factor in this tourney, and if you don’t establish one, I think you’ll reget it.

If you want to double-check on your handicap and make sure you are ready to go, stop by the Handicap Hall of Fame board near the 10th tee at Rainbow Valley. Your name, handicap, and one other item will be listed there. If that third column contains a number, that’s how many handicap rounds you have played. If it’s a smiley face, then your handicap is set and you’re good to go.

The last bit of advice I’d have would be practice, practice, practice, but have fun with it. Practice with friends whenever you can. Golf is so much more enjoyable with others, and it’s a great way to learn new techniques for improving your game.

4. ‘Just Do It’

I wrote about this a little while ago, but it bears repeating. Tournaments are for everyone, and there’s joy and satisfaction and accomplishment for everyone who plays. Your ‘good result’ is your choice, and that ‘good result’ means something. Whether it’s winning, coming in the top ten, improving on your score, or just finishing all four rounds, playing in tournaments is good for your game. It’s also a great way for our community to get together and celebrate this weird, wonderful, frustrating, and beautiful game we found together.

I can’t wait to see you. Good luck!

GIVEAWAY!!! Leave a comment on this post and let me know if you’re playing in the Masters! Make sure to include your SL account name so I can get in touch with you. I’ll pick one commenter at random at 12pm on March 23 and that lucky person will take home their choice of a TrueGolf VGS Caddy HUD or a L$500 Steelhead/TrueGolf gift card. Gotta comment if you want to win! Good luck!