High handicap FSX Play Courses

[Jaxgolfer]

Looking for advice on approachable courses in the FSX play catalog. I am always entertaining people on the simulator that are not low handicap golfers. It is obviously more fun to play courses that have wider fairways and easier greens. Any recommendations are appreciated.

Thanks

[siebo]

Glad you posted this question. The majority of the golfers that come over are high handicappers. I always felt that the harder the course, the less fun they have. At first, I looked at yardage 5000 yards or less. What I found out was that shorter doesn’t necessary mean easier. Short holes with elevated greens and rough in front are hard for these golfers. The most important thing for me are greens that have open access in front. Two courses I like are Ballyowen and Longleaf.

[ENadeau]

Ballyowen for sure, especially if you move up a few tee boxes. Panther Creek and Apple Valley GC both have wide fairways and easy greens, great for high handicap golfers.

Might be in the minority but I’ve had a handful of high handicaps love Marco Simone from upper tee boxes. Very few trees on the course make it wide open and while the greens have some undulation to them, they’re massive and setting the pins to easy makes a difference.

[jasonreg]

Pitch & Putt is one of my favorites and suitable for higher handicappers. It is a Par 3 course.

[delaloi]

I find pitch & putt very difficult. The greens are teeny, many are severe and a couple are almost impossible. I think the new Barren Boulders Executive, which can also set up as a short par 3 course, is better (and nicer looking).

[ENadeau]

I find the Pitch and Putt pretty difficult as well. It's great to help dial in wedge distances but some of the greens and pin placements can be downright cruel. Barren Boulders was definitely easier but there are a few holes that stretch out to fairway wood distance. The other par 3 course that was added at no cost, Tropical Paradise didn't seem too bad but I've only played the front nine.

Another course that can play very easy and would be great for high handicap players is the Old Course at St. Andrews, which just came up in another thread. It's so wide open with massive greens.

[tkvaughn999]

Tropical Paradise executive course is a good one as well. Fun to play with settings adjusted to night and play under the lights!

[JaybirdCU]

As a general rule, I look for linksy courses when I have company over. It's perhaps counterintuitive, as a real life links course is hard, but their difficulty often gets lost in the sim. St. Andrews is stupid easy in the sim, for example. Not sure its on FSX, but Bandon Dunes is another go to of mine (I stopped running FSX Play and moved to GSPro It is SO much better, both as software and in terms of value).

I try to avoid country club courses with tall trees, as trees punish you way more than tall grass in the simulator. I agree that a lot of the par 3 courses actually play difficult with their small greens, but I also strongly suggest when you setup company, move them up several tee boxes. They wont even know you did it. Haha

My other move is to play scrambles with people that either stink at golf or are new to the sim. Ill even play me vs 2-3 people playing a scramble against me (who cares if they win, and it keeps it moving). Sims have a learning curve of their own, even for a decent golfer.

[tkvaughn999]

I like to do the 1(me) v 2 scramble(guests). Its a fun format and I clearly have a edge being the sim owner. Another great option is alternate shot, don't even need sim to know, just take turns, fast and somehting a lot of people won't do in real life even tho its a great format!