Yeah I was hoping for more in the graphics department for the PGA machines. They went to 4k but it doesn't look like they upgraded the assets much. Also they use a 1650 video card which is not really sufficient for 4k graphics. I have no idea how that future proofs the system, people are going to need to upgrade graphics cards again if they want to improve the visuals any time in the future.

The PS5 is a $499 machine and has the equivalent of a 5700xt in it. For $6k IT surely could have put a much better video card in it without breaking the bank.

https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-1650-vs-AMD-RX-5700-XT/4039vs4045

5700xt performs at least twice as fast as the 1650. 1650 is like a $200 card. Even a 1080ti is not great at 4k for modern games and that's three times faster than the 1650. For a $6k machine I'd expect something like a 2080 in it.

is it a standard motherboard that will let you upgrade in future? Like it they coded an upgrade and let you stick a 3060 in it or something later? I got an email from pinballpro saying I can pre order PGA but im waiting for Zach at flipNout. So hes checking for me if I can order now. Ive been waiting for PGA as I didnt want to order 2022 when its about to be replaced.

Yeah it's all standard PC components and I imagine they may include drivers for more video cards at some point but it seems weird not to do it now since one of their big reasons for this move was future proofing and standardizing the hardware.

That's why if you play on a legacy machine you'll see some older courses can have rain, or a ball trail on the green and some other courses don't have that because at some point it became too much for the older machines to handle.

Feels like the GPU choice was made back when the crypto squeeze was making GPU’s the price of alphanumeric pinball machines. At least one data point anyway. The pessimist says they just put the cheapest POS inside they could find that let them check the 4K box on the flyer.

Yeah good point, I forgot this machine was starting to come out around that time when it was rather hard to get good GPUs and anything decent was being priced out of the market.

I know the legacy machine supports several GPUs so maybe we'll see better ones supported at some point but I think they want all machines to be on the same standard so I doubt it would mean anything substantial in terms of graphics.

I made this if anyone wants to 3d print a dust cover for their machine.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5564297/files

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It's so nice, maybe because it's been a while, that I've seen someone create something and not try and charge $15 for it.

Maybe more of a suggestion then question, would it be better to have a short flat lip protruding from the cover to go over the area between the edge of the control panel and the cover on the ball? Or is that silly and we are just worried about dust getting on the ball itself?

There's a small rim around the ball and this rests on that so I think it's pretty well covered. Your idea would probably provide maximum coverage but I think this is probably sufficient.

This looks like a good test for the Bambu Labs X1 Carbon i have on order.

Thank you for this!

I hadn’t been paying attention until PGA home was announced, but has anyone noticed the same club pass season start over every week with same rewards and the timer reset to end in a week?

What’s up with that?

If you're on facebook you can ask on the Golden Tee Quality Assurance board. The staff got back to me VERY quickly when I reported an issue with the club pass lol. I'm not sure if what you're seeing is a bug or expected behavior but they'll be able to tell you.

Thanks. I posted it there and will see what they say.

I saw your FB post. I might be interested if the bundle price was right.

I think this part is easy to overlook. I actually picked up a 1650 during the GPU price craziness, just because it was one of the cheaper cards I could find that would just “display an image” for a home file server. Oh man, I got a chance to test it out, and yeah, that’s not even a 1440p gaming card let alone 4K.

Resolution doesn’t matter as much when your graphics are that bad…

Anyone have a PGA at home yet?

I have this. Does that count?

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Yes. It does actually.

I've seen a few people on facebook who were able to get them early. One picked up locally from IT directly.

Also new tee boxes finally came out yesterday. I like them, the '22 courses seem better with the raised tee boxes and new positions.

I have 2 more complete rigs going to Winston Salem on Saturday. Nice chance to get full commercial Live 2022 set up. Pedestal, stand and monitor.

Got a great deal on a Golden Tee Go V1 updated to V2 software and online.

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Pretty cool that it can go online. It's a bit of a shame that it doesn't have all of the courses but honeslty me and my friend play the '21 and '22 courses 90% of the time so it's not like we're using all 90 courses. That thing seems like a good value if you can get a deal on it.

It’s really easy to upgrade a go to full 2022. I’ve done that, got a card reader and got my go online.

What’s the MSRP on these, I think this is a great way to go for the casual user.

New to the club as of today. I'm pretty handy, handy enough to fix existing Pinball's etc. but I kind of found this tedious to assemble. I'm not sure why maybe I just wasn't motivated.

Maybe it was because I was also trying to work.

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The V2 is out for about $2800 on Ebay. Not sure if that includes shipping. The V2 does not have the cool built in screen though.

I got my system for $1500 and it was nearly brand new. It has 50+ courses and that's plenty for me since I haven't played Golden Tee since the early 2000s versions I can play on MAME.

The biggest plus for me is of course the portability and not needing to take up dedicated floor space for a full pedestal and TV stand setup. Now I can keep Baywatch pinball in its spot instead of moving it out for a Golden Tee pedestal. I have a small stand on the way that is only $150 and I can move it upstairs and downstairs and connect to those TVs. Can also bring it over to friend's pinball get-togethers so we can play Closest to the Pin for $$.

I really like this track ball dust cover but I do not own a 3d printer. Can anyone make me one and I will pay for your time/effort and shipping. Or does anyone know where I can get one?

That's great, I think I need to look for one of these!

It's so cool! I have it on the counter behind me in the gameroom. My bar is my stand-up desk for work, behind me is a countertop and cabinets. I can turn around and play some holes while on phone calls and Teams meetings now.

Just need a wifi dongle now.

Where did you install the card reader? Are the player cards just so you don't have to enter your initials each game or do they have other features?

You can sign in using the card-less ID option, but if you want to participate in Home Edition Events, you'll need to swipe. When I had one of these, I cut a hole in the rear and mounted the card reader in the back:

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I just have mine sitting next to it. 3D printing an encloser for it has been on the list forever.

Sweet. Presumably Facebook marketplace or something similar? I've been looking around for one for a few months and have come up blank. V2s are easy to find, but I'd prefer the screen for more flexibility. (and with that said, if anyone here has a Go V1 they're looking to move, PM me)

Where are you located? There is someone on facebook who sells them, I've seen his listing on ebay too. I can ship one for you but I'm in Canada so shipping might end up being more than you want to pay.

Weird, you can use the cardless ID to sign into home events on the HE units. Wonder why that wouldn't work on go.

Player card will sign you into your online account, so it's more than just putting your initials on you will have a persistent character who earns gear, has tracked stats etc. If you want a player card sign up through the app or online at livewire.itsgames.com and they will mail you a card. Or they used to. They've moved to a keypad entry only system with the PGA machines so they might have stopped sending out cards.

KEYPAD - you can use the keypad to sign into events. But the on-screen cardless sign-in is NOT allowed for events sign-in. Or at least it wasn't in 2021. Can you sign into an event using the "lost card ID" on-screen now?

Ah I see. I've never tried that option so not sure if it works now. I know they added a digital keypad to '22 so you can input your cardless ID without having a keypad but not sure if that would work for events.

While waiting for a Golden Tee Go stand to arrive, tested on my TV in the game room on a portable table. The stand will have this Caddyshack artwork on it:

https://www.mediafire.com/view/lij7725d9zhrsin/Caddyshack.jpg

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This wifi dongle ordered from Amazon. Same one sold in the wifi kit by IT. Currently I'm connected via ethernet cable.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MY7PL10/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00

My machine is out in another building. I struggle with connectivity on occasion. I have some $10 wifi solution that worked pretty well at my previous house, but is hit and miss with my machine in another building 20’ from my house.

Do you think this option would give me better range/higher % of connection?

I don't think it would improve any range.

Have you considered using your phone as a hotspot? Most people have unlimited plans these days.

I suck for now, but thought this is a cheap add off of Amazon.

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I like it, it fits perfect with theme and it looks cool

I found a product years ago that I swear by and clean my cars interior, and all plastic/vinyl parts with. It also happens to be really great stuff to clean your GT with as well. I use a micro fiber cloth and it cleans the top of the cabinet nicely giving a shine without leaving any residue or scratches-good stuff.
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Will have at least 2 full 2922 commercial rigs(pedestal, monitor, and stand) going to Sevierville on the 19th. Contact to buy prior.

I received my new Golden Tee Go base/stand today.

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Looks good. And that looks like a fun room! Looks like a lot of fun stuff to admire.

I'm going to be selling a 100% legit, not hacked or cracked, 2022 security chip and hard drive if anyone is interested.

I am selling a 2022 security chip, virgin 2022 SSD and 2022 marquee.

I personally used these parts to run full 2022 on my Go. No idea if a go owner can activate or not, but I just went to the website, signed up, and I had a green light a couple days later.

Orherwise this will upgrade a prior year machine to 2022. Your Nighthawk has to be at a level high enough to handle it though. Most can, and most upgrades are easy if you need one.

$450 + actual shipping.

Will add card reader and keypad for $50 more if you buy the kit, otherwise if someone buys the kit but not those I’d sell both for $150.

Also, I’ve got a ton of parts. 1080p video cards, motherboards, all kinds of stuff, if you need something let me know.