.... I think they need to fix the broken Turn based play so you can properly play a round with your friends! There's no point in rushing an open lobby if Turns Enabled doesn't work reliably.
I believe HB is making a huge mistake marketing wise at this point in the game's maturation, to allow their multi-player system to remain broken for such an extended period to time.
It is a year after launch and the multi-player system, such as it is doesn't work as advertised. HB should have an all hands on deck dev/QA teams effort to fix swing-gate, and to fix the EXISTING multi-player live ghost ball system to the point it is bullet proof (and do it quick). And then after it is fixed . . . improve the multi-player system. If it is to remain Ghost balls . . . fine . . . but it should be the best dang live multi-player ghost ball system . . . feature rich and bullet proof!
Up to now . . . focus on the course creation system was a very smart move!!! It has set TGC apart from other golf games. But I suspect the bang for the buck in programmer labor dollar investment for market share return is drastically dropping, given the other chronically weak and/or broken system in the game (i.e., multi-player). Please fix/improve that major weak component and then go back to tinkering with the course creator.
I know these things are supposed to be getting fixed . . . but I have a concern with how long the multi-player issues have been allowed to exist . . . which may show a fundamental philosophy in HB that multi-player isn't where it's at . . . which is kinda ironic . . . since golf is by it's very nature a multi-player game. One need only look at the success and effort that has gone into TGCTours to illustrate how important multi-player is to a golf game.
It's like HB decided to go in the sail boat manufacturing business, but they didn't want to invest too heavily in sails. I mean . . . who needs sails on a sailboat, have you seen the outboard we put on the stern . . . she's sweet ... well maybe not sweet, but she run's . . . well run's most of the time if you give a really good yank . . . no yank a couple times . . . hmm, we'll have to look at that . . . no worries though as we have really nice oars that'll get the job done!