I was looking around the GolfQ site looking at the tournament entries and noticed something interesting.  When GolfQ started the "Virtual" tournaments, the "free" tournaments were "selling out" like a Lady Gaga Concert.  But the couple of tournaments that required an entry fee were unsold.  Maybe it has to do with the fact that the virtual tournaments do not require you to do anything special.  All you have to do is play your regular round of golf at your regular course and post the score.  I find it sad that so few players are willing to challenge themselves and enter tournaments where you have to actually play at a course that may not be your regular course and play face to face against your opponents.  It makes a huge difference in your level of nervousness when you have to compete against someone that you've never met and maybe someone that is a whole lot better than you are.  But that is how you become a better player.  You play against guys that are better, hit it farther, have better short games, are younger or older, some are assholes; in short, it takes you out of your comfort zone.  These were just some thoughts I had about the virtual tournaments.  I'll probably only play in a couple more because I don't see the challenge without my opponent playing along with me.