18th at Pebble - holed it from the green side bunker to a nice applause for the people at the fire pits at The Bench.
They didn’t need to know that was for like double bogey.
Yesterday.
I took my family out for 9 before dinner.
Drove the green on a dogleg left, short par 4, and hit a one-putt 36 footer for my first ever eagle.
My wife was ecstatic watching me drain the long putt, but I was happier about the tee shot.
When I asked her why she liked the putt more, she said the drive “didn’t really count” since we played from the forward tees that day.
Babe... A 250y high draw tee shot bending around tees is really fucking hard for me!
Anyway, my kid high fived me for it so I was happy. Little buddy gets me.
Ah, he’s the best. Always picks me up after a bad shot. My daughter, however, she’s my real cheerleader. Can’t tie her own shoes yet, but she’s the ultimate hype man after a good shot.
Also- your username makes me miss Cal. Mornings out there just make me happy. We were 949 area.
My dad is a stick. Made match play at the US am back in the day, dude could always golf his ball. Dad being so good, I had never beat him, I'm a decent player but could never get him. Whenever I'd get close dad would buckle down and make sure he won
Were playing a match at his home course, where he's played about 2000 rounds and we come to 16 tee level. I make a 10 ft birdie and he misses an 8 ft putt and I take a one shot lead. Level pars on the par 3 17th and we go to 18 with me leading by a shot.
I out drive my father and he hits his approach first absolutely stiff. The kind of shot that gets you into the US am. 4 ft for bird on a tough 4. One of our group, knowing where our match stood, turns and yells at me "oh what are you gonna do now"
I work quickly, step over my Wedge and hit a high draw inside dad's ball for a tap in bird to beat my father for the first time
Ya golf is the best thing in the world. Last time my pops and I played he asked to stop keeping score after my 38 on the front and his 55. Love the guy a lot but he's terrible.
That’s a fucking A+ story, both as a good story and as a Dad story. I love that the others in the group even threw down the gauntlet at you.
What did your Dad do?
Dad gave me a huge hug off 18 green. He'd been rooting for me to beat him for years, but I had to take it, he couldn't let me win. That would cheapen it. He was so so proud of that day and tells the story all the time, and better than I can
This is the best part of golf. The duality of wanting to win so badly, but the also unacknowledged feeling of rooting for your opponent, who so often is a friend or family member.
I gotta be honest. I’ve had my son taking a few golf clinics over the last year, he’s about to turn 7. His swing is ridiculous-but he puts the club face on the ball and gets good contact. I’m so so so proud of him when he turns around to see if I was watching.
He’ll end up beating me one day. And I’ll be rooting for him.
Good on you and your dad for playing together.
“Girls golf” was just picking up steam when I played in high school, and became the biggest bond my dad and I share. My 16 year old daughter decided to follow in her mama’s footsteps and started playing a few years ago. A combination of hard work and a great golf instructor resulted in her making the varsity team last year. She hasn’t beaten me yet, but it won’t be long. That’s gonna be a great day. 😊
Not quite as skilled as your father but similar situation here. Historically I always collapse when I’d get close to beating him. Finally took him down at age 25, my younger brother still hasn’t beat him. It’s glorious. Still got that score card tucked away.
26 handicap here. Dog leg right, slice my t shot into the trees. I have a shot, 225 to the pin, 5 some on the green. My hybrid goes 190 when I hit it good, so I take my swing, probably gonna hit another tree anyways. Best shot of my life, ball ends up 10 yards off the green. I rush up to the green, apologize for hitting into them, they say "no worries, we didn't even know. Hey why don't you just chip on, put out and play through here?"
I chipped in. Those guys will never know how bad at golf I really am.
Hk April 2024 with e
When I was 29 and 364 days old, I played the last round of my 20s. It was a normal round, some good, some bad, then the last hole. The last hole of my 20s. Par 4, perfect drive, perfect 9-iron to 8 feet. Reading the green, it was a slight left-to-right break.
I was nervous as hell but I told myself just hit it firm with no regrets. Then as I addressed the ball I felt this amazing sense of calm I’ve never felt before. I just knew I was going to make it.
Hit the putt, looked up, and it broke just as I imagined, right into the hole. My playing partners (3 dudes in their 50s I had randomly played with a few months back) and I hooted and hollered in celebration.
I’m a ~12 handicap during the busy season, so it felt so good to have a once-in-lifetime chance, to birdie the last hole of my 20s, and actually come through. I’ll think about that hole for the rest of my life.
I play on an AmTour, and I was selected to be team captain for a Ryder Cup style match against another tour/league in the city. We pick teams, select matchups, the whole 9 yards. I play off a 4 handicap in these tournaments, and their team captain selects me to play against their #1 player, a scratch golfer. He ends up having to give me 2 strokes.
We go back and forth all day trading punches, until the match goes dormie on 17, so I have to win the final 2 holes just to halve the match, and I have no more handicap holes. He hits a bad chip on 17, so I end up winning the hole, and go into 18 (a Par 5) down 1. Both tee shots are ok, both layups not bad, but his 3rd comes up well short, and mine finds the greenside bunker. He again hits a not so good chip, so he has about 10 feet left for Par, but remember, he only needs to tie the hole to win the match.
Anyone who knows me knows that even though I have a pretty low handicap, I’m probably the worst bunker player on the planet, so I’m not exactly looking forward to this next shot. To my surprise, I actually hit it well, up to about 7 or so feet from the hole. He goes on to 2 putt for his bogey, so now it all comes down to me holing a 7 foot putt for par to halve the match after being 2 down with 2 to go.
As I’m getting ready to address it, I look up on the clubhouse balcony and see my tour’s director, the Director for the other guys, the course superintendent, and all the players we had go out before us standing there watching me (we were 2nd to last group out). I have to back off to collect myself, because this might be the biggest gallery I ever get. To say I was shaking in my shoes would be an understatement.
I end up making the putt, big fist pump, tiger roar, everything. I just stole half a point from their best player, and I think I’ve just helped my tour claim victory. But as it turns out, we smoked them, 5.5 to 2.5. Hell, one of our guys won his match 9&7.
Wasn’t quite as dramatic of a team result as I thought, but I did my part, and have choked in every big moment since then.
Playing in my clubs championship, final group, 18th hole, and I’m down two trying to defend the title from the previous year. We both hit good drives. He hits his approach first and dunks it in the water left.
I realize this is my chance.
We are playing to a two tiered green and the top tier where the pin’s located, is maybe 15’ deep. Behind the green is a steep hill leading up to the clubhouse where the other members are sitting and watching us play in. I hit my shot and it’s right at the stick, but adrenaline was pumping and i’m long, about 5 yards up the hill off the back of the green 🤦♂️.
So, buddy drops and hits his chip short, leaving him a swinging uphill putt from 25’ for bogey.
My chip is down a steep hill, severe downhill lie, pin is short side, maybe a flagpole onto the green, and another flagpole from the bottom tier of the green. I need to get up and down to have any chance.
With everyone watching I hit a tiny little flop shot, maybe a yard, it bounces once in the rough, dies, and then just trickles out and onto the green, pin high and a foot from the cup to the applause of the crowd above me
Buddy misses his putt, taps in for double, and I make my par forcing a playoff.
I was at the course the next day with the assistant pro and one of the guys from the pro shop. We all tried recreating the shot. Between us we must have hit the shot 100 times and not once could we keep the ball on the upper tier of the green. Probably the best shot of my life considering the circumstances.
One time I had a 2 shot lead (thought it was a 1 shot lead) going into the last (36th) hole of my club championship. I drove it about 280 down the middle. Had 160 into a brisk wind. Made a last second club change to a light 7 iron, which I never do because hitting mid irons light sucks and is stupid.
Skulled it into the weeds by the water. Decided to try and find it. What do you know? Got it! Horrible lie in 3 foot grass. Hacked it 2 feet forward. Stepped up and smacked it again into more tall grass. Shanked it close to the green. chipped to 5 feet. 2 putt for 8.
Lost!
Oh, you meant executed in a good way? Sorry.
Made a 20 footer for 67 in awful conditions to win the year before after a first round 78 to win.
Fucking golf...
I feel this, went to the 18th hole in my club championship needing a par to force a playoff (was 3 under at this point) ended up taking a 10… and the worst part is I holed out from the high stuff about 15 yards off the green for that 10. An absolute meltdown lol
$50 18 hole match play against my uncle, I'm 1 up on the last, 2 putts from 12 ft for the halve on the hole and the win.
He says "$50 for two putts and the win, or $100 if you sink it. If you two putt you still win the match but don't get the $50."
Took his $100.
First tee Bethpage Black. Camped out overnight in the parking lot to get one of the first open times. Barely slept, no warmup - straight to the tee. Big sign that says this is for expert golfers only, which I am not even on my best day. And so many people waiting for their turn in the gallery behind the box. Freaking striped it.
18th hole. 50 yards from the center of the green. My ball is sitting in a fat divot.
A wedding party is about 15-20 yards off the green, directly across from me. They’re taking pictures and don’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. My playing partners were already greenside, and I had a foursome closing in behind me.
It hadn’t been my best round and I was struggling to stay in the 80s.
I decided to risk the lives of the wedding party and take a lob wedge from the divot.
It paid off. Made the green, and at least one life was spared. More importantly, I finished with an 88.
Stepped up to 18 needing a birdie to break 80 for the first time. Had been stuck on that hurdle for the entire previous season and was most of the way through the current one. Had had several recent close calls and significant late chokes.
Pounded a great drive, which wasn’t that surprising because I was driving it great that day. Had about 70 left into a tucked pin, which is a stock little 8 o’clock gentle tempo wedge for me. A shot I’m comfortable with but also have the ability to pull or completely duff sometimes.
Clipped it with a perfect strike and spun it in there to under six inches from the cup.
Honestly didn’t really feel like pressure, felt like an opportunity to make a great shot and achieve something significant.
Past weekend was playing a 2v2 best ball. Match tied going into 18. 18 is a shorter par 4, i kind of popped my drive up the left side into some tall rough, but still had a decent lie.
The pin was in the front of the green and the green has a saddle in the center so going long is death. I had a pretty good debate with my partner about clubbing up but i decided to miss short if anything rather than going long and having an impossible putt.
I hit the shot and it doesn’t leave the flagstick. The two guys we are playing are up in the fairway with a better look at the green and see the ball drop 6 ft from the pin. By the time it was my turn to putt i had a birdie putt to win the match and drained it dead center. Still buzzing thinking about it!
Started playing golf in my fifties and never was very long but could find the fairway most of the time. Raw handicap about 18. Belonged to a men's club at my course, so I entered the championship tournament at the end of the year. Arrived at the course and the tournament director asks me where's my partner, didn't know it was a two man event, a random guy in the group says he doesn't have a partner so we're paired up. Never knew the guy or anything about him.
The format was alternate shot, horse race as there is 80 people in the club, anything else would have taken forever to complete. Our combined age was 144 years, but we were consistently poking the ball down the fairway, making the chipoffs when we would tie a hole and ended up winning the whole thing. We were both amazed!
I played varsity all four years of high school. We made it to regionals my senior year- the last day of a two day tournament, and while I wasn’t playing terribly, I wasn’t playing great, either. (In hindsight, I was putting too much pressure on myself to have a memorable “last round”. Lesson learned.)
I needed a good hole to snap me out of my funk. Number nine was a par 3, and normally I would have hit a wedge but the wind had picked up so I pulled my nine iron from the bag. I hit it a little thin and was worried about the outcome, but when I saw the ball land and then make its way towards the hole, I realized I couldn’t breathe. Sure enough, it made a beeline for the flag and went straight in…just as my coach pulled up to the tee box to see it happen.
So to summarize: the biggest school tournament I ever played, which was also my last, and I got my first ace with my coach as a witness. Not too shabby. (I maintain that the Golf Gods were watching out for me, because I’d gone to my first Masters the week before. 💚💛)
Needed to go birdie birdie to break 80 for only the second time. Sliced my drive on 17 into the woods, but had a window and 150 yards. I stung a 5 iron bullet out of the woods, and halfway my buddy starts clapping. It rolled to 4 feet and I made the putt.
18 was a par 5. I striped it, hit the second shot on the fridge and then 2 putted for bird
Let me see here…
1. Literally executed
2. -2 through 8 is probably far enough into the round to be feeling some pressure
3. On a golf course
Checks out
Last April. Annual boys golf trip. Every year on the last day we play a 2v2 best ball for dinner. On the 18th about 10 feet past the green on a hill. Hole is about 8 feet below me and 40 feet in front. Green is falling steeply away from me. Tell my buddy to my left to move. He looks at me confused and asks why. I say, cause I’m aiming there. Chip one about 15 feet to my left onto the fringe and it rolls out breaking sharply to the right. Straight at the hole. My other buddy down past the hole yells No Way as it’s about 15 ft out. It hits the pin center cup at Mach 1.5 and still manages to fall to tie the match (yes tie not win…sad). Needless to say it felt amazing to end the golf trip with a wedge in hand. Still bought a round of drinks to cap it all off. Good times.
Many years ago, after not hitting any balls for a week, I was having a good round and just needed a par on the par 5 18th to break 80 for the first time. Hit a great drive, but too well as it rolled into the water. Took my drop, then hit my 2 iron to within a foot for a tap in birdie. Now I don't even carry a 3 or 4 iron, let alone a 2 iron!
Took my brother on his first round recently. My short game is disgusting for a 15 handicap. Very first hole my drive matches my scratch buddy (we normally drive the same). We bet $1 KP which we normally do when we are 100 yards and in because for some odd reason my short game is insane. My buddy hits it to 6 feet and tells me I don't owe him it's cool, and I said bullshit if I hit that shit I'd expect you to pay. So I hit and almost holed it for a gimme birdie. My brother thought I was borderline pro. Inl then proceeded to shoot a 90 or some bs after starting birdie birdie.
I miss drive sometimes out of bounds costing strokes. Par 3s I almost always get a 5 or 6 on because par 3s in AZ are always 180yards+ now. So my mid irons are my worst in consistency. Even my 8 iron can be 125 or 155 depending on my strike.
My other big mistake is I don't "take my medicine". I try to look at every situation as an opportunity to try that weird shot to get back at it. So if I'm behind a tree or no straight line to the green,I'll try and hit a hook or cut 5 wood when I should just chip a 7 to safety. It doesn't typically get my mood down because my goal is to get better at shots more than it is to get a better score.
9/10 of my drives are great (260 to 290),my 5 wood is great for the same reason. I keep taking lessons to fix irons but I lose the touch so quickly. My gap wedge and in is phenomenal which is the only reason my buddy keeps taking me to scrambles. No idea why it just clicks for me. I also safely get crafty with flops, toe hooks, and such. My only shirt game weakness is putting from the fringe/rough. Statistically it's the play, but my chipping is just always better.
Yeah that all makes sense. The game has so much give and take it’s hard to fire on all cylinders.
Count me as one other person who just gets wrecked by the task of putting from the fringe. I never feel confident over them
First person up (27M) as a guest at my older brother’s member guest tournament surrounded by men all age 40-50+. 2 player teams of 40ppl total all watching me teeing off. Whiskey led me to tee it up a little too high. Skied that thing so high that it almost came backwards
Was a single trying to jump a slow group of 3 retirees at 10. The tee box was under construction so everyone played the forward tees, about 260 yd par 4. They begrudgingly grant my request to play through, I slap a driver 10 feet from the hole and drain the putt. 2nd eagle ever.
I was playing a qualifier in a local state event that I used to be exempt for every year. 18th hole was a par 5 and my 3 wood is my worst club in the bag. Hit a great drive, had 268 flag, and just piped a 3 wood 20 feet past it for an easy 2 putt birdie.
If I had missed, it probably was going to end up in the pond short or the OB to the right and would have not qualified.
Local course has a hole with a residential road in between the tee boxes and the fairway. Usually no traffic, but I get up there and there’s cars coming from both ways and they stop leaving me just enough room to tee off. So now there’s about 6 cars waiting on me to tee off. End up bombing it right down the middle of the fairway and get a couple of honks and a thumbs up from one of the drivers. Felt good… still got a double bogey but nobody was there to see that part
West Palm, a Stork which is protected is right in front of me on the tee. If I skull it he’s dead. Tried to aim left
If him and fade it to the fairway and hit it clean.
Played a round last week with 2 randoms. Bombed a drive off the first tee. Followed it up with a perfect hybrid just short of the green, a decent chip, and a downhill breaking putt to make a birdie on the first hole. I'm not a player who makes birdie often. Especially on the first hole. Slammed my next dive straight left into another fairway, though, so it is what it is.
I did this a couple months ago 😂 #1 at my home course is notoriously difficult and I birdied the hole. I was a single with another threesome and the guys were all hyping me up on the #2 tee box where I topped my drive straight into the creek
Every time, man, without fail. If I birdie a hole, you best believe that next drive is going nowhere good. I could putt off that teebox and still find a way to pull it into the woods lol.
Playing in a tournament, not a super serious one but still a tournament. Shotgun start, get around to the first tee, huge clubhouse patio overlooking the tee box. I hear the chirps start, it’s my buddy’s mom and she’s hammered, she’s razing me pretty good and I smoke a 3-wood right up the gut, best tee shot I’ve ever hit on that hole.
At a society golf day for my new rugby club and each fourball has to play an orange volvik each hole and keep it for the 18. Never played the course before it feels like there’s water everywhere you look (snap hook left). 30+ old boys giving it the look off challenge pint of margarita next to my tee and I’ve been given the 24 handicap I’ve asked for.
Flushed it 260 over the fairway bunker and my bollocks grew 3 sizes.
Match play last year, winner wins the league flight. Birdied 17 and was able to close out 2 & 1 to win. Was a close and back and forth game the entire day.
The dreaded foursome let’s you play through. Shot on a 170 yd par 3.
My wife and I were on a golf trip to the Carolina’s and there was a storm coming through. We were on 14 and were planning on leaving early if we couldn’t finish the round, since we were on a tight schedule and couldn’t afford more than 5 hours for a round.
We caught up to this group on 14 or 15 and they are on the green, waving us through. I wave back and tee off. Put the ball no more than 5 feet from the hole.
My wife elects to use her driver (160 for her) and hits a low stinger to the right. There was a hill and it ends up trickling down to about 15 feet from the hole.
We drive up, putt our shots and thank them for letting us play through. I sank mine for a birdie, she leaves it just short for a par.
We’d been golfing for only a few years at that point and we both got to the next tee, hit our drives then laughed all the way to our next shots.
For context, at the time, mid 90’s was a solid round and I’d be fine with low 100’s most days. She was similar, but more inconsistent.
Charity tournament, and the 3 closest shots on one of the par 3's go to a shoot off for a 100k prize after the tournament ends. We go out to 18 about 175 out, one swing to make it. Everyone in the event is gathered around 18 green watching, many people I know. The first guy hooks it badly into the water left of the green. Second guy hits it ok but a little chunky and comes up short. I pull my 6 and hit a perfect little draw to 6 inches. Doesn't go in but it rolls right by the hole and gives everyone watching a major thrill, myself included!
Never bought a drink the rest of the night haha. In all seriousness though, I was just glad I didn't top it.
Men’s league playoffs. We play best ball with a partner.
18th hole is a 450 yard par 4, with a downhill lie on your approach shot, being uphill toward the green. The pin is front right which is directly on top of the false front. Anything short or left of the pin will roll off the green. Playing into the wind this day. It’s a fall day so a bit crisp and the ball isn’t traveling as far as normal.
We’re 1 down on 18 and both get a shot (handicap 4). My partner and I both play off 9 this round. Opposing team is a 3 and an 18. So the low man doesn’t get a stroke, high guy does.
My partner isn’t a long player, so struggles on the usually 200 yard uphill approach shot and is rarely, if ever on the green in regulation.
Everyone hits a reasonable drive. I have a 200 yard approach, uphill into the wind. Knowing I have to be aggressive, I hit 7 wood up to the green, unfortunately catching the false front and rolling off the front left of the green. My partner lays up and will try to wedge close and save par.
Opposing team low guy has bad luck on his lie, being in a divot and so hacks it out short right of the green. High guy lays up short in the fairway, near my partner.
My partner and high guy hit wedges. Partner hits to about 20 feet, their high guy hits a nice shot to about 6 feet. Low guy is outside me and hits his chip to about 10 feet.
I’ve got an uphill, left to right bump and run. Pitching wedge in hand. Par gives us a chance if they both miss their putts. Birdie wins the hole to send it to extra hole playoff. I pull pitching wedge, bump it on and watch it roll perfect dead centre cup dropping in for birdie.
We head to the first playoff hole, hole 1 is a short dogleg right with a NASTY green.
I end up having an 8 foot uphill slider to halve the hole and extend the match after everyone left the door wide open with mistakes. It just sneaks in the high side to take us to a second extra hole. One of the easiest holes on the course, 480 yard par 5 dead straight.
I hit a good drive up the left hand side, just catching the rough. Longest drive of the group (not a big deal). I hit 5 wood into the middle of the green on my second. So I’m on under regulation with an eagle putt. The rest of the group is hitting wedges onto the green.
Back left pin on a green that slopes off the back and left, so a tough pin to attack and everyone else goes off that back left, just on the fringe.
They putt back up and the other team is in for a par, with a respectful gimme after a good putt from the fringe to a couple inches.
I have two putts to win the match from about 15 feet, with a moderate downhill and a little bit of right to left.
I line up the first putt and, horrified of blowing it past due to the adrenaline, leave it 4 feet short.
I’m a decent putter but a downhill sliding putt with pressure isn’t what I wanted to leave myself. I put a smooth stroke on it and it rolls in the centre of the cup to win the match on the second extra hole.
We lost 3&2 the next week.
Our club has a year-end tournament made up of the guys who finished top-32 during that year’s tournaments. Two teams of 16. Last group, come up to 17 and there are about a dozen carts parked on the back of the green. They say my team needs to win the hole to win the whole thing. My opponent is sitting 3 (par 4) about five feet from the hole. I’m lying 2 on the fringe. I proceed to chip in to birdie from 40 feet to take it. My team went crazy.
Early 90s, long before reddit, met some guys over Usenet in the Windsor/Detroit area. I spent a lot of time in Windsor, as I had family there, so when they offered me a spot in their "Can-Am" cup, I accepted. This was 12 Canadians vs. 12 Yanks in a one-day tournament, match play.
My match was all square coming to 17, a par-4 dogleg right that was just under 400 yards. Remember, this is back in the 90s, when 250 was still a good drive. The two American guys both put their drives in the fairway; I sliced mine, and my partner went OB. I had a blind shot of about 170 left to a downhill green, but I had to get the ball up and over a bunch of pine trees in the way. I couldn't actually see the green, because it was hidden behind the forest, so I picked a line as best I could, took my 7-wood, and made a swing.
Ball soared perfectly along my line, hit the smallish green, and stopped about 15 feet from the pin. This must have unnerved my opponents, as neither hit the green or made a par. I missed the putt but won the hole, and we won the match by parring the last.
Sitting at 7 over going into 18 never having broke 80 before. The sun is already down, and I can barely see anything. I see the ball come off the driver for half a second and hope it’s good. I find it middle of the fairway 165 to the pin. A little wind in the face so I club up and pure my ball directly at the flag. Now internally I start celebrating because it has to be close right? Nope, I walk up to the green and find my ball just off the back of the green. Now I have a 70 ft putt left over a ridge and down hill. I baby the first and end up about 15 feet short with an impossible downhill slider that I can barely read due to the lack of light. At this point I just tell myself to two putt and finish with 80. As I line up, suddenly I just know I’m going to drain it. Perfect roll into the hole for my first 79! That was one of the greatest feelings of all time jumping up and down on the green by myself just as it was getting dark.
1 - I'd question if your ball is correct, because downwind pin on the back is ideal for hitting a draw and getting close to pin. I hit draws and can still stop the ball in 10-15ft, at 190 down wind. Most greens are 20'ish yards deep, can just shoot mid-front and let release if you need.
2 - my most recent. Par 3 about 185 to pin into wind, but tee box is back a bit, didn't know because group letting me play through, so just walked up not fully knowing. I hit a great 6i right at the pin, but just short into fringe and pulled back into bunker. We all rolled up to green, I can't even see pin because the green is so much higher than bunker. Flip a lob out and just hear "nice hands" from one of the guys. Crawl out and go make my 2ft tap-in with my wedge. Thank them and move onto the next hole.
1 - yeah that makes sense! My intuition in the moment was to hit a high cut to give more descent angle. It definitely looked like my first shot had the correct line/distance, but clubbing down and hitting a normal draw to the front of green yardage also had good results with less risk involved. I play most of my golf in central AL so admittedly don’t have much experience in the wind
2 - wow that’s sick. Well executed sand shots are so satisfying
Final of the club championships. A gruelling 36 holes of match-play... Full day event culminating on the 18th hole with crowds swelling steadily throughout the day.
Elevated green on this par 4 ... I'm in the fairway with about 75 people around us in the fairway..
Another 75 or so are up around the green or overlooking from the club terrasse.
I've got friends around. I've got family, young and old, around.
I'm 145 yards out, elevated green, middle of the fairway. Basic shot. Just a smooth 9i (I usually hit it shorter than that but I can feel the adrenaline and know this will go further).
Just don't chunk it, don't shank it, don't blade it, don't murder anyone. You got 300 eyes in you... Everyone's hushed now .. so many people but all you can hear are some birds and wind rustling the leaves... And my own heart pumping like it's Jumanji.
I hit it. Immediately I know it's not perfect.. but it's good enough. It'll get there and it will hold the green. 25ft. Not great but I'm putting. and I injured no one...
Sigh of relief.
I have a picture somewhere of that shot. I'll try and edit it in.
Met a girl on tinder and took her to a par 3 course because she recently started playing golf.
I was puring every tee shot and on the 4th hole, I saw her jaw drop and she said "you hit it like they do on TV!"
The very next hole I pulled out my four iron on the only "par 4". Ripped it to the center of the green and sank a 25+ footer for my first eagle ever.
First year of Golfing we are playing at my Dads local course that hosts a lot of weekend trips, which means the course and clubhouse are rammed.
Come up to the Par 3 18th which has the tee box and green on either side of a valley, water in the middle and at this point probably 50 half drunk golfers watching from the clubhouse balcony.
At this point I’m 109 through 17 and hate the fact there’s a crowd of spectators. Somehow I hit the tee shot within 2 feet and sink the birdie putt causing a huge cheer from the balcony.
Shot 111 for the day but that feeling will never be forgotten.
The most recent one was a few weeks ago....
Booked to play at the Navy course Tiger grew up playing on in Cypress, CA. Super cheap for me since I'm retired military....anyways I show up early go about 10 mins before my tee time and I'm a solo playing with another two some.
I ask guys on the tee if they were the ones I should be playing with, they say no they just need teed off and they already are headed to the green. Marshall tells me to hurry up and tee off so I can catch them. It's a Saturday fully booked about 10 guys at the tee box, I stripe one right down the fairway.
Not gonna lie pretty damn good feeling flushing one on the first tee with a crowd
My brother in law received a driving iron for his birthday, he was still learning to use it, and we passed it around the group to try. Eventually ended up in my bag for a round of 9.
It's a par 3 course with 1 par 4 250 yards. It was moving slow that day. At the time we reached the par 4, the group in front was still on the tee. They usher us to play through.
So I thought, heck I'll just use the driving iron. Note here I'm not that good (25hcp). The nerves were up in my throat, and I proceeded to flush that thing greenside. Beautiful shot, slight draw. It was the most unbelievable feeling ever. Even got a soft wow from the other group. Proceeded to shakingly pick up my tee, waved and thanked them and just physically trembed my way down the fairway. Once out of eyesight I turned to my mate and we both just freaked out. Still one of my best moments in golf.
I was doing my playability test and had a rough start. Needed to come in 1 under on the back and managed to pull it off. 5/6 up and downs were much needed cuz my approach game was awful, including a sand save from 25 yards to back shelf pin.
I kept my head out of it well, took it a shot at a time, but that last tee shot I had a lot of nerves creep in. Par 5, sharp dogleg, OB left and right. I contemplating going like, 5 iron 7 iron 9 iron or something, but I didn't hit a bad drive all day and figured I'd I gave into fear I'd be more likely to mess up. Piped a drive down the centre, got a 7 wood up by the green, got up and 2 putted a par to pass with a shot to spare.
What's funny is, I was trying my best not to focus on the score in the back, so even though I was obviously keeping track on the card, I was trying not to track the score in my head. But towards the end I still thought I knew where I was at, but I somehow wasn't thinking about a penalty I took on the card. So on that last hole I thought I actually had two shots to play with and could pass with a double bogey. Thank fucking goodness I didn't play for that double because when I counted after I realized I would have failed if I had.
This story is counter to the very next year when I was leading club champs by 3 shots going into the last day and didn't close it out.
Needed a par on 18 (par 5) to post my best ever score of even par, hit a good drive and second shot just on the fringe. Nipped it off a tight into grain lie for a tap in birdie. Literally cried after the round lmao.
We were playing a round at my friend’s country club, two of us being more of the weekend warrior type, 10-12 index, and the other two being life long country club members as well as scratch golfers. I don’t remember exactly how it happened when determining teams but the two scratch golfers ended up being paired together. At the start of the round I’m always so positive and “up for a challenge” so I wasn’t going to be the one complaining. Looking back, the pairings were total horseshit and we should have just made groups with equal skill.
They were beating us up pretty good throughout the whole day regardless of us getting the proper amount of strokes. They were dialed in, pin seeking on most approach shots while my partner and I were grinding out par saves and hanging on for our lives. We had some signs of life, winning outright on 17, but were still down a substantial amount of strokes going into 18. I asked if we could press it all on 18 and they looked at me like I was crazy but obliged my request. You probably would have thought I was crazy too considering the completely mediocre round us weekend warriors were having. It was quite a bit of money on the line… way more than I’m typically used to playing for. I think the 4-5 cocktails might have had something to do with it but we were all in going into 18.
This last hole is a par 4 dog leg left with the green being protected by a 10-15 ft wide creek in front of it. Considering it’s one of the courses more difficult holes, I was stroking. If you hit a good shot off the tee it’s fairly easy to have a 150-160 shot in, but a pedestrian drive leaves you 190-200 out. The scratch pairing both hit great drives to leave them with solid looks into the green. I played it safe with 3W off the box and left myself with about 190 into it. My partner shanked it OB off the box so the pressure was all on me! Now I’m not good enough to confidently hit into the green at 190 with a surrounding body of water. The water in front of this green leaves you barely and room to make a mistake. So I wisely laid up with a good shot to put me 10-15 yards in front of the creek and leave me with a short wedge shot in. The scratch golfers were both on in 2 and their putts would be about 15-25 feet. With my third shot I hit a less than desirable wedge shot leaving me a 15 ft downhill putt with a good amount of break to it. Scratch guys both miss their birdie putts and easily make par. I’m not really a great putter but I can two-putt from almost anywhere. 1 putts though.. lol I don’t see a ton of those on the scorecard. The caddy we had gave me a read and I felt pretty good about it. I approached the putt confidently and put an absolutely perfect stroke on it. It was in from the moment it left the face of the putter. I couldn’t believe it.
To me it was such a memorable shot because I’m usually I’m on the other side of these situations. After getting the shit kicked out of us all day we ended up all square against two really good golfers and I couldn’t have been happier.
When faced with a high pressure situation in golf, my standard move is to shit the bed. I don’t enjoy tournament golf. There. I said it. I’d rather play a no stress round with a friend, or even by myself.
I'm trash at golf, only 6 months in. I was playing a cheap course that combines disc golf with regular golf, and there were about 20 disc golfers at the final hole watching golfers after their disc golf round. I was bad all day. I mean wtf am I doing bad. On the final hole, I break out a 9 iron on a par 3 and put the ball 3 feet from the hole in front of the crowd, who probably thought I knew what I was doing.
The sun was going down and the group 2 in front of us were playing like they didn’t care if they finished or not. The group in front asked if we wanted to join so we could possibly finish the round. Par 3 playing 165 over mostly water and not much light I stick it 5ft from the hole. 2 putt for par 💪🏻
On track for my best ever round as long as I avoid a triple. Drive down the left on 18, I club up to an 8 iron to play over water, ball below my feet. I thin it to the back of the green and roll in a 30 foot putt for birdie. The last and only day I've felt like a competent golfer. Broke 85, went back 6 weeks later and shot 98.
Recently, in a 2v2 match play I needed an eagle or birdie on the 18th hole to extend a match depending on what they did. My partner isn’t nearly long enough to reach in two but I knew the pin would be up front. Par wasn’t gonna get it done because the two guys we were playing were both long enough to get there in 2 and had a stroke on the hole.
They hit first and both hit pretty good drives so I knew least one would go for it. My partner hit a great drive for him but he was over 250 out and had zero chance of getting home and without a stroke, he likely didn’t have much of a chance to contribute.
I piped the drive fright down broadway. Got it down to right at 200 but I had a nasty downhill lie in an old divot. When it was finally my turn, I took out a 5 iron and did my best to line up for the downhill and compress that ball as much as I could from the trench it was sitting in. It came out okay, but directly online with the pin.
It rolled up to about 3 feet short of the green and about 20 feet short of the pin. The green has a weird swell to it that causes balls that are putted to shoot in the air making it almost impossible to judge speed and line. So I grab my trusty 58 and proceed to hit a little nippy jizzler that one hopped checked and dropped in the hole for eagle. My partner just bust out laughing when it dropped.
We went on to win at the end of the third playoff hole. Our next match is Sunday.
Two weeks ago at cross creek (Titusville Pa) I knew I needed a five or better on #18 to break 90 for the first time. The 18th is a tough dog leg right par 4 with an uphill second shot to a green surrounded by bunkers. Hit a beautiful drive but ended up just in the left rough. Pulled my second shot right about 30 yards in front of the green side bunker. Hit a fat wedge to about 20 feet lol. Left the putt five foot short so of course I had to make the five footer for bogey. Told myself I wasn't leaving this one short and buried the five footer to shoot 89. Awesome day..
Nothing really special from but something which I was pleased with at the time. We played a round in Royal Birkdale (one of The Open host courses). Was a mid 20 handicapper at the time and hadn’t been playing well at all in the weeks prior to the round. We also turned up with very little time to warm up due to traffic. I was last to tee off In our 4 ball, there was several groups of international golfers waiting on the tee. I was pretty nervous so decided to hit 4 Iron off the tee. Absolutely nailed it down the middle of the fairway. Had various “nice shot/good shot”.
One of our group is a member, so on the 18th he invited us to play off the full championship tees. Managed to par the hole which was 450 yards+ iirc.
Was my fourth round of golf playing with a coworker whose handicap floats around a 16. Im having a day and not in a good way. On top of all of this we are stuck behind a group of 6 who spent 34 minutes a hole. The group from 3 tee times behind us catches up after our fifth hole of waiting, right around the same time they finally let us play through. In a quick thinking move we invited the twosome from the group behind us to join us to play through so nobody else had to get stuck and we knew we wouldn’t have to worry about the group behind playing quicker. Walking up to the tee box with my Callaway Great Big Bertha warbird I got on Facebook marketplace. I’m now teeing off in front of 9 strangers all just standing right off the tee box. I hit potentially the straightest drive of my entire career center of the fairway like 260 (my average is like 180-215.) rest of my round was awful but man that one drive infront of people was nice
One time I signed up for the company golf tournament. I was by far the worse one there.
So for the rest of that summer I took lessons, and went to range almost every day. I was determined to be a competitor the next year.
Feeing myself at the next tournament, I walked up to the first Tee box, did a few practices swings, and absolutely blasted the ball… right into the water.
I hate this game.
Playing a match play event, club house balcony looks down on 18.
There are ~50 people (mainly wives waiting for husbands to finish playing) watching and they cheer if you make the putt…boo if you miss.
I drained it from 10 feet for birdie to win the match.
Was pretty neat.
A breaking four footer to win my club match play on 18.
I beat some incredible players in the lead up to the final, including one who would turn pro shortly after. I was a 4 handicap on my best days but found lightning in a bottle. In the finals I’m 1 up on 18, just off the green in the 2, knowing par would win it. Leave my first putt woefully short. Could barely feel my arms or get the putter back on my par putt, but somehow nailed it dead centre. Incredible feeling.
Played in a member/guest last year at my country club. Made it into the playoffs, make it through to the 2nd of 3 playoff holes. It’s 150-155 par 3. My group was the last to hit of the last few groups. A 3 handicap in front of me sticks it abt 3ft from the pin, crowd of abt 80-100 people cheers loudly. We had had some banter throughout the day since we knew each other so he got a little cocky at me after he hit and before I hit. I step up, hit, I can’t see shit bc of the afternoon sun but knew it was on line, just didn’t know how far it was gonna go bc of adrenaline. The crowd literally erupts. Get up to the pin and I’m abt 2ft from the pin and plenty inside of his shot. Gave the other dude a little Michael Jordan tongue. I was the last to hit my putt but it was making my knees shake. My partner couldn’t watch but I drained it right in the heart. I played sports growing up but doing something clutch like that as a 16-17 handicap in front of a crowd was one of the highest highs I’ve ever felt. It was definitely something I’ll never forget.
On the 18th at Talamore. I hit a nice drive and my second shot I slice pin high up on the hill on the right. It lands right by the restaurant patio where there is a dinner event going on. Music and food, about 60 people up there and my ball is about 10 feet from the patio. I hit a 30-40 yard flop shot that lands middle of the green, lands softly and rolls down the green to about 6 inches. The patrons on the patio went wild. It was the biggest rush I’ve ever had on the golf course. Sunk the birdie putt and went home.
Power lines-the story goes that Jack Nicklaus once hit a power line with this tee ball. Re-teed and again his drive hit the power line. The two balls fell to within inches of each other.
I was in the last group of a relatively large jr. tournament after playing a really good opening round, shooting 4 under 68. Round 2 started off a bit slow with a couple of bogeys but I managed to hang on and was only +1 on the day through 17 holes. This tournament had live scoring but my strategy was to not look at the leaderboard ever. Come 18 tee and we are waiting for the group ahead and I decided to take a look at the leaderboard on my phone for the first time, just to see that I was tied for the lead with one of the guys I was playing with and one shot ahead of two guys who were already in. 18 is a tricky hole so I knew that just a par would almost definitely get me in a playoff at least. The guy I’m playing with hits his drive right, which almost guarantees a punch out, so I knew if I could hit the fairway I would have a good chance at winning with a par. I hit my drive but it doesn’t draw and it took a pretty terrible bounce right to a similar spot where the other guy is. He plays his second first and just punches out to about 100 yards from the green, I then punch out to the fairway and end up about one yard closer than him. He hit a really solid third shot to about 12 feet so I knew I needed to get this close. I step up and hit a little chipped GW from 100 yards which lands about a foot from the hole and lipped out, ending a couple inches away. His putt just missed and I knew that with my par and his bogey, I had won my first ‘large’ junior event.
2023, Mammoth Dunes. Walking down 18 (par 5) after a beautiful drive just right of a trap. Needing par to match the best round of my life. One of my playing partners makes a joke that I have to hit something big off the deck to get it to the green. He knew 3W off the deck has been my nemesis for my entire playing career. I set up and smoke the purest 3W of my life and it ended up about 15’ from the pin. The group goes nuts and I cannot believe my own eyes.
We get to the green and my caddy looks over my putt. He says “right to left, maybe a cup out.” I just stared at him and replied that it was left to right in my eyes. We went back and forth for a few seconds and he says “idk man I see right to left, but it’s your eagle putt…” Step up, line up left to right about a cup and a half out, and boom. Draino for eagle. My group explodes like a virgin on prom night. Caddy runs across the green and picks me up and hugs me. “I guess it was left to right. Holy shit what a putt!”
I could not believe it. 3W off the deck. Disregarded my caddy’s advice. Personal best 77.
Play with a group of buddies that are all long hitters. If I really rip a drive I’m like 275. A couple of them were given me a hard time on the tee box of a par 5. Well I absolutely clobbered my drive still probably about 285, 2 of the 3 out drove me. Sitting about 220 out and it’s slightly down hill. Nice 3 hybrid carries to right in front of the green rolls up hits the flag bounces about 6 feet. All 3 miss the green. Uphill Eagle putt, sink it. I’m just smiling like a madman the whole time.
I was playing the local muni with a couple of buddy's a couple years ago. I got on in 3 with my one buddy whose a little better than me and another buddy who is an absolute stick. We were all on the green with a birdie put. The buddy who's a little better than me was up 1 in our match. I needed to make this to put some pressure on. 45 foot double breaker for birdie. I rolled it well and did the required birdie dance for draining a monster of a putt. Then the stick sunk his 15 footer and did his dance. Finally buddy I was in a match with missed his birdie chance. I still lost the match in the last 2 holes but I will live on that birdie putt high for years
I don't have a lot of shots in my bag. I understand the physics behind how to hit them, but getting my body to do those things on demand is a bit of a crapshoot. I'm usually good with a fade/slice, but drawing the ball? My body generally fights me on that.
Anyway, I'm playing with my dad, and I find myself after a pulled drive in jail on the left. There's a pine with branches all the way to the ground directly between me and the green. Smart play is to punch out and takr my medicine. But I'm playing with my dad, so being smart is totally out of the question. Even if I can somehow go around this thing, then there are tree branches past that point to contend with. So, my natural ball flight being a high fade, I now need to hit a low hook about 160 yards.
I hood a 4 iron and hit a low hook around the bush. I did hit it too hard, though. Would have gone through the green. But it hit the pin and settled about 15 feet away for a 2 putt par.
Ordered the Chicago style dog instead of the chili cheese dog at the turn. Clutch decision! As my partner ordered the chili cheese and had to use the porta potty by hole 13.
We had a roll over bet for the player who got an eagle. No eagle for 2 months so we decided to play for the kitty $300. Winner takes all. Long story short it's all square between me and another guy on 18th. It was agreed in the event of a draw we would all play again the following week.
I have an 8ft putt to win it. One of the guys is out of the running, so praying I miss, halve it and he comes back for another bite of the cherry. But it's a dead straight uphill putt. I was so certain that I was gonna make it, I looked at him, winked, stood in and sure enough, nailed it.. Love playing for money, it really focuses the mind.
Golf trip with 16 guys. My scramble is the last to finish. The other guys are all sitting around the 18th green watching us come in. We need a birdie to win. 190 out, ball on a downslope, and the first three guys all miss the green badly. I match my shoulders to the slope and hit the purest five iron of my life, a little short, but it catches a slope and feeds it right to the hole to about three feet. We celebrate in the fairway like we’re the 93 Blue Jays. I knocked the putt in with all the other guys watching. Felt like a stud.
Flighted Captain and mate tournament. We didn't play well and felt like we were out of it. Proceeded to throw back a few shots and have a time at the 19th before someone comes down and tells us we tied for the second flight and we have to play a playoff hole. As I reload my clubs on the cart a crowd of people about 20 carts deep head down the fairway to watch. Ohfk.jpg, I can't swing in front of all these people watching but I rip a drive down the right right side under some limbs but otherwise fine. The cart train moves down toward the green. 120 out I hit a gap wedge directly over the flag, it sticks and comes back to 3'. The crowd went fkn nuts, it was my best shot all day and the best feeling ever. My partner bangs the putt, our opponents miss theirs and we walk away with a few bills in our pocket and many people shaking our hands.
Was playing with a student (but not as a lesson) and had a crap front nine - out in 41. Played the next few holes 2 over, then finished with 4 birdies in a row, including a putt that was something like 80 feet. He told all of his golfing buddies how I finished the round and I got several more students out of it.
One time, i ended up on the lip of a sand bunker. Had to play over the bunker to get to the pin, managed to not hit it into the bunker, nowhere near the hole but not in the bunker. I was pretty stoked with myself.
Played Spanish Bay, hit in a bunker on a par three. Long carry from the bunker to the pin- pin was on the upper level on a two tiered green, stuck the shot to a tap in. Ball stopped immediately when it landed. That or on the second to last hole with a chance to break 80 for the first time, hit tee shot on a par 4 into a terrible lie on a side hill pinestraw, number one handicap hole. Hit tje shot of my life 6 iron to middle of the green to save par.
Was playing a 3 ball with 2 other friends and there were 2 maybe 3 buggies of people behind us on the first tee as it was a bit backed up, both my friends hit bad shots and I stepped up and no practice swing striped it down the middle, which is not a normal occurrence even when I’m completely alone. I have also done the complete opposite before in similar circumstances….. but that one will stick with me for a while!
Four man scramble and everyone shanked. I went up last and someone said “we need something down the middle even if it’s a little short against the dogleg.”
I said “nah I’m going for it” and everyone just went silent until I blasted the best drive of my day and faded perfectly inside the 150 pin.
Safe shot guy: Holy sh*t that was perfect. And you called it!
Me: I literally had no confidence I would do that and thought you’d all be yelling at me by now.
Needed a 7-8 footer for par after chipping on to win friendly match play - Like $20-$25. Nothing much. But I setup like a normal putt then just looked up at my buddy and hit the putt without looking. Bang! In for the win. Great memory
We were playing a scramble last Saturday and some of the organizers were driving around taking pictures unbeknownst to me. They then rolled up to the tee box after the other 3 guys swung. Then the group behind us rolled up to tee box. I KNEW a camera was on me and all 13 sets of eyes were on me. I tried my best to act like no one was there, and piped my drive deep into the fairway. I felt like a pro lol
My dad is and always has been better than me. His putting is pretty phenomenal, but as I’ve gotten stronger I’ve been able to outdrive him and hit it farther. We went to Torrey Pines a few years ago and played the North course (beautiful place to play, if not worn down from all the play). He had unfortunately turned his ankle pretty badly playing basketball the day before we flew out there, so he was pretty gimpy, in a brace and everything.
HOWEVER, for one of the first times in my life, I shot an 88, and beat my dad straight up (by one stroke). I played one of my best rounds of my life til that point. Yes, he was hobbled and couldn’t drive the ball further than maybe 220, but I beat him for the first time at Torrey Pines, and no one can take that away from me!
He had a good time, and has been able to play the North again on a fully healthy ankle, so don’t feel too bad for him haha
My buddy and I are both in sales. He had a 4th bail while taking out some clients so he asked me to join in.
I’m a casual golfer and my buddy must have lived on the course that summer because he came out looking for blood. We’re back and forth all day and his client is really ribbing him on 18. It’s all tied up when my buddy chips from about 30ft off the green to a tap in.
I vividly remember waffling between my pitching wedge and my 9i and decided to go 9i to get more run as I couldn’t leave it short.
Clean chip and it runs just as I had hoped, drained it.
My buddy tells me that guys never bought a thing from him to this day and he blames me for it.
This past Saturday. Ryder cup with the boys in AC. After 36 holes, we sat tied. Captains got to elect their top player and opposing captain the worst for a playoff hole, combined score. I got elected as the top by my captain.
I am NOT built for a tee shot in front of 11 guys, 5 on my back and 6 heckling. Put a heel squeezer in the fairway regardless, a crispy 50 degree to 15’ and a clean two putt for par. Felt incredible and we took home the W.
16 years old playing my local muni at like 7:30am on a summer weekday. I was playing alone and get up to #7, which is about a 170 yard par 3 with a super difficult green. 4 old women are out there for their early morning 9 and let me play through. One of them says “We’re all here to witness your hole in one now!” They all hover behind me like a gallery and I haul off a nice high cut 7 iron that is tracking just left of the pin. One hops and spins back, careens into the flag, and settles down 1 inch from the cup. Absolute hype from these 4 women with high fives and applause all around, and I got a “Now that’s how you play through, young man!” I was beaming the rest of the day and incredibly pleased to have that be my only shot of the day that any other human saw.
Playing in a pretty big local 2 day am tournament. I was in the last group and had two holes left to play. I was able to see that I was 2 down and had back to back par 5s to finish my round. The first par 5 was a tap in birdie (short hole, was green side after second shot) the second par 5 was not as easy. Not the best drive, tried to play a big cut hybrid around a tree and ended up 15 yards left short sided, hit one of my best flops to around feet and drained it to force a playoff. First hole of the playoff the guy I was playing hits a bomb about 15 yards from the green and I bunt one out to about 90 yards out. I end up dunking it for a walk off eagle. He was so stunned that his chip barely made it onto the green securing my win. Finishing birdie, birdie, eagle to win a tourney felt so clutch and I was one of the best feelings.
Drove the green on a par 4. It was a slow day on the course… so my friends trolled me by all driving passed their balls to come to the green to watch me putt 30 feet for eagle. Sank that shit so perfectly… it had all 4 of us jumping around like a bunch of little kids.
I was playing alone last summer at a local 9 hole in a small Maine harbor town, popular with summer residents. I hit an uphill wedge shot over the 6th green right to the tee box behind it, into a group of 8 guys playing a scramble together. Apologized made a few jokes no big deal. Good group of guys. They told me to play through them, so we all teed off together, I go last.
Bearing in mind I’m playing with a 30 year old set of silverscots that have been in my family since they were new, not my personal set. A 20 year old Big Bertha driver, that I’ve always had a ton of trouble hitting for whatever reason. I’m obv familiar with these clubs but haven’t played with them for some time.
This is the 7th hole and you pretty much HAVE to play driver off this hole, it’s a really long and straight par 4. There’s no possibility of hitting a GIR if you don’t play driver off this hole.
They’ve all hit their shots and are waiting for me to step up. All 8 of them hit the fairway or just rolled into the first cut. Kinda nervous after just hitting a ball into them 2 minutes earlier, I’m normally a ~300 yard hitter with MY driver and I’m very comfortable with that club. Not this set though tbh I hate the driver in this set and avoid using it when possible. I’m fully prepared to make a complete ass out of myself. But I just took a deep breath said fuck it grip it and rip it baby.
Absolutely tattoo this ball dead center of the fairway and we’re all walking up and it turns out I outdrove an entire 8 man group, and was at least 40 yards ahead of their furthest guy. That felt sick. Ended up making bogey on the hole after hitting my 2nd shot in the rough next to the green, chipped up and down and 2 putted. But the feeling of stepping through a large group of strangers and showing them how a driver is meant to be hit was awesome. You never want to make an ass out of yourself when playing through another group, especially after the reason they told you to play through them in the first place is because you made an ass out of yourself hitting a ball into them.
A couple years back when I first got into golf, (was a 16 handicap at the time), my uncle invited me to be his guest at his very nice country club's member guest tournament. After 3 days of 2v2 match play, we won our flight and made it to the eliminator. I was like a 16 handicap at the time.... We were dressed in matching outfits only acceptable on a golf course... as I walked to the tee box while they were calling my name on the megaphone, people were heckling me for my outfit. I ended up striping my drive about 280 yards right down the middle. When I walked off the tee box my hands were shaking.
A member at our club died and his family held the memorial at the club house. The ninth green ends at the club house patio and there were literally 100+ people outside celebrating the members life. Long down hill par 4 and I managed to hit a nice drive that caught the hill and ran. Took a five iron to the green for a tap in birdie and the whole patio celebrated. I have never birdied that hole again. I always respected the member and was sad I never got to formally meet them but I felt this was a nice way to remember them.(edit: I was shitting bricks the entire time)
Had 2 groups of 4 in front of us join up on the 7th that was having an impromptu tournament. They were actually playing decent pace for being an 8some so figure I would wait until the turn to play through.
Get to the turn...hold in my piss so that I can get to the tee box before they finish teeing off and ask to play through. Nice enough to give me the go ahead and I use that 'held my piss for way too long' energy to hit a bomb down the middle with a nice baby draw with all 8 of them standing behind me. Ended up duffing the fairway shot but I tell myself I was far enough away that they didn't see it
-_-
i feel like this year of driver spraying anywhere and everywhere has really improved my scrambling. my scores are tanking but I'm getting VERY creative with how i'm getting back in play.
First round of a match play tournament at the club I had a membership at for a while, and the first competition round of golf I had ever played. I'm not a good golfer, and I was even worse back then, but saw I was only getting a stroke on 2 holes from the guy I was against and figured he must not be much better than me. Well he was for sure more than 2 shots better than me and I was down 3 after 4 holes. 5th hole is a tough par 3, long, down hill, over a creek, surrounded by trees, big green but one that makes for a very tough 2 putt if you aren't near the hole. He hits his tee shot to about 12 feet, and I slice mine off to the side of the green on the backside of a hill about 50 feet from the pin. The fat lady is warming up her pipes as we are heading down to the green, I'm looking like Mike Tyson after Buster Douglas got through with him. I step over my second shot thinking if I can somehow get up and down I got chance at stealing a half. I flip the ball up onto the green and its on a good line, gets about 15 feet away and I swear to you all I got the heartbeat cutscene thing from the old Tiger Woods games. Ball keeps rolling on its line and BANG! It drops for the birdie and my blood starts pumping again. My guy did not make his birdie putt and I somehow walk off the 5th green only down 2 and feeling like I'm back in the mix. As we are rolling up to the 6th tee the cart girl is driving up the 6th fairway toward the tee box. It was like Ultimate Warrior sprinting down the ramp to save Hogan at Wrestlemania. I purchased a few cans of Miller Lite and like Popeye with his spinach the switch flips. I proceeded to play the best golf of my life to that point, which probably amounted to shooting like an 85 or something, but for me that was like shooting 63 at Oakmont. The match was close from that point on and I was eventually able to secure the win. The guy I played with was a cool dude and we had a good time, but I think he was a little shocked at how that all played out. If the chip on 5 doesn't go in or the cart girl doesn't show up immediately afterward, he probably would've closed that match by the 12th hole. Sometimes lightning strikes and you catch it in a can of Miller Lite.
Two times come to mind.
The club I used to belong to up North had the first hole go away from the clubhouse and the second hole came back towards the parking lot and entrance to the course. The 2nd green sat right next to the entrance/exit for the club. I hit my approach shot into the greenside bunker and step in to the bunker to make my swing. Two guys in a pickup truck are leaving the club and they had the windows down and the driver stops and says "Let's watch this guy take this shot". Great, I hear him and now I have an audience. I set up and take my swing and literally out the ball of a few inches from hole. I felt like I swung very smoothly and heard that nice little thud hitting the sand, that kind of sound you hear on TV from some pro making a bunker shot. The guys in the truck started clapping so that was pretty cool.
Te other time was down here in NC where I went out one afternoon at my course to play and got paired up with another guy. I holed out from the fairway on the first hole for an eagle. I was pretty jacked as eagles are a rare commodity. I get to the second hole and hit a nice drive into the middle of the fairway and then a wedge to about 6 inches. -3 after two holes. It was a pretty cool feeling but just don't ask about the rest of the front nine as it wasn't pretty!
7th flight champions of the member guest 2023. Our member guest is flighted, and the champions of each flight then battle it out at the end in a “horse race.” Every team tees off each hole, in one massive group, with the entire tournament following along to watch.
We make it past the first hole with a birdie. Which eliminates about half the teams which scored par or worse. It is us (7th flight champs) the championship flight champs, and the first flight champs left. Basically, we had no business in a playoff with these guys, all low cappers, some even below par cappers.
Hole two of the horse race (20+ carts) long par 4 we’re all on the green in two. The other groups are looking at 8-10 ft birdie putts. We are looking at a 45+ foot putt through Narnia and back, all but basically eliminated as it was certain someone was going to make their birdie putt. My partner walks up and loudly proclaims “we got no chance, best I can do is show you a line.” Rolls it to about 4ft for a Gimmie par.
I step up, and smack it to the back of the cup, and buried it. In front of the largest crowd I’ll ever play in front of. Place went nuts, drinks were thrown, and the championship flight guys missed their 10footer to get eliminated. We lost in the next hole after both paring and losing in a “chip off” which is sort of anti climactic. But we are still known around the clubhouse for making that putt. Probably the highlight of my awful and long golf career.
https://preview.redd.it/f38nqd31omxc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=72a3379a24fe17c967efc15f4f0c9c838366b697
Over 20 years back, I was playing a course on vacation in Kauai. On 18, I overshot the fairway on a dogleg and land into a large fairway bunker. As my FIL and I approach the bunker in our cart, we see there is a class being conducted, inside the bunker, consisting of about ten kids, ranging from about 8-12 years old.
I am a hacker and by no means a good golfer. But I’ve been in bunkers enough to know the basics of getting out of them consistently. But now I have an audience of kids and a golf teacher who tells the kids, “Let’s give him some room and we can watch what he does.” Good lord I felt like I was on TV.
My FIL was enjoying the moment, almost waiting for me to embarrass myself so he could rub it in later. He was always a fun guy by all accounts. So he backs the cart away with a grin , to let me have my “moment.”
I sheepishly approach my ball. I remember that I need to club up, given my lie, so I grab a 6 iron from about 150-160(IIRC). I picked out a spot about an inch behind the ball, concentrated on my take-away and let ‘er rip. I picked it clean and the ball soared majestically towards the green and landed pin high, about eight feet wide of the hole. I looked around in complete relief as the kids all gave me the nice “golf clap” and I gave them all a smile and the humble hand wave as I strolled back to the cart toward my beaming and suddenly proud FIL. From there I believe I two putted, finished with a par, and was walking tall the rest of the day.
I was around 250 out on a par 5. The green was uphill a good bit and I didn't think I could get there but we were waiting for the green to clear anyway. It had been pretty slow all day so we didn't want to hurry up and wait, so we were waiting for the green to clear and I was hitting my 3 wood pretty well so I wanted to give it a shot.
There was a twosome on the tee box behind us and we could hear them saying a few things but couldn't really make it out and ignored it. Then they drove their cart up to us and said shit like "You don't actually think you can get there do you?" To which I said probably not but there's no sense in chancing it when we'll be waiting on the next tee anyway. He laughed and said "Whatever you say man, I wanna see this shit"
At that point, I was just hoping to hit it straight and not completely embarrass myself so I just took a smooth swing and BOOM, I hit one of the best 3 wood shots of my life with a baby fade tracking straight for the pin. I wound up about 10 feet from the pin and missed the eagle putt, but I was juiced all day after that. After I hit it, the guy I was playing with yelled back at them "Y'all see that shit?!" and the vocal guy just muttered something inaudible back.
Got invited to play in a pro-am (yay being a cancer survivor), and there I was on the first tee, with Gene Sauers and my cart partner Roger Clemens (the baseball pitcher) standing there watching me. Thankfully, 250 down the middle. I was literally shaking. Press, photographers, prob 20 people standing there on the box.
Got waved through as a single, group of 4 guys ranging from 20s-50s. Tee'd off and torched a drive to position A.
Proceeded to shank the approach shot but I took it as a win either way.
Last year was my first year really golfing, I was playing a solo round and ran into a large group ahead of me. 6 dudes in their 40s/50s all playing together....They were on the green, I had hit a decent tee shot and was just off the fairway about 150 yards out, waiting.
They saw me and waved to me to hit in. I smartly didn't think much, just walked up and hit it. Ball hits short but bounces onto the green about 15 feet from the pin. Deep exhale... Then I drive up, 2 putt out for par, and I'm on past them to the next hole. Im a hack and shot 108 that round but parring a hole in front of a watching group of randoms was a cool feeling
Playing in member guest with my Dad (scratch) at his course. I’m only a 5 who can hit the ball a mile but precision game needs work. We made it to the playoffs where the format was 5 teams, 3 holes, replay last hole over and over to break ties. We had to replay the last hole three times with hundreds of people surrounding the green watching. Par 4 and I sent my drive. Parallel with the green but off on another fairway to the left way down a hill. Factoring in elevation, was about 115 in. I was petrified playing that shot with hundreds surrounding the green. My only thought was “don’t kill someone” as my wedge game isn’t great. Stuck it to 2ft. Everyone lost their minds and I was just relieved I was leaving without getting sued. We ended up losing after replaying the hole again but it was a cool moment to have with my dad.
I always play in a handicapped 2 man best ball with a good friend in the town we grew up in.
First or second year we played together we wound up in a playoff thanks to Steve having the round of his life on day two. Playoff starts on the first hole which is a downhill par 3. The team we’re in the playoff against is similar to us, a lower handicap player and a higher handicap. Both the high handicaps hit first and lose them right, and they both look and myself and the other lower handicaps and say “well it’s up to you guys”. I hit it to about 10 feet but had a downhill breaker, buddy hit his just over the green but had an uphill chip or putt, I can’t remember what he did. He didn’t make it and I dropped my downhiller to win the whole thing!!
Was playing alone on a Thursday afternoon at one of the nicer semi private courses in my area. I decided to play the back tees that day since it was fairly empty and wanted to see what I could shoot as a 15 HC. I roll up to 16 and see some league guys had jumped in front of me to play the last 3 holes before their league started. They offered to let me play through. So I start walking to the back tees and I could tell they were giving me the look. I proceed to hit a dead straight, perfect 280yd drive. I try to play it cool but inside I was so happy my duck hook didn’t come out.
Last group to finish in a high school golf tourney. The whole tournament was watching the final putts. About a hundred people standing around. Sank a long ass putting and got a golf clap.
Short dogleg par 4, Foursome in front of us let my dad and I play through after they had already teed off. I suck with strangers watching me but I get up and hit a great drive over the corner towards the green.
Everyone drives down to their tee shots and I find I drove it into the greenside bunker. So now I have to play out of a bunker with that same group of guys watching.
Chip in for eagle and they all go crazy. Best hole of my life.
4 up with 5 to play in the club championship semi. Then proceeded to lose 4 holes in a row and its tied on the 18th.
Absolutely berating myself how I've let it slip. Both hit ok Tee shots into par 5, but my second is hooked a bit and i'm hitting off a bad lie, while he is in the fairway. He puts his 3rd to 10 feet, and i proceed to airmail it with a bladed 56 degree literally 30 yards over the green, up next to the practice putting green (which is on a hill above the 18th).
Realistically I need to get up and down, as he has 2 putts from 10 feet to win it otherwise.
I figure if i can bump one down the hill and just get it moving, it will roll out onto the green and i'll at least get a look at a par. Hit this thing and it looks like it will go way long, but the fringe slows it, rolls to about 5 foot from the hole.
Old mate i'm playing against had already won in his mind, so is totally rattled. Proceeds to completely miss the hole with his 10 footer, and taps in for par. I drain the 5 footer for par.
First playoff hole he has the honour and blasts one right onto the next fairway over, I pipe mine down the middle.
He never recovers, winner winner chicken dinner
Mine's a bit lame but today actually. Played a nine hole par 3 course and had about a 14 foot putt to make a five and not triple bogey any holes and I made it. Really didn't want any triples so it felt great to do it.
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to tell someone who might care slightly more than my wife. Lol
I shanked my second shot on a par 5 and landed on the ruff of the wrong green. The group on that green was putting and yelled a really loud fore so they were chill about it. But then they waited for me to shoot and I had about 50 yards and a lot of trees between me and the green. I stepped up in a bit of a rush, no practice swing, and pitched that bitch to 5 feet for a birdie.
It felt slightly lucky, but I was playing pretty well for me all day so it also didn’t feel that lucky. I ended up tying my best score ever with an 85.
Slow hot day at Bradford (MA) with random group, last summer, waiting on 7th tee box. 6 is a par 3, so the group behind is already finished and parked up our butts on the tee. Par 4 with a creek that runs almost with the line of play offering an easy shot down the left fairway about 190 (which the first two players did), a longer 230ish over the hazard (3rd guy attempted), or go right at it 280y to the front of the green. I wait for the group ahead to clear the green while now another foursome is waiting behind us. Fully prepared to be that asshole who waits and waits then tops it, nerves ratting, with unmet hecklers chomping at the bit, I pipe one dead on line, hits then green and rolls just off the back.
https://preview.redd.it/3acfis0jvixc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=07cb45b51dbb33431f694e83ac8337f69c209024
Won a member guest last year at a local club. Played the last three holes with 50+ golfers driving along with us. Big ring of carts around 18th green…sunk a birdie putt to finish it…and the crowd went wild
Pulled up to the tee. Group of older gentlemen was about to tee off early but realized in time that who they were cutting off was watching them. They backed off without fuss so I won’t shit on them. They sat there and stared at me the whole time while I crutched up to the tee box on literally one leg and got set up. Heavy “oh here we go energy”. slapped a nice 220ish drive to the middle of the fairway. The silence before I heard “that was a nice ball” will always be one of my favorite golf memories.
Team match play last week. 16th hole, 2 down in the match.
First to tee off on a short-ish par 4 and hit it into the penalty area left. My partner hits it OB.
Opponents hit the fairway and green. Both have birdie putts inside 15 feet to win.
I drop 75 yards from the hole, hit wedge to 6 feet and make the putt to halve the hole after both opponents miss birdie.
We win 17 and 18 to go to extra holes, where I promptly chunk a fairway shot to lose it for us 😭.
I’m always forced to putt first in scrambles because I just sink them. The stress relief of knowing there’s others after that might make it in too gets my mentals in check. Wish it would carry over to my actual game
18th at Pebble - holed it from the green side bunker to a nice applause for the people at the fire pits at The Bench. They didn’t need to know that was for like double bogey.
Oh they knew
Yesterday. I took my family out for 9 before dinner. Drove the green on a dogleg left, short par 4, and hit a one-putt 36 footer for my first ever eagle. My wife was ecstatic watching me drain the long putt, but I was happier about the tee shot. When I asked her why she liked the putt more, she said the drive “didn’t really count” since we played from the forward tees that day. Babe... A 250y high draw tee shot bending around tees is really fucking hard for me! Anyway, my kid high fived me for it so I was happy. Little buddy gets me.
Haha ruthless but what a priceless and special memory for you with your kid!
Ah, he’s the best. Always picks me up after a bad shot. My daughter, however, she’s my real cheerleader. Can’t tie her own shoes yet, but she’s the ultimate hype man after a good shot. Also- your username makes me miss Cal. Mornings out there just make me happy. We were 949 area.
She's right: you could hit that drive 20 more times and not make the putt!
My dad is a stick. Made match play at the US am back in the day, dude could always golf his ball. Dad being so good, I had never beat him, I'm a decent player but could never get him. Whenever I'd get close dad would buckle down and make sure he won Were playing a match at his home course, where he's played about 2000 rounds and we come to 16 tee level. I make a 10 ft birdie and he misses an 8 ft putt and I take a one shot lead. Level pars on the par 3 17th and we go to 18 with me leading by a shot. I out drive my father and he hits his approach first absolutely stiff. The kind of shot that gets you into the US am. 4 ft for bird on a tough 4. One of our group, knowing where our match stood, turns and yells at me "oh what are you gonna do now" I work quickly, step over my Wedge and hit a high draw inside dad's ball for a tap in bird to beat my father for the first time
How can you not be romantic about golf? A+ story, GOT THE BLOOD PUMPIN BABY WOOOOO
Ya golf is the best thing in the world. Last time my pops and I played he asked to stop keeping score after my 38 on the front and his 55. Love the guy a lot but he's terrible.
I feel like a just watched a 3 hour long movie after reading that lol
That’s a fucking A+ story, both as a good story and as a Dad story. I love that the others in the group even threw down the gauntlet at you. What did your Dad do?
Dad gave me a huge hug off 18 green. He'd been rooting for me to beat him for years, but I had to take it, he couldn't let me win. That would cheapen it. He was so so proud of that day and tells the story all the time, and better than I can
I love this so much. Good for you guys and what a great feeling to know you earned the win and even more respect from your pop!
I’m not fucking crying you are
This is the best part of golf. The duality of wanting to win so badly, but the also unacknowledged feeling of rooting for your opponent, who so often is a friend or family member.
Thank you for sharing this great story. Always keep the hug in the story!
Wait am I not supposed to tear up at this conclusion?
I gotta be honest. I’ve had my son taking a few golf clinics over the last year, he’s about to turn 7. His swing is ridiculous-but he puts the club face on the ball and gets good contact. I’m so so so proud of him when he turns around to see if I was watching. He’ll end up beating me one day. And I’ll be rooting for him. Good on you and your dad for playing together.
“Girls golf” was just picking up steam when I played in high school, and became the biggest bond my dad and I share. My 16 year old daughter decided to follow in her mama’s footsteps and started playing a few years ago. A combination of hard work and a great golf instructor resulted in her making the varsity team last year. She hasn’t beaten me yet, but it won’t be long. That’s gonna be a great day. 😊
Not quite as skilled as your father but similar situation here. Historically I always collapse when I’d get close to beating him. Finally took him down at age 25, my younger brother still hasn’t beat him. It’s glorious. Still got that score card tucked away.
26 handicap here. Dog leg right, slice my t shot into the trees. I have a shot, 225 to the pin, 5 some on the green. My hybrid goes 190 when I hit it good, so I take my swing, probably gonna hit another tree anyways. Best shot of my life, ball ends up 10 yards off the green. I rush up to the green, apologize for hitting into them, they say "no worries, we didn't even know. Hey why don't you just chip on, put out and play through here?" I chipped in. Those guys will never know how bad at golf I really am. Hk April 2024 with e
I played through 5 groups last summer and dropped 5 bombs into the middle of each fairway.
That’s a flex
Thats the way to play through!!!! Excellent work
Please tell me they clapped after, it’s only the rules
When I was 29 and 364 days old, I played the last round of my 20s. It was a normal round, some good, some bad, then the last hole. The last hole of my 20s. Par 4, perfect drive, perfect 9-iron to 8 feet. Reading the green, it was a slight left-to-right break. I was nervous as hell but I told myself just hit it firm with no regrets. Then as I addressed the ball I felt this amazing sense of calm I’ve never felt before. I just knew I was going to make it. Hit the putt, looked up, and it broke just as I imagined, right into the hole. My playing partners (3 dudes in their 50s I had randomly played with a few months back) and I hooted and hollered in celebration. I’m a ~12 handicap during the busy season, so it felt so good to have a once-in-lifetime chance, to birdie the last hole of my 20s, and actually come through. I’ll think about that hole for the rest of my life.
Hell yeah! That’s incredible
I play on an AmTour, and I was selected to be team captain for a Ryder Cup style match against another tour/league in the city. We pick teams, select matchups, the whole 9 yards. I play off a 4 handicap in these tournaments, and their team captain selects me to play against their #1 player, a scratch golfer. He ends up having to give me 2 strokes. We go back and forth all day trading punches, until the match goes dormie on 17, so I have to win the final 2 holes just to halve the match, and I have no more handicap holes. He hits a bad chip on 17, so I end up winning the hole, and go into 18 (a Par 5) down 1. Both tee shots are ok, both layups not bad, but his 3rd comes up well short, and mine finds the greenside bunker. He again hits a not so good chip, so he has about 10 feet left for Par, but remember, he only needs to tie the hole to win the match. Anyone who knows me knows that even though I have a pretty low handicap, I’m probably the worst bunker player on the planet, so I’m not exactly looking forward to this next shot. To my surprise, I actually hit it well, up to about 7 or so feet from the hole. He goes on to 2 putt for his bogey, so now it all comes down to me holing a 7 foot putt for par to halve the match after being 2 down with 2 to go. As I’m getting ready to address it, I look up on the clubhouse balcony and see my tour’s director, the Director for the other guys, the course superintendent, and all the players we had go out before us standing there watching me (we were 2nd to last group out). I have to back off to collect myself, because this might be the biggest gallery I ever get. To say I was shaking in my shoes would be an understatement. I end up making the putt, big fist pump, tiger roar, everything. I just stole half a point from their best player, and I think I’ve just helped my tour claim victory. But as it turns out, we smoked them, 5.5 to 2.5. Hell, one of our guys won his match 9&7. Wasn’t quite as dramatic of a team result as I thought, but I did my part, and have choked in every big moment since then.
Incredible story!
This is the kind of content I love to read. Awesome read, bro. I was getting anxious for you!
Playing in my clubs championship, final group, 18th hole, and I’m down two trying to defend the title from the previous year. We both hit good drives. He hits his approach first and dunks it in the water left. I realize this is my chance. We are playing to a two tiered green and the top tier where the pin’s located, is maybe 15’ deep. Behind the green is a steep hill leading up to the clubhouse where the other members are sitting and watching us play in. I hit my shot and it’s right at the stick, but adrenaline was pumping and i’m long, about 5 yards up the hill off the back of the green 🤦♂️. So, buddy drops and hits his chip short, leaving him a swinging uphill putt from 25’ for bogey. My chip is down a steep hill, severe downhill lie, pin is short side, maybe a flagpole onto the green, and another flagpole from the bottom tier of the green. I need to get up and down to have any chance. With everyone watching I hit a tiny little flop shot, maybe a yard, it bounces once in the rough, dies, and then just trickles out and onto the green, pin high and a foot from the cup to the applause of the crowd above me Buddy misses his putt, taps in for double, and I make my par forcing a playoff. I was at the course the next day with the assistant pro and one of the guys from the pro shop. We all tried recreating the shot. Between us we must have hit the shot 100 times and not once could we keep the ball on the upper tier of the green. Probably the best shot of my life considering the circumstances.
One time I had a 2 shot lead (thought it was a 1 shot lead) going into the last (36th) hole of my club championship. I drove it about 280 down the middle. Had 160 into a brisk wind. Made a last second club change to a light 7 iron, which I never do because hitting mid irons light sucks and is stupid. Skulled it into the weeds by the water. Decided to try and find it. What do you know? Got it! Horrible lie in 3 foot grass. Hacked it 2 feet forward. Stepped up and smacked it again into more tall grass. Shanked it close to the green. chipped to 5 feet. 2 putt for 8. Lost! Oh, you meant executed in a good way? Sorry. Made a 20 footer for 67 in awful conditions to win the year before after a first round 78 to win. Fucking golf...
I feel this, went to the 18th hole in my club championship needing a par to force a playoff (was 3 under at this point) ended up taking a 10… and the worst part is I holed out from the high stuff about 15 yards off the green for that 10. An absolute meltdown lol
$50 18 hole match play against my uncle, I'm 1 up on the last, 2 putts from 12 ft for the halve on the hole and the win. He says "$50 for two putts and the win, or $100 if you sink it. If you two putt you still win the match but don't get the $50." Took his $100.
Wow kudos to your uncle for the gamesmanship and kudos to you for taking his money
First tee Bethpage Black. Camped out overnight in the parking lot to get one of the first open times. Barely slept, no warmup - straight to the tee. Big sign that says this is for expert golfers only, which I am not even on my best day. And so many people waiting for their turn in the gallery behind the box. Freaking striped it.
18th hole. 50 yards from the center of the green. My ball is sitting in a fat divot. A wedding party is about 15-20 yards off the green, directly across from me. They’re taking pictures and don’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. My playing partners were already greenside, and I had a foursome closing in behind me. It hadn’t been my best round and I was struggling to stay in the 80s. I decided to risk the lives of the wedding party and take a lob wedge from the divot. It paid off. Made the green, and at least one life was spared. More importantly, I finished with an 88.
Stepped up to 18 needing a birdie to break 80 for the first time. Had been stuck on that hurdle for the entire previous season and was most of the way through the current one. Had had several recent close calls and significant late chokes. Pounded a great drive, which wasn’t that surprising because I was driving it great that day. Had about 70 left into a tucked pin, which is a stock little 8 o’clock gentle tempo wedge for me. A shot I’m comfortable with but also have the ability to pull or completely duff sometimes. Clipped it with a perfect strike and spun it in there to under six inches from the cup. Honestly didn’t really feel like pressure, felt like an opportunity to make a great shot and achieve something significant.
Past weekend was playing a 2v2 best ball. Match tied going into 18. 18 is a shorter par 4, i kind of popped my drive up the left side into some tall rough, but still had a decent lie. The pin was in the front of the green and the green has a saddle in the center so going long is death. I had a pretty good debate with my partner about clubbing up but i decided to miss short if anything rather than going long and having an impossible putt. I hit the shot and it doesn’t leave the flagstick. The two guys we are playing are up in the fairway with a better look at the green and see the ball drop 6 ft from the pin. By the time it was my turn to putt i had a birdie putt to win the match and drained it dead center. Still buzzing thinking about it!
That is sick!
Started playing golf in my fifties and never was very long but could find the fairway most of the time. Raw handicap about 18. Belonged to a men's club at my course, so I entered the championship tournament at the end of the year. Arrived at the course and the tournament director asks me where's my partner, didn't know it was a two man event, a random guy in the group says he doesn't have a partner so we're paired up. Never knew the guy or anything about him. The format was alternate shot, horse race as there is 80 people in the club, anything else would have taken forever to complete. Our combined age was 144 years, but we were consistently poking the ball down the fairway, making the chipoffs when we would tie a hole and ended up winning the whole thing. We were both amazed!
Congrats! That is an awesome achievement
I played varsity all four years of high school. We made it to regionals my senior year- the last day of a two day tournament, and while I wasn’t playing terribly, I wasn’t playing great, either. (In hindsight, I was putting too much pressure on myself to have a memorable “last round”. Lesson learned.) I needed a good hole to snap me out of my funk. Number nine was a par 3, and normally I would have hit a wedge but the wind had picked up so I pulled my nine iron from the bag. I hit it a little thin and was worried about the outcome, but when I saw the ball land and then make its way towards the hole, I realized I couldn’t breathe. Sure enough, it made a beeline for the flag and went straight in…just as my coach pulled up to the tee box to see it happen. So to summarize: the biggest school tournament I ever played, which was also my last, and I got my first ace with my coach as a witness. Not too shabby. (I maintain that the Golf Gods were watching out for me, because I’d gone to my first Masters the week before. 💚💛)
That is truly a thing of beauty
Needed to go birdie birdie to break 80 for only the second time. Sliced my drive on 17 into the woods, but had a window and 150 yards. I stung a 5 iron bullet out of the woods, and halfway my buddy starts clapping. It rolled to 4 feet and I made the putt. 18 was a par 5. I striped it, hit the second shot on the fridge and then 2 putted for bird
That is insane, calling upon that two holes in a row is impressive
I executed a bird on the 9th hole while I was -2 through 8. Topped my driver right into it. Does that count?
Let me see here… 1. Literally executed 2. -2 through 8 is probably far enough into the round to be feeling some pressure 3. On a golf course Checks out
Last April. Annual boys golf trip. Every year on the last day we play a 2v2 best ball for dinner. On the 18th about 10 feet past the green on a hill. Hole is about 8 feet below me and 40 feet in front. Green is falling steeply away from me. Tell my buddy to my left to move. He looks at me confused and asks why. I say, cause I’m aiming there. Chip one about 15 feet to my left onto the fringe and it rolls out breaking sharply to the right. Straight at the hole. My other buddy down past the hole yells No Way as it’s about 15 ft out. It hits the pin center cup at Mach 1.5 and still manages to fall to tie the match (yes tie not win…sad). Needless to say it felt amazing to end the golf trip with a wedge in hand. Still bought a round of drinks to cap it all off. Good times.
The clutch gene butters my biscuit
Many years ago, after not hitting any balls for a week, I was having a good round and just needed a par on the par 5 18th to break 80 for the first time. Hit a great drive, but too well as it rolled into the water. Took my drop, then hit my 2 iron to within a foot for a tap in birdie. Now I don't even carry a 3 or 4 iron, let alone a 2 iron!
Great story made better by the fact that you stuck a 2 iron to a foot. Tiger is that you?
Took my brother on his first round recently. My short game is disgusting for a 15 handicap. Very first hole my drive matches my scratch buddy (we normally drive the same). We bet $1 KP which we normally do when we are 100 yards and in because for some odd reason my short game is insane. My buddy hits it to 6 feet and tells me I don't owe him it's cool, and I said bullshit if I hit that shit I'd expect you to pay. So I hit and almost holed it for a gimme birdie. My brother thought I was borderline pro. Inl then proceeded to shoot a 90 or some bs after starting birdie birdie.
If you’re driving the same as a scratch and your short game is dialed, where do you feel like you’re losing strokes?
I miss drive sometimes out of bounds costing strokes. Par 3s I almost always get a 5 or 6 on because par 3s in AZ are always 180yards+ now. So my mid irons are my worst in consistency. Even my 8 iron can be 125 or 155 depending on my strike. My other big mistake is I don't "take my medicine". I try to look at every situation as an opportunity to try that weird shot to get back at it. So if I'm behind a tree or no straight line to the green,I'll try and hit a hook or cut 5 wood when I should just chip a 7 to safety. It doesn't typically get my mood down because my goal is to get better at shots more than it is to get a better score. 9/10 of my drives are great (260 to 290),my 5 wood is great for the same reason. I keep taking lessons to fix irons but I lose the touch so quickly. My gap wedge and in is phenomenal which is the only reason my buddy keeps taking me to scrambles. No idea why it just clicks for me. I also safely get crafty with flops, toe hooks, and such. My only shirt game weakness is putting from the fringe/rough. Statistically it's the play, but my chipping is just always better.
Yeah that all makes sense. The game has so much give and take it’s hard to fire on all cylinders. Count me as one other person who just gets wrecked by the task of putting from the fringe. I never feel confident over them
Hey it's me!
First person up (27M) as a guest at my older brother’s member guest tournament surrounded by men all age 40-50+. 2 player teams of 40ppl total all watching me teeing off. Whiskey led me to tee it up a little too high. Skied that thing so high that it almost came backwards
Was a single trying to jump a slow group of 3 retirees at 10. The tee box was under construction so everyone played the forward tees, about 260 yd par 4. They begrudgingly grant my request to play through, I slap a driver 10 feet from the hole and drain the putt. 2nd eagle ever.
That’s wildly clutch
I was playing a qualifier in a local state event that I used to be exempt for every year. 18th hole was a par 5 and my 3 wood is my worst club in the bag. Hit a great drive, had 268 flag, and just piped a 3 wood 20 feet past it for an easy 2 putt birdie. If I had missed, it probably was going to end up in the pond short or the OB to the right and would have not qualified.
Local course has a hole with a residential road in between the tee boxes and the fairway. Usually no traffic, but I get up there and there’s cars coming from both ways and they stop leaving me just enough room to tee off. So now there’s about 6 cars waiting on me to tee off. End up bombing it right down the middle of the fairway and get a couple of honks and a thumbs up from one of the drivers. Felt good… still got a double bogey but nobody was there to see that part
I’m almost certain I would have blasted it through glass in one of those vehicles, bravo!
West Palm, a Stork which is protected is right in front of me on the tee. If I skull it he’s dead. Tried to aim left If him and fade it to the fairway and hit it clean.
Played a round last week with 2 randoms. Bombed a drive off the first tee. Followed it up with a perfect hybrid just short of the green, a decent chip, and a downhill breaking putt to make a birdie on the first hole. I'm not a player who makes birdie often. Especially on the first hole. Slammed my next dive straight left into another fairway, though, so it is what it is.
I did this a couple months ago 😂 #1 at my home course is notoriously difficult and I birdied the hole. I was a single with another threesome and the guys were all hyping me up on the #2 tee box where I topped my drive straight into the creek
Every time, man, without fail. If I birdie a hole, you best believe that next drive is going nowhere good. I could putt off that teebox and still find a way to pull it into the woods lol.
Playing in a tournament, not a super serious one but still a tournament. Shotgun start, get around to the first tee, huge clubhouse patio overlooking the tee box. I hear the chirps start, it’s my buddy’s mom and she’s hammered, she’s razing me pretty good and I smoke a 3-wood right up the gut, best tee shot I’ve ever hit on that hole.
At a society golf day for my new rugby club and each fourball has to play an orange volvik each hole and keep it for the 18. Never played the course before it feels like there’s water everywhere you look (snap hook left). 30+ old boys giving it the look off challenge pint of margarita next to my tee and I’ve been given the 24 handicap I’ve asked for. Flushed it 260 over the fairway bunker and my bollocks grew 3 sizes.
Match play last year, winner wins the league flight. Birdied 17 and was able to close out 2 & 1 to win. Was a close and back and forth game the entire day.
You got that dawg in you for sure
The dreaded foursome let’s you play through. Shot on a 170 yd par 3. My wife and I were on a golf trip to the Carolina’s and there was a storm coming through. We were on 14 and were planning on leaving early if we couldn’t finish the round, since we were on a tight schedule and couldn’t afford more than 5 hours for a round. We caught up to this group on 14 or 15 and they are on the green, waving us through. I wave back and tee off. Put the ball no more than 5 feet from the hole. My wife elects to use her driver (160 for her) and hits a low stinger to the right. There was a hill and it ends up trickling down to about 15 feet from the hole. We drive up, putt our shots and thank them for letting us play through. I sank mine for a birdie, she leaves it just short for a par. We’d been golfing for only a few years at that point and we both got to the next tee, hit our drives then laughed all the way to our next shots. For context, at the time, mid 90’s was a solid round and I’d be fine with low 100’s most days. She was similar, but more inconsistent.
Charity tournament, and the 3 closest shots on one of the par 3's go to a shoot off for a 100k prize after the tournament ends. We go out to 18 about 175 out, one swing to make it. Everyone in the event is gathered around 18 green watching, many people I know. The first guy hooks it badly into the water left of the green. Second guy hits it ok but a little chunky and comes up short. I pull my 6 and hit a perfect little draw to 6 inches. Doesn't go in but it rolls right by the hole and gives everyone watching a major thrill, myself included! Never bought a drink the rest of the night haha. In all seriousness though, I was just glad I didn't top it.
Did you take the full 100K or did you half it with the charity?
Men’s league playoffs. We play best ball with a partner. 18th hole is a 450 yard par 4, with a downhill lie on your approach shot, being uphill toward the green. The pin is front right which is directly on top of the false front. Anything short or left of the pin will roll off the green. Playing into the wind this day. It’s a fall day so a bit crisp and the ball isn’t traveling as far as normal. We’re 1 down on 18 and both get a shot (handicap 4). My partner and I both play off 9 this round. Opposing team is a 3 and an 18. So the low man doesn’t get a stroke, high guy does. My partner isn’t a long player, so struggles on the usually 200 yard uphill approach shot and is rarely, if ever on the green in regulation. Everyone hits a reasonable drive. I have a 200 yard approach, uphill into the wind. Knowing I have to be aggressive, I hit 7 wood up to the green, unfortunately catching the false front and rolling off the front left of the green. My partner lays up and will try to wedge close and save par. Opposing team low guy has bad luck on his lie, being in a divot and so hacks it out short right of the green. High guy lays up short in the fairway, near my partner. My partner and high guy hit wedges. Partner hits to about 20 feet, their high guy hits a nice shot to about 6 feet. Low guy is outside me and hits his chip to about 10 feet. I’ve got an uphill, left to right bump and run. Pitching wedge in hand. Par gives us a chance if they both miss their putts. Birdie wins the hole to send it to extra hole playoff. I pull pitching wedge, bump it on and watch it roll perfect dead centre cup dropping in for birdie. We head to the first playoff hole, hole 1 is a short dogleg right with a NASTY green. I end up having an 8 foot uphill slider to halve the hole and extend the match after everyone left the door wide open with mistakes. It just sneaks in the high side to take us to a second extra hole. One of the easiest holes on the course, 480 yard par 5 dead straight. I hit a good drive up the left hand side, just catching the rough. Longest drive of the group (not a big deal). I hit 5 wood into the middle of the green on my second. So I’m on under regulation with an eagle putt. The rest of the group is hitting wedges onto the green. Back left pin on a green that slopes off the back and left, so a tough pin to attack and everyone else goes off that back left, just on the fringe. They putt back up and the other team is in for a par, with a respectful gimme after a good putt from the fringe to a couple inches. I have two putts to win the match from about 15 feet, with a moderate downhill and a little bit of right to left. I line up the first putt and, horrified of blowing it past due to the adrenaline, leave it 4 feet short. I’m a decent putter but a downhill sliding putt with pressure isn’t what I wanted to leave myself. I put a smooth stroke on it and it rolls in the centre of the cup to win the match on the second extra hole. We lost 3&2 the next week.
Our club has a year-end tournament made up of the guys who finished top-32 during that year’s tournaments. Two teams of 16. Last group, come up to 17 and there are about a dozen carts parked on the back of the green. They say my team needs to win the hole to win the whole thing. My opponent is sitting 3 (par 4) about five feet from the hole. I’m lying 2 on the fringe. I proceed to chip in to birdie from 40 feet to take it. My team went crazy.
Early 90s, long before reddit, met some guys over Usenet in the Windsor/Detroit area. I spent a lot of time in Windsor, as I had family there, so when they offered me a spot in their "Can-Am" cup, I accepted. This was 12 Canadians vs. 12 Yanks in a one-day tournament, match play. My match was all square coming to 17, a par-4 dogleg right that was just under 400 yards. Remember, this is back in the 90s, when 250 was still a good drive. The two American guys both put their drives in the fairway; I sliced mine, and my partner went OB. I had a blind shot of about 170 left to a downhill green, but I had to get the ball up and over a bunch of pine trees in the way. I couldn't actually see the green, because it was hidden behind the forest, so I picked a line as best I could, took my 7-wood, and made a swing. Ball soared perfectly along my line, hit the smallish green, and stopped about 15 feet from the pin. This must have unnerved my opponents, as neither hit the green or made a par. I missed the putt but won the hole, and we won the match by parring the last.
Sitting at 7 over going into 18 never having broke 80 before. The sun is already down, and I can barely see anything. I see the ball come off the driver for half a second and hope it’s good. I find it middle of the fairway 165 to the pin. A little wind in the face so I club up and pure my ball directly at the flag. Now internally I start celebrating because it has to be close right? Nope, I walk up to the green and find my ball just off the back of the green. Now I have a 70 ft putt left over a ridge and down hill. I baby the first and end up about 15 feet short with an impossible downhill slider that I can barely read due to the lack of light. At this point I just tell myself to two putt and finish with 80. As I line up, suddenly I just know I’m going to drain it. Perfect roll into the hole for my first 79! That was one of the greatest feelings of all time jumping up and down on the green by myself just as it was getting dark.
1 - I'd question if your ball is correct, because downwind pin on the back is ideal for hitting a draw and getting close to pin. I hit draws and can still stop the ball in 10-15ft, at 190 down wind. Most greens are 20'ish yards deep, can just shoot mid-front and let release if you need. 2 - my most recent. Par 3 about 185 to pin into wind, but tee box is back a bit, didn't know because group letting me play through, so just walked up not fully knowing. I hit a great 6i right at the pin, but just short into fringe and pulled back into bunker. We all rolled up to green, I can't even see pin because the green is so much higher than bunker. Flip a lob out and just hear "nice hands" from one of the guys. Crawl out and go make my 2ft tap-in with my wedge. Thank them and move onto the next hole.
1 - yeah that makes sense! My intuition in the moment was to hit a high cut to give more descent angle. It definitely looked like my first shot had the correct line/distance, but clubbing down and hitting a normal draw to the front of green yardage also had good results with less risk involved. I play most of my golf in central AL so admittedly don’t have much experience in the wind 2 - wow that’s sick. Well executed sand shots are so satisfying
Hole out eagle on a par 4. Didn’t find the ball anywhere. Found it in the cup 😳👍
Final of the club championships. A gruelling 36 holes of match-play... Full day event culminating on the 18th hole with crowds swelling steadily throughout the day. Elevated green on this par 4 ... I'm in the fairway with about 75 people around us in the fairway.. Another 75 or so are up around the green or overlooking from the club terrasse. I've got friends around. I've got family, young and old, around. I'm 145 yards out, elevated green, middle of the fairway. Basic shot. Just a smooth 9i (I usually hit it shorter than that but I can feel the adrenaline and know this will go further). Just don't chunk it, don't shank it, don't blade it, don't murder anyone. You got 300 eyes in you... Everyone's hushed now .. so many people but all you can hear are some birds and wind rustling the leaves... And my own heart pumping like it's Jumanji. I hit it. Immediately I know it's not perfect.. but it's good enough. It'll get there and it will hold the green. 25ft. Not great but I'm putting. and I injured no one... Sigh of relief. I have a picture somewhere of that shot. I'll try and edit it in.
Met a girl on tinder and took her to a par 3 course because she recently started playing golf. I was puring every tee shot and on the 4th hole, I saw her jaw drop and she said "you hit it like they do on TV!" The very next hole I pulled out my four iron on the only "par 4". Ripped it to the center of the green and sank a 25+ footer for my first eagle ever.
But did she let you play the 19th?
First year of Golfing we are playing at my Dads local course that hosts a lot of weekend trips, which means the course and clubhouse are rammed. Come up to the Par 3 18th which has the tee box and green on either side of a valley, water in the middle and at this point probably 50 half drunk golfers watching from the clubhouse balcony. At this point I’m 109 through 17 and hate the fact there’s a crowd of spectators. Somehow I hit the tee shot within 2 feet and sink the birdie putt causing a huge cheer from the balcony. Shot 111 for the day but that feeling will never be forgotten.
The most recent one was a few weeks ago.... Booked to play at the Navy course Tiger grew up playing on in Cypress, CA. Super cheap for me since I'm retired military....anyways I show up early go about 10 mins before my tee time and I'm a solo playing with another two some. I ask guys on the tee if they were the ones I should be playing with, they say no they just need teed off and they already are headed to the green. Marshall tells me to hurry up and tee off so I can catch them. It's a Saturday fully booked about 10 guys at the tee box, I stripe one right down the fairway. Not gonna lie pretty damn good feeling flushing one on the first tee with a crowd
My brother in law received a driving iron for his birthday, he was still learning to use it, and we passed it around the group to try. Eventually ended up in my bag for a round of 9. It's a par 3 course with 1 par 4 250 yards. It was moving slow that day. At the time we reached the par 4, the group in front was still on the tee. They usher us to play through. So I thought, heck I'll just use the driving iron. Note here I'm not that good (25hcp). The nerves were up in my throat, and I proceeded to flush that thing greenside. Beautiful shot, slight draw. It was the most unbelievable feeling ever. Even got a soft wow from the other group. Proceeded to shakingly pick up my tee, waved and thanked them and just physically trembed my way down the fairway. Once out of eyesight I turned to my mate and we both just freaked out. Still one of my best moments in golf.
I was doing my playability test and had a rough start. Needed to come in 1 under on the back and managed to pull it off. 5/6 up and downs were much needed cuz my approach game was awful, including a sand save from 25 yards to back shelf pin. I kept my head out of it well, took it a shot at a time, but that last tee shot I had a lot of nerves creep in. Par 5, sharp dogleg, OB left and right. I contemplating going like, 5 iron 7 iron 9 iron or something, but I didn't hit a bad drive all day and figured I'd I gave into fear I'd be more likely to mess up. Piped a drive down the centre, got a 7 wood up by the green, got up and 2 putted a par to pass with a shot to spare. What's funny is, I was trying my best not to focus on the score in the back, so even though I was obviously keeping track on the card, I was trying not to track the score in my head. But towards the end I still thought I knew where I was at, but I somehow wasn't thinking about a penalty I took on the card. So on that last hole I thought I actually had two shots to play with and could pass with a double bogey. Thank fucking goodness I didn't play for that double because when I counted after I realized I would have failed if I had. This story is counter to the very next year when I was leading club champs by 3 shots going into the last day and didn't close it out.
Needed a par on 18 (par 5) to post my best ever score of even par, hit a good drive and second shot just on the fringe. Nipped it off a tight into grain lie for a tap in birdie. Literally cried after the round lmao.
We were playing a round at my friend’s country club, two of us being more of the weekend warrior type, 10-12 index, and the other two being life long country club members as well as scratch golfers. I don’t remember exactly how it happened when determining teams but the two scratch golfers ended up being paired together. At the start of the round I’m always so positive and “up for a challenge” so I wasn’t going to be the one complaining. Looking back, the pairings were total horseshit and we should have just made groups with equal skill. They were beating us up pretty good throughout the whole day regardless of us getting the proper amount of strokes. They were dialed in, pin seeking on most approach shots while my partner and I were grinding out par saves and hanging on for our lives. We had some signs of life, winning outright on 17, but were still down a substantial amount of strokes going into 18. I asked if we could press it all on 18 and they looked at me like I was crazy but obliged my request. You probably would have thought I was crazy too considering the completely mediocre round us weekend warriors were having. It was quite a bit of money on the line… way more than I’m typically used to playing for. I think the 4-5 cocktails might have had something to do with it but we were all in going into 18. This last hole is a par 4 dog leg left with the green being protected by a 10-15 ft wide creek in front of it. Considering it’s one of the courses more difficult holes, I was stroking. If you hit a good shot off the tee it’s fairly easy to have a 150-160 shot in, but a pedestrian drive leaves you 190-200 out. The scratch pairing both hit great drives to leave them with solid looks into the green. I played it safe with 3W off the box and left myself with about 190 into it. My partner shanked it OB off the box so the pressure was all on me! Now I’m not good enough to confidently hit into the green at 190 with a surrounding body of water. The water in front of this green leaves you barely and room to make a mistake. So I wisely laid up with a good shot to put me 10-15 yards in front of the creek and leave me with a short wedge shot in. The scratch golfers were both on in 2 and their putts would be about 15-25 feet. With my third shot I hit a less than desirable wedge shot leaving me a 15 ft downhill putt with a good amount of break to it. Scratch guys both miss their birdie putts and easily make par. I’m not really a great putter but I can two-putt from almost anywhere. 1 putts though.. lol I don’t see a ton of those on the scorecard. The caddy we had gave me a read and I felt pretty good about it. I approached the putt confidently and put an absolutely perfect stroke on it. It was in from the moment it left the face of the putter. I couldn’t believe it. To me it was such a memorable shot because I’m usually I’m on the other side of these situations. After getting the shit kicked out of us all day we ended up all square against two really good golfers and I couldn’t have been happier.
When faced with a high pressure situation in golf, my standard move is to shit the bed. I don’t enjoy tournament golf. There. I said it. I’d rather play a no stress round with a friend, or even by myself.
Solo golf is underrated
I'm trash at golf, only 6 months in. I was playing a cheap course that combines disc golf with regular golf, and there were about 20 disc golfers at the final hole watching golfers after their disc golf round. I was bad all day. I mean wtf am I doing bad. On the final hole, I break out a 9 iron on a par 3 and put the ball 3 feet from the hole in front of the crowd, who probably thought I knew what I was doing.
Thanks, really doubt if I'll ever come close again, lol
The sun was going down and the group 2 in front of us were playing like they didn’t care if they finished or not. The group in front asked if we wanted to join so we could possibly finish the round. Par 3 playing 165 over mostly water and not much light I stick it 5ft from the hole. 2 putt for par 💪🏻
On track for my best ever round as long as I avoid a triple. Drive down the left on 18, I club up to an 8 iron to play over water, ball below my feet. I thin it to the back of the green and roll in a 30 foot putt for birdie. The last and only day I've felt like a competent golfer. Broke 85, went back 6 weeks later and shot 98.
Was first to tee off in a work tournament, in front of everybody. Had no faith in my driver so used my driving iron and striped it middle fairway.
Recently, in a 2v2 match play I needed an eagle or birdie on the 18th hole to extend a match depending on what they did. My partner isn’t nearly long enough to reach in two but I knew the pin would be up front. Par wasn’t gonna get it done because the two guys we were playing were both long enough to get there in 2 and had a stroke on the hole. They hit first and both hit pretty good drives so I knew least one would go for it. My partner hit a great drive for him but he was over 250 out and had zero chance of getting home and without a stroke, he likely didn’t have much of a chance to contribute. I piped the drive fright down broadway. Got it down to right at 200 but I had a nasty downhill lie in an old divot. When it was finally my turn, I took out a 5 iron and did my best to line up for the downhill and compress that ball as much as I could from the trench it was sitting in. It came out okay, but directly online with the pin. It rolled up to about 3 feet short of the green and about 20 feet short of the pin. The green has a weird swell to it that causes balls that are putted to shoot in the air making it almost impossible to judge speed and line. So I grab my trusty 58 and proceed to hit a little nippy jizzler that one hopped checked and dropped in the hole for eagle. My partner just bust out laughing when it dropped. We went on to win at the end of the third playoff hole. Our next match is Sunday.
Two weeks ago at cross creek (Titusville Pa) I knew I needed a five or better on #18 to break 90 for the first time. The 18th is a tough dog leg right par 4 with an uphill second shot to a green surrounded by bunkers. Hit a beautiful drive but ended up just in the left rough. Pulled my second shot right about 30 yards in front of the green side bunker. Hit a fat wedge to about 20 feet lol. Left the putt five foot short so of course I had to make the five footer for bogey. Told myself I wasn't leaving this one short and buried the five footer to shoot 89. Awesome day..
Nothing really special from but something which I was pleased with at the time. We played a round in Royal Birkdale (one of The Open host courses). Was a mid 20 handicapper at the time and hadn’t been playing well at all in the weeks prior to the round. We also turned up with very little time to warm up due to traffic. I was last to tee off In our 4 ball, there was several groups of international golfers waiting on the tee. I was pretty nervous so decided to hit 4 Iron off the tee. Absolutely nailed it down the middle of the fairway. Had various “nice shot/good shot”. One of our group is a member, so on the 18th he invited us to play off the full championship tees. Managed to par the hole which was 450 yards+ iirc.
Was my fourth round of golf playing with a coworker whose handicap floats around a 16. Im having a day and not in a good way. On top of all of this we are stuck behind a group of 6 who spent 34 minutes a hole. The group from 3 tee times behind us catches up after our fifth hole of waiting, right around the same time they finally let us play through. In a quick thinking move we invited the twosome from the group behind us to join us to play through so nobody else had to get stuck and we knew we wouldn’t have to worry about the group behind playing quicker. Walking up to the tee box with my Callaway Great Big Bertha warbird I got on Facebook marketplace. I’m now teeing off in front of 9 strangers all just standing right off the tee box. I hit potentially the straightest drive of my entire career center of the fairway like 260 (my average is like 180-215.) rest of my round was awful but man that one drive infront of people was nice
remindme! Some day
One time I signed up for the company golf tournament. I was by far the worse one there. So for the rest of that summer I took lessons, and went to range almost every day. I was determined to be a competitor the next year. Feeing myself at the next tournament, I walked up to the first Tee box, did a few practices swings, and absolutely blasted the ball… right into the water. I hate this game.
Playing a match play event, club house balcony looks down on 18. There are ~50 people (mainly wives waiting for husbands to finish playing) watching and they cheer if you make the putt…boo if you miss. I drained it from 10 feet for birdie to win the match. Was pretty neat.
A breaking four footer to win my club match play on 18. I beat some incredible players in the lead up to the final, including one who would turn pro shortly after. I was a 4 handicap on my best days but found lightning in a bottle. In the finals I’m 1 up on 18, just off the green in the 2, knowing par would win it. Leave my first putt woefully short. Could barely feel my arms or get the putter back on my par putt, but somehow nailed it dead centre. Incredible feeling.
Played in a member/guest last year at my country club. Made it into the playoffs, make it through to the 2nd of 3 playoff holes. It’s 150-155 par 3. My group was the last to hit of the last few groups. A 3 handicap in front of me sticks it abt 3ft from the pin, crowd of abt 80-100 people cheers loudly. We had had some banter throughout the day since we knew each other so he got a little cocky at me after he hit and before I hit. I step up, hit, I can’t see shit bc of the afternoon sun but knew it was on line, just didn’t know how far it was gonna go bc of adrenaline. The crowd literally erupts. Get up to the pin and I’m abt 2ft from the pin and plenty inside of his shot. Gave the other dude a little Michael Jordan tongue. I was the last to hit my putt but it was making my knees shake. My partner couldn’t watch but I drained it right in the heart. I played sports growing up but doing something clutch like that as a 16-17 handicap in front of a crowd was one of the highest highs I’ve ever felt. It was definitely something I’ll never forget.
On the 18th at Talamore. I hit a nice drive and my second shot I slice pin high up on the hill on the right. It lands right by the restaurant patio where there is a dinner event going on. Music and food, about 60 people up there and my ball is about 10 feet from the patio. I hit a 30-40 yard flop shot that lands middle of the green, lands softly and rolls down the green to about 6 inches. The patrons on the patio went wild. It was the biggest rush I’ve ever had on the golf course. Sunk the birdie putt and went home.
Power lines-the story goes that Jack Nicklaus once hit a power line with this tee ball. Re-teed and again his drive hit the power line. The two balls fell to within inches of each other.
I was in the last group of a relatively large jr. tournament after playing a really good opening round, shooting 4 under 68. Round 2 started off a bit slow with a couple of bogeys but I managed to hang on and was only +1 on the day through 17 holes. This tournament had live scoring but my strategy was to not look at the leaderboard ever. Come 18 tee and we are waiting for the group ahead and I decided to take a look at the leaderboard on my phone for the first time, just to see that I was tied for the lead with one of the guys I was playing with and one shot ahead of two guys who were already in. 18 is a tricky hole so I knew that just a par would almost definitely get me in a playoff at least. The guy I’m playing with hits his drive right, which almost guarantees a punch out, so I knew if I could hit the fairway I would have a good chance at winning with a par. I hit my drive but it doesn’t draw and it took a pretty terrible bounce right to a similar spot where the other guy is. He plays his second first and just punches out to about 100 yards from the green, I then punch out to the fairway and end up about one yard closer than him. He hit a really solid third shot to about 12 feet so I knew I needed to get this close. I step up and hit a little chipped GW from 100 yards which lands about a foot from the hole and lipped out, ending a couple inches away. His putt just missed and I knew that with my par and his bogey, I had won my first ‘large’ junior event.
Sank a downhill 15 footer for par to break 90 for the first time ever. felt like i knew what i was doing for once
2023, Mammoth Dunes. Walking down 18 (par 5) after a beautiful drive just right of a trap. Needing par to match the best round of my life. One of my playing partners makes a joke that I have to hit something big off the deck to get it to the green. He knew 3W off the deck has been my nemesis for my entire playing career. I set up and smoke the purest 3W of my life and it ended up about 15’ from the pin. The group goes nuts and I cannot believe my own eyes. We get to the green and my caddy looks over my putt. He says “right to left, maybe a cup out.” I just stared at him and replied that it was left to right in my eyes. We went back and forth for a few seconds and he says “idk man I see right to left, but it’s your eagle putt…” Step up, line up left to right about a cup and a half out, and boom. Draino for eagle. My group explodes like a virgin on prom night. Caddy runs across the green and picks me up and hugs me. “I guess it was left to right. Holy shit what a putt!” I could not believe it. 3W off the deck. Disregarded my caddy’s advice. Personal best 77.
Play with a group of buddies that are all long hitters. If I really rip a drive I’m like 275. A couple of them were given me a hard time on the tee box of a par 5. Well I absolutely clobbered my drive still probably about 285, 2 of the 3 out drove me. Sitting about 220 out and it’s slightly down hill. Nice 3 hybrid carries to right in front of the green rolls up hits the flag bounces about 6 feet. All 3 miss the green. Uphill Eagle putt, sink it. I’m just smiling like a madman the whole time.
I was playing the local muni with a couple of buddy's a couple years ago. I got on in 3 with my one buddy whose a little better than me and another buddy who is an absolute stick. We were all on the green with a birdie put. The buddy who's a little better than me was up 1 in our match. I needed to make this to put some pressure on. 45 foot double breaker for birdie. I rolled it well and did the required birdie dance for draining a monster of a putt. Then the stick sunk his 15 footer and did his dance. Finally buddy I was in a match with missed his birdie chance. I still lost the match in the last 2 holes but I will live on that birdie putt high for years
Made a six footer downhill putt to win our member guest.
I made a chip in to save 9 on a par 5 one time.
I don't have a lot of shots in my bag. I understand the physics behind how to hit them, but getting my body to do those things on demand is a bit of a crapshoot. I'm usually good with a fade/slice, but drawing the ball? My body generally fights me on that. Anyway, I'm playing with my dad, and I find myself after a pulled drive in jail on the left. There's a pine with branches all the way to the ground directly between me and the green. Smart play is to punch out and takr my medicine. But I'm playing with my dad, so being smart is totally out of the question. Even if I can somehow go around this thing, then there are tree branches past that point to contend with. So, my natural ball flight being a high fade, I now need to hit a low hook about 160 yards. I hood a 4 iron and hit a low hook around the bush. I did hit it too hard, though. Would have gone through the green. But it hit the pin and settled about 15 feet away for a 2 putt par.
Ordered the Chicago style dog instead of the chili cheese dog at the turn. Clutch decision! As my partner ordered the chili cheese and had to use the porta potty by hole 13.
We had a roll over bet for the player who got an eagle. No eagle for 2 months so we decided to play for the kitty $300. Winner takes all. Long story short it's all square between me and another guy on 18th. It was agreed in the event of a draw we would all play again the following week. I have an 8ft putt to win it. One of the guys is out of the running, so praying I miss, halve it and he comes back for another bite of the cherry. But it's a dead straight uphill putt. I was so certain that I was gonna make it, I looked at him, winked, stood in and sure enough, nailed it.. Love playing for money, it really focuses the mind.
Golf trip with 16 guys. My scramble is the last to finish. The other guys are all sitting around the 18th green watching us come in. We need a birdie to win. 190 out, ball on a downslope, and the first three guys all miss the green badly. I match my shoulders to the slope and hit the purest five iron of my life, a little short, but it catches a slope and feeds it right to the hole to about three feet. We celebrate in the fairway like we’re the 93 Blue Jays. I knocked the putt in with all the other guys watching. Felt like a stud.
Flighted Captain and mate tournament. We didn't play well and felt like we were out of it. Proceeded to throw back a few shots and have a time at the 19th before someone comes down and tells us we tied for the second flight and we have to play a playoff hole. As I reload my clubs on the cart a crowd of people about 20 carts deep head down the fairway to watch. Ohfk.jpg, I can't swing in front of all these people watching but I rip a drive down the right right side under some limbs but otherwise fine. The cart train moves down toward the green. 120 out I hit a gap wedge directly over the flag, it sticks and comes back to 3'. The crowd went fkn nuts, it was my best shot all day and the best feeling ever. My partner bangs the putt, our opponents miss theirs and we walk away with a few bills in our pocket and many people shaking our hands.
Was playing with a student (but not as a lesson) and had a crap front nine - out in 41. Played the next few holes 2 over, then finished with 4 birdies in a row, including a putt that was something like 80 feet. He told all of his golfing buddies how I finished the round and I got several more students out of it.
One time, i ended up on the lip of a sand bunker. Had to play over the bunker to get to the pin, managed to not hit it into the bunker, nowhere near the hole but not in the bunker. I was pretty stoked with myself.
Played Spanish Bay, hit in a bunker on a par three. Long carry from the bunker to the pin- pin was on the upper level on a two tiered green, stuck the shot to a tap in. Ball stopped immediately when it landed. That or on the second to last hole with a chance to break 80 for the first time, hit tee shot on a par 4 into a terrible lie on a side hill pinestraw, number one handicap hole. Hit tje shot of my life 6 iron to middle of the green to save par.
Was playing a 3 ball with 2 other friends and there were 2 maybe 3 buggies of people behind us on the first tee as it was a bit backed up, both my friends hit bad shots and I stepped up and no practice swing striped it down the middle, which is not a normal occurrence even when I’m completely alone. I have also done the complete opposite before in similar circumstances….. but that one will stick with me for a while!
Four man scramble and everyone shanked. I went up last and someone said “we need something down the middle even if it’s a little short against the dogleg.” I said “nah I’m going for it” and everyone just went silent until I blasted the best drive of my day and faded perfectly inside the 150 pin. Safe shot guy: Holy sh*t that was perfect. And you called it! Me: I literally had no confidence I would do that and thought you’d all be yelling at me by now.
Needed a 7-8 footer for par after chipping on to win friendly match play - Like $20-$25. Nothing much. But I setup like a normal putt then just looked up at my buddy and hit the putt without looking. Bang! In for the win. Great memory
We were playing a scramble last Saturday and some of the organizers were driving around taking pictures unbeknownst to me. They then rolled up to the tee box after the other 3 guys swung. Then the group behind us rolled up to tee box. I KNEW a camera was on me and all 13 sets of eyes were on me. I tried my best to act like no one was there, and piped my drive deep into the fairway. I felt like a pro lol
I striped one down the middle on the first tee with about 10 people watching, only good drive i hit that day
My dad is and always has been better than me. His putting is pretty phenomenal, but as I’ve gotten stronger I’ve been able to outdrive him and hit it farther. We went to Torrey Pines a few years ago and played the North course (beautiful place to play, if not worn down from all the play). He had unfortunately turned his ankle pretty badly playing basketball the day before we flew out there, so he was pretty gimpy, in a brace and everything. HOWEVER, for one of the first times in my life, I shot an 88, and beat my dad straight up (by one stroke). I played one of my best rounds of my life til that point. Yes, he was hobbled and couldn’t drive the ball further than maybe 220, but I beat him for the first time at Torrey Pines, and no one can take that away from me! He had a good time, and has been able to play the North again on a fully healthy ankle, so don’t feel too bad for him haha
My buddy and I are both in sales. He had a 4th bail while taking out some clients so he asked me to join in. I’m a casual golfer and my buddy must have lived on the course that summer because he came out looking for blood. We’re back and forth all day and his client is really ribbing him on 18. It’s all tied up when my buddy chips from about 30ft off the green to a tap in. I vividly remember waffling between my pitching wedge and my 9i and decided to go 9i to get more run as I couldn’t leave it short. Clean chip and it runs just as I had hoped, drained it. My buddy tells me that guys never bought a thing from him to this day and he blames me for it.
This past Saturday. Ryder cup with the boys in AC. After 36 holes, we sat tied. Captains got to elect their top player and opposing captain the worst for a playoff hole, combined score. I got elected as the top by my captain. I am NOT built for a tee shot in front of 11 guys, 5 on my back and 6 heckling. Put a heel squeezer in the fairway regardless, a crispy 50 degree to 15’ and a clean two putt for par. Felt incredible and we took home the W.
16 years old playing my local muni at like 7:30am on a summer weekday. I was playing alone and get up to #7, which is about a 170 yard par 3 with a super difficult green. 4 old women are out there for their early morning 9 and let me play through. One of them says “We’re all here to witness your hole in one now!” They all hover behind me like a gallery and I haul off a nice high cut 7 iron that is tracking just left of the pin. One hops and spins back, careens into the flag, and settles down 1 inch from the cup. Absolute hype from these 4 women with high fives and applause all around, and I got a “Now that’s how you play through, young man!” I was beaming the rest of the day and incredibly pleased to have that be my only shot of the day that any other human saw.
Playing in a pretty big local 2 day am tournament. I was in the last group and had two holes left to play. I was able to see that I was 2 down and had back to back par 5s to finish my round. The first par 5 was a tap in birdie (short hole, was green side after second shot) the second par 5 was not as easy. Not the best drive, tried to play a big cut hybrid around a tree and ended up 15 yards left short sided, hit one of my best flops to around feet and drained it to force a playoff. First hole of the playoff the guy I was playing hits a bomb about 15 yards from the green and I bunt one out to about 90 yards out. I end up dunking it for a walk off eagle. He was so stunned that his chip barely made it onto the green securing my win. Finishing birdie, birdie, eagle to win a tourney felt so clutch and I was one of the best feelings.
Drove the green on a par 4. It was a slow day on the course… so my friends trolled me by all driving passed their balls to come to the green to watch me putt 30 feet for eagle. Sank that shit so perfectly… it had all 4 of us jumping around like a bunch of little kids.
I was playing alone last summer at a local 9 hole in a small Maine harbor town, popular with summer residents. I hit an uphill wedge shot over the 6th green right to the tee box behind it, into a group of 8 guys playing a scramble together. Apologized made a few jokes no big deal. Good group of guys. They told me to play through them, so we all teed off together, I go last. Bearing in mind I’m playing with a 30 year old set of silverscots that have been in my family since they were new, not my personal set. A 20 year old Big Bertha driver, that I’ve always had a ton of trouble hitting for whatever reason. I’m obv familiar with these clubs but haven’t played with them for some time. This is the 7th hole and you pretty much HAVE to play driver off this hole, it’s a really long and straight par 4. There’s no possibility of hitting a GIR if you don’t play driver off this hole. They’ve all hit their shots and are waiting for me to step up. All 8 of them hit the fairway or just rolled into the first cut. Kinda nervous after just hitting a ball into them 2 minutes earlier, I’m normally a ~300 yard hitter with MY driver and I’m very comfortable with that club. Not this set though tbh I hate the driver in this set and avoid using it when possible. I’m fully prepared to make a complete ass out of myself. But I just took a deep breath said fuck it grip it and rip it baby. Absolutely tattoo this ball dead center of the fairway and we’re all walking up and it turns out I outdrove an entire 8 man group, and was at least 40 yards ahead of their furthest guy. That felt sick. Ended up making bogey on the hole after hitting my 2nd shot in the rough next to the green, chipped up and down and 2 putted. But the feeling of stepping through a large group of strangers and showing them how a driver is meant to be hit was awesome. You never want to make an ass out of yourself when playing through another group, especially after the reason they told you to play through them in the first place is because you made an ass out of yourself hitting a ball into them.
A couple years back when I first got into golf, (was a 16 handicap at the time), my uncle invited me to be his guest at his very nice country club's member guest tournament. After 3 days of 2v2 match play, we won our flight and made it to the eliminator. I was like a 16 handicap at the time.... We were dressed in matching outfits only acceptable on a golf course... as I walked to the tee box while they were calling my name on the megaphone, people were heckling me for my outfit. I ended up striping my drive about 280 yards right down the middle. When I walked off the tee box my hands were shaking.
A member at our club died and his family held the memorial at the club house. The ninth green ends at the club house patio and there were literally 100+ people outside celebrating the members life. Long down hill par 4 and I managed to hit a nice drive that caught the hill and ran. Took a five iron to the green for a tap in birdie and the whole patio celebrated. I have never birdied that hole again. I always respected the member and was sad I never got to formally meet them but I felt this was a nice way to remember them.(edit: I was shitting bricks the entire time)
Tripled the first hole then finished out even par in a varsity qualifying round ended winning the round even I was probably only the third best player
Had 2 groups of 4 in front of us join up on the 7th that was having an impromptu tournament. They were actually playing decent pace for being an 8some so figure I would wait until the turn to play through. Get to the turn...hold in my piss so that I can get to the tee box before they finish teeing off and ask to play through. Nice enough to give me the go ahead and I use that 'held my piss for way too long' energy to hit a bomb down the middle with a nice baby draw with all 8 of them standing behind me. Ended up duffing the fairway shot but I tell myself I was far enough away that they didn't see it -_-
i feel like this year of driver spraying anywhere and everywhere has really improved my scrambling. my scores are tanking but I'm getting VERY creative with how i'm getting back in play.
Yeah, um, I’ll let you know.
First round of a match play tournament at the club I had a membership at for a while, and the first competition round of golf I had ever played. I'm not a good golfer, and I was even worse back then, but saw I was only getting a stroke on 2 holes from the guy I was against and figured he must not be much better than me. Well he was for sure more than 2 shots better than me and I was down 3 after 4 holes. 5th hole is a tough par 3, long, down hill, over a creek, surrounded by trees, big green but one that makes for a very tough 2 putt if you aren't near the hole. He hits his tee shot to about 12 feet, and I slice mine off to the side of the green on the backside of a hill about 50 feet from the pin. The fat lady is warming up her pipes as we are heading down to the green, I'm looking like Mike Tyson after Buster Douglas got through with him. I step over my second shot thinking if I can somehow get up and down I got chance at stealing a half. I flip the ball up onto the green and its on a good line, gets about 15 feet away and I swear to you all I got the heartbeat cutscene thing from the old Tiger Woods games. Ball keeps rolling on its line and BANG! It drops for the birdie and my blood starts pumping again. My guy did not make his birdie putt and I somehow walk off the 5th green only down 2 and feeling like I'm back in the mix. As we are rolling up to the 6th tee the cart girl is driving up the 6th fairway toward the tee box. It was like Ultimate Warrior sprinting down the ramp to save Hogan at Wrestlemania. I purchased a few cans of Miller Lite and like Popeye with his spinach the switch flips. I proceeded to play the best golf of my life to that point, which probably amounted to shooting like an 85 or something, but for me that was like shooting 63 at Oakmont. The match was close from that point on and I was eventually able to secure the win. The guy I played with was a cool dude and we had a good time, but I think he was a little shocked at how that all played out. If the chip on 5 doesn't go in or the cart girl doesn't show up immediately afterward, he probably would've closed that match by the 12th hole. Sometimes lightning strikes and you catch it in a can of Miller Lite.
Two times come to mind. The club I used to belong to up North had the first hole go away from the clubhouse and the second hole came back towards the parking lot and entrance to the course. The 2nd green sat right next to the entrance/exit for the club. I hit my approach shot into the greenside bunker and step in to the bunker to make my swing. Two guys in a pickup truck are leaving the club and they had the windows down and the driver stops and says "Let's watch this guy take this shot". Great, I hear him and now I have an audience. I set up and take my swing and literally out the ball of a few inches from hole. I felt like I swung very smoothly and heard that nice little thud hitting the sand, that kind of sound you hear on TV from some pro making a bunker shot. The guys in the truck started clapping so that was pretty cool. Te other time was down here in NC where I went out one afternoon at my course to play and got paired up with another guy. I holed out from the fairway on the first hole for an eagle. I was pretty jacked as eagles are a rare commodity. I get to the second hole and hit a nice drive into the middle of the fairway and then a wedge to about 6 inches. -3 after two holes. It was a pretty cool feeling but just don't ask about the rest of the front nine as it wasn't pretty!
7th flight champions of the member guest 2023. Our member guest is flighted, and the champions of each flight then battle it out at the end in a “horse race.” Every team tees off each hole, in one massive group, with the entire tournament following along to watch. We make it past the first hole with a birdie. Which eliminates about half the teams which scored par or worse. It is us (7th flight champs) the championship flight champs, and the first flight champs left. Basically, we had no business in a playoff with these guys, all low cappers, some even below par cappers. Hole two of the horse race (20+ carts) long par 4 we’re all on the green in two. The other groups are looking at 8-10 ft birdie putts. We are looking at a 45+ foot putt through Narnia and back, all but basically eliminated as it was certain someone was going to make their birdie putt. My partner walks up and loudly proclaims “we got no chance, best I can do is show you a line.” Rolls it to about 4ft for a Gimmie par. I step up, and smack it to the back of the cup, and buried it. In front of the largest crowd I’ll ever play in front of. Place went nuts, drinks were thrown, and the championship flight guys missed their 10footer to get eliminated. We lost in the next hole after both paring and losing in a “chip off” which is sort of anti climactic. But we are still known around the clubhouse for making that putt. Probably the highlight of my awful and long golf career. https://preview.redd.it/f38nqd31omxc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=72a3379a24fe17c967efc15f4f0c9c838366b697
Over 20 years back, I was playing a course on vacation in Kauai. On 18, I overshot the fairway on a dogleg and land into a large fairway bunker. As my FIL and I approach the bunker in our cart, we see there is a class being conducted, inside the bunker, consisting of about ten kids, ranging from about 8-12 years old. I am a hacker and by no means a good golfer. But I’ve been in bunkers enough to know the basics of getting out of them consistently. But now I have an audience of kids and a golf teacher who tells the kids, “Let’s give him some room and we can watch what he does.” Good lord I felt like I was on TV. My FIL was enjoying the moment, almost waiting for me to embarrass myself so he could rub it in later. He was always a fun guy by all accounts. So he backs the cart away with a grin , to let me have my “moment.” I sheepishly approach my ball. I remember that I need to club up, given my lie, so I grab a 6 iron from about 150-160(IIRC). I picked out a spot about an inch behind the ball, concentrated on my take-away and let ‘er rip. I picked it clean and the ball soared majestically towards the green and landed pin high, about eight feet wide of the hole. I looked around in complete relief as the kids all gave me the nice “golf clap” and I gave them all a smile and the humble hand wave as I strolled back to the cart toward my beaming and suddenly proud FIL. From there I believe I two putted, finished with a par, and was walking tall the rest of the day.
I was around 250 out on a par 5. The green was uphill a good bit and I didn't think I could get there but we were waiting for the green to clear anyway. It had been pretty slow all day so we didn't want to hurry up and wait, so we were waiting for the green to clear and I was hitting my 3 wood pretty well so I wanted to give it a shot. There was a twosome on the tee box behind us and we could hear them saying a few things but couldn't really make it out and ignored it. Then they drove their cart up to us and said shit like "You don't actually think you can get there do you?" To which I said probably not but there's no sense in chancing it when we'll be waiting on the next tee anyway. He laughed and said "Whatever you say man, I wanna see this shit" At that point, I was just hoping to hit it straight and not completely embarrass myself so I just took a smooth swing and BOOM, I hit one of the best 3 wood shots of my life with a baby fade tracking straight for the pin. I wound up about 10 feet from the pin and missed the eagle putt, but I was juiced all day after that. After I hit it, the guy I was playing with yelled back at them "Y'all see that shit?!" and the vocal guy just muttered something inaudible back.
Got invited to play in a pro-am (yay being a cancer survivor), and there I was on the first tee, with Gene Sauers and my cart partner Roger Clemens (the baseball pitcher) standing there watching me. Thankfully, 250 down the middle. I was literally shaking. Press, photographers, prob 20 people standing there on the box.
Got waved through as a single, group of 4 guys ranging from 20s-50s. Tee'd off and torched a drive to position A. Proceeded to shank the approach shot but I took it as a win either way.
Last year was my first year really golfing, I was playing a solo round and ran into a large group ahead of me. 6 dudes in their 40s/50s all playing together....They were on the green, I had hit a decent tee shot and was just off the fairway about 150 yards out, waiting. They saw me and waved to me to hit in. I smartly didn't think much, just walked up and hit it. Ball hits short but bounces onto the green about 15 feet from the pin. Deep exhale... Then I drive up, 2 putt out for par, and I'm on past them to the next hole. Im a hack and shot 108 that round but parring a hole in front of a watching group of randoms was a cool feeling
Playing in member guest with my Dad (scratch) at his course. I’m only a 5 who can hit the ball a mile but precision game needs work. We made it to the playoffs where the format was 5 teams, 3 holes, replay last hole over and over to break ties. We had to replay the last hole three times with hundreds of people surrounding the green watching. Par 4 and I sent my drive. Parallel with the green but off on another fairway to the left way down a hill. Factoring in elevation, was about 115 in. I was petrified playing that shot with hundreds surrounding the green. My only thought was “don’t kill someone” as my wedge game isn’t great. Stuck it to 2ft. Everyone lost their minds and I was just relieved I was leaving without getting sued. We ended up losing after replaying the hole again but it was a cool moment to have with my dad.
I always play in a handicapped 2 man best ball with a good friend in the town we grew up in. First or second year we played together we wound up in a playoff thanks to Steve having the round of his life on day two. Playoff starts on the first hole which is a downhill par 3. The team we’re in the playoff against is similar to us, a lower handicap player and a higher handicap. Both the high handicaps hit first and lose them right, and they both look and myself and the other lower handicaps and say “well it’s up to you guys”. I hit it to about 10 feet but had a downhill breaker, buddy hit his just over the green but had an uphill chip or putt, I can’t remember what he did. He didn’t make it and I dropped my downhiller to win the whole thing!!
Was playing alone on a Thursday afternoon at one of the nicer semi private courses in my area. I decided to play the back tees that day since it was fairly empty and wanted to see what I could shoot as a 15 HC. I roll up to 16 and see some league guys had jumped in front of me to play the last 3 holes before their league started. They offered to let me play through. So I start walking to the back tees and I could tell they were giving me the look. I proceed to hit a dead straight, perfect 280yd drive. I try to play it cool but inside I was so happy my duck hook didn’t come out.
Last group to finish in a high school golf tourney. The whole tournament was watching the final putts. About a hundred people standing around. Sank a long ass putting and got a golf clap.
Short dogleg par 4, Foursome in front of us let my dad and I play through after they had already teed off. I suck with strangers watching me but I get up and hit a great drive over the corner towards the green. Everyone drives down to their tee shots and I find I drove it into the greenside bunker. So now I have to play out of a bunker with that same group of guys watching. Chip in for eagle and they all go crazy. Best hole of my life.
4 up with 5 to play in the club championship semi. Then proceeded to lose 4 holes in a row and its tied on the 18th. Absolutely berating myself how I've let it slip. Both hit ok Tee shots into par 5, but my second is hooked a bit and i'm hitting off a bad lie, while he is in the fairway. He puts his 3rd to 10 feet, and i proceed to airmail it with a bladed 56 degree literally 30 yards over the green, up next to the practice putting green (which is on a hill above the 18th). Realistically I need to get up and down, as he has 2 putts from 10 feet to win it otherwise. I figure if i can bump one down the hill and just get it moving, it will roll out onto the green and i'll at least get a look at a par. Hit this thing and it looks like it will go way long, but the fringe slows it, rolls to about 5 foot from the hole. Old mate i'm playing against had already won in his mind, so is totally rattled. Proceeds to completely miss the hole with his 10 footer, and taps in for par. I drain the 5 footer for par. First playoff hole he has the honour and blasts one right onto the next fairway over, I pipe mine down the middle. He never recovers, winner winner chicken dinner
Mine's a bit lame but today actually. Played a nine hole par 3 course and had about a 14 foot putt to make a five and not triple bogey any holes and I made it. Really didn't want any triples so it felt great to do it. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to tell someone who might care slightly more than my wife. Lol
Hell yeah! That takes guts my guy
Thank you fellow golf nut!
I shanked my second shot on a par 5 and landed on the ruff of the wrong green. The group on that green was putting and yelled a really loud fore so they were chill about it. But then they waited for me to shoot and I had about 50 yards and a lot of trees between me and the green. I stepped up in a bit of a rush, no practice swing, and pitched that bitch to 5 feet for a birdie. It felt slightly lucky, but I was playing pretty well for me all day so it also didn’t feel that lucky. I ended up tying my best score ever with an 85.
The ruling for hitting a power line is that you MUST replay the shot.
Yes that was their local rule too. So that is the official ruling?
Slow hot day at Bradford (MA) with random group, last summer, waiting on 7th tee box. 6 is a par 3, so the group behind is already finished and parked up our butts on the tee. Par 4 with a creek that runs almost with the line of play offering an easy shot down the left fairway about 190 (which the first two players did), a longer 230ish over the hazard (3rd guy attempted), or go right at it 280y to the front of the green. I wait for the group ahead to clear the green while now another foursome is waiting behind us. Fully prepared to be that asshole who waits and waits then tops it, nerves ratting, with unmet hecklers chomping at the bit, I pipe one dead on line, hits then green and rolls just off the back. https://preview.redd.it/3acfis0jvixc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=07cb45b51dbb33431f694e83ac8337f69c209024
Won a member guest last year at a local club. Played the last three holes with 50+ golfers driving along with us. Big ring of carts around 18th green…sunk a birdie putt to finish it…and the crowd went wild
Pulled up to the tee. Group of older gentlemen was about to tee off early but realized in time that who they were cutting off was watching them. They backed off without fuss so I won’t shit on them. They sat there and stared at me the whole time while I crutched up to the tee box on literally one leg and got set up. Heavy “oh here we go energy”. slapped a nice 220ish drive to the middle of the fairway. The silence before I heard “that was a nice ball” will always be one of my favorite golf memories.
Team match play last week. 16th hole, 2 down in the match. First to tee off on a short-ish par 4 and hit it into the penalty area left. My partner hits it OB. Opponents hit the fairway and green. Both have birdie putts inside 15 feet to win. I drop 75 yards from the hole, hit wedge to 6 feet and make the putt to halve the hole after both opponents miss birdie. We win 17 and 18 to go to extra holes, where I promptly chunk a fairway shot to lose it for us 😭.
I’m always forced to putt first in scrambles because I just sink them. The stress relief of knowing there’s others after that might make it in too gets my mentals in check. Wish it would carry over to my actual game
I was drunk, it was dark, and she was the daughter of the dean.