Most Unusual Incident on a Golf Course?

[Greg Tallman]

Had to think rather hard on this one but it came to me.

Probably about 1984 or 85 back hom ein Parkersburg, West Virginia. Playing the absolute dog track, Worthington Golf Club that was my second home. As we wait to tee off on the sixth hole we see a large procession walking down the street alonside the sixth tee, well dressed group, somewhat curious but nothing to get excited about or so we thought.

The group jumps onto the golf course just in front of the 6th tee and a handful start climbing down into the rather large creek some 30 yards in front of the tee while the 40-50 others stand along the bank looking down at the proceedings.

We get curious and walk over to the bridge to see what is happening and come to find that it is a baptism for a couple of youngens. Boom dunk 'em in the creek and there you have it.

The bad part of the story is after we see what is happening we return to the tee and proceed to launch them over the heads of the crowd (the tee IS slightly elevated). Were the same to happen today I would like to think we would just move the next set of tees and thank them for the advantage. Hey after a hook into the trees I did contain my normal commentary that would have been untimely given what was transpiring in front of us.
 

[Evan Fleisher]

I have recounted this story here in the past, but it is a recent bizzaro memory from 2008...


Playing golf with a co-worker and family friend last year in the Cleveland area...par-4 hole, hit my approach shot just short and left of the green.  Had about 40 yards to the pin on a raised green, and decided to hit a high floater with my 60-degree wedge.

As I hit my shot, a small group of swallows (at least I think that is what they were) comes flying across the green.  These little birds had been all over the course, flying very quickly like bats about one foot above the surfaces over which they flew and also flying in circles.  Anyways, these birds are "dancing" all over the putting surface and sure enough, my ball descends from the heavens straight down onto one of these speeding birds and...THUD!...pins it to the ground.

The bird laid there stunned, but began to flap one of its wings and it was breathing.  I ran up there to see what had happened and lifted the bird up to go place it under a nearby tree for safety and to get it out of any further harms way.  As we came back to the 18th hole (right near the same green) we went over to the tree and sure enough the bird had died.

I still feel so bad about the incident, but it was a completely harmless accident, one which I'd never seen happen before (and I hope never occurs again).

[Doug Sobieski]

1990 or so, before everyone carried a cell phone, I had to run a message out to Arnold Palmer on the golf course from his office. I catch him as he's walking off the 16th tee, and I tell him what I had to relay to him. A moment later he starts walking again and not 5 steps in front of him a tall tree falls down across his path! To this day, I think my timing saved his life

[Jay Flemma]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAVAzfXhIWU&feature=related