Most Grueling Day of Golf

[Jim Thornton]

Reading the thread about the "Perfect Day of Golf" got me to thinking about my most grueling day of golf.

For me, it was August, 1983 in Richmond, VA.  The temperature reached a high of 101 degrees, and the humidity was about 50%.

Some friends and I played 45 holes at Confederate Hills Golf Course.  We walked and carried our own bags for all 45 holes.  Confederate Hills was in a rather low lying, swampy area with water in play on 14 holes.  Most of the water was fetid ponds infested with flies and mosquitos. 

The combination of heat, humidity, and bugs resulted in an exquisite cauldron of misery that I haven't experienced since.  We were actually intent on playing 54 holes, but after the 45th hole, I literally started seeing things and became afraid that I was bordering on delirium.

When I finally drug myself home about 8 p.m. that night, I was sunburned, cramping, dehydrated, and eaten alive with mosquito and fly bites. 

To this day I don't know what possessed me to do it.  I will say this, though.....everytime I see my old buddies we recount the story and laugh like crazy.


Jim

[David Neveux]

54 Holes at the Fine Bandon Resort; passed out beer in hand, 1st beer of the day!! 

Can't wait to do it again

Nev

[Ronald Montesano]

100 holes in one day for Cancer Research.  I imagine the guys from Washington Golf Monthly who did 10 rounds in one day had it worse.

[Tom_Doak]

Carnoustie, in the wind, in a medal play event. 

My experience was only in the Dunhill Links Tournament, a best-ball event where my score seldom mattered, and nobody else really cared what I shot anyway.  It was still grueling.  It must be murder for competitors in The Open.

[JMEvensky]

Any 36-hole USGA qualifier in Memphis in July.Bataan couldn't have been much harder.

[Alex Chehansky]

the day after the US OPen at Oakmont in 2007.  We played at 9:30 am the monday after Cabrera won.  At dinner the night before, we guessed, as it normally is the day after majors when we play, that the greens crews would have the day off and no maintenance was completed, therefore, the greens would be slower than the day before and a bit shaggier.  However, knowing the Dir of Golf there and his high standards, i surmised that might not be the case for Oakmont.

Sure enough, I open the car door at 8:30am to the sound of mowers and equipment.  Not only did they cut, but they triple cut and rolled.  Greens were faster and firmer than for the final round, with exactly the same, recut hole locations.  it was in the upper 80's, sunny and hot.

The golf was spectacular, and as a 4 handicap then, opened with two pars and finished with three pars to shoot 87.  The rough was so difficult that wedges were tough to get out.  Mentally, you cant explain how tough it is in that environment.  Each shot is the "toughest" shot you have ever seen and execution is paramount.  Additionally, you might execute the shot flawlessly, but if you chose the wrong shot, you fail as well.

[John Moore II]

Bataan couldn't have been much harder.

Yes, it was much harder...


Hardest day for me I only played 18 holes. But I started at about 4:30 pm, high that day was about 98 degrees, and I walked a very, VERY hilly course that was also built through a housing development. I had worked that day from 7am at Home Depot working the lumber department, so I was fairly tired when I got to the first tee. I was beat down after 15 when I had to play 16 which plays straight uphill. Then from 17 to 18 is about a half-mile walk straight up the steepest hill on the course. I hit d-3 wood into the 18th, which is about 425 yards uphill off the tee. Still made par on 18.

[Colin Sheehan]

The revised format of the Yale Fall Intercollegiate (a.k.a. the Macdonald Cup) is 36 holes at Yale on the first Saturday in October, medal play of course and carrying their bags. No break between rounds. Groups walk off nine or eighteen, sign scores cards and continue playing.

[John Moore II]

The revised format of the Yale Fall Intercollegiate (a.k.a. the Macdonald Cup) is 36 holes at Yale on the first Saturday in October, medal play of course and carrying their bags. No break between rounds. Groups walk off nine or eighteen, sign scores cards and continue playing.

Thats actually somewhat amazing that the tournament organizers had the tee times spaced well enough that you didn't have to wait at the turn. I have never played or seen an event where you had to play 36 in a day or a double-tee start where groups didn't have to wait either after 18 or 9 holes (or to start the day on Tour event type starts). I am amazed you did not have to wait 10 or 15 minutes to tee off for your second round.

[Kyle Harris]

The revised format of the Yale Fall Intercollegiate (a.k.a. the Macdonald Cup) is 36 holes at Yale on the first Saturday in October, medal play of course and carrying their bags. No break between rounds. Groups walk off nine or eighteen, sign scores cards and continue playing.

Thats actually somewhat amazing that the tournament organizers had the tee times spaced well enough that you didn't have to wait at the turn. I have never played or seen an event where you had to play 36 in a day or a double-tee start where groups didn't have to wait either after 18 or 9 holes (or to start the day on Tour event type starts). I am amazed you did not have to wait 10 or 15 minutes to tee off for your second round.

You can do it if there are no second tee times/no two tee start. Just follow the group in front off the first tee again.

[Scott Warren]

72 holes in a day in mid-February in Sydney - so mid 30C (about 100F) temps - at Northbridge Golf Club, which is built on the side of a steep hill/cliff.

The chafing was indescribable.

And there must be something wrong with my head, because I did it three years in a row

[Sam Morrow]

I've played in to many 36 hole USGA events in Texas. The Am Qualifier used to be a blast, 36 holes in Houston, in August. 100 Degrees with 100% humidity, fun, fun stuff. Of course shooting 75 doesn't help your enthusiasm.

[John Moore II]

The revised format of the Yale Fall Intercollegiate (a.k.a. the Macdonald Cup) is 36 holes at Yale on the first Saturday in October, medal play of course and carrying their bags. No break between rounds. Groups walk off nine or eighteen, sign scores cards and continue playing.

Thats actually somewhat amazing that the tournament organizers had the tee times spaced well enough that you didn't have to wait at the turn. I have never played or seen an event where you had to play 36 in a day or a double-tee start where groups didn't have to wait either after 18 or 9 holes (or to start the day on Tour event type starts). I am amazed you did not have to wait 10 or 15 minutes to tee off for your second round.

You can do it if there are no second tee times/no two tee start. Just follow the group in front off the first tee again.

Maybe. But what if the first group off 1 (assuming only a single tee start) plays in 3:45 but the tournament committee budgeted 4 hours worth of teetimes off #1? Then (if it doesn't take them 15 minutes to sign cards; it shouldn't) the group making the turn around has to wait. And normally the organizers budget for 4 1/2 hours (roughly) of tee times.

Last tour event I went to, I followed a good friend of mine who was playing. He had the final tee time off #1 in the morning wave. The first group to tee off 10 had to wait 20 minutes to tee off on #1. So, pretty much throughout the day, everyone else had to wait 20+ minutes to make the turn. Groups teeing off #10 in the afternoon wave had to wait more than 15 minutes for my friend's group to pass through. Usually starts like this go very poorly.

[Keith Buntrock]

The revised format of the Yale Fall Intercollegiate (a.k.a. the Macdonald Cup) is 36 holes at Yale on the first Saturday in October, medal play of course and carrying their bags. No break between rounds. Groups walk off nine or eighteen, sign scores cards and continue playing.

Most college tournaments that are 54 holes are played with 36 the first day. I play on the D2 level and this description looks accurate to me. The tournaments I played in the fall were shotgun starts, so you start on a random hole, finish the first 18, then simply go to the next tee. Sign your first round cards between your 18th and 19th hole. While playing the 19th or 20th hole one of the coaches is around to collect the scorecards from round 1. Those days are mental grinds and you have to be patient as there is typically a wait on par 3s. With the limited sunlight in fall months, there really isn't any time for breaks. I always try to make the bag a little lighter by removing the miscellaneous clutter. Then its just mentally preparing for a long day.

[Kyle Harris]

The revised format of the Yale Fall Intercollegiate (a.k.a. the Macdonald Cup) is 36 holes at Yale on the first Saturday in October, medal play of course and carrying their bags. No break between rounds. Groups walk off nine or eighteen, sign scores cards and continue playing.

Thats actually somewhat amazing that the tournament organizers had the tee times spaced well enough that you didn't have to wait at the turn. I have never played or seen an event where you had to play 36 in a day or a double-tee start where groups didn't have to wait either after 18 or 9 holes (or to start the day on Tour event type starts). I am amazed you did not have to wait 10 or 15 minutes to tee off for your second round.

You can do it if there are no second tee times/no two tee start. Just follow the group in front off the first tee again.

Maybe. But what if the first group off 1 (assuming only a single tee start) plays in 3:45 but the tournament committee budgeted 4 hours worth of teetimes off #1? Then (if it doesn't take them 15 minutes to sign cards; it shouldn't) the group making the turn around has to wait. And normally the organizers budget for 4 1/2 hours (roughly) of tee times.

Last tour event I went to, I followed a good friend of mine who was playing. He had the final tee time off #1 in the morning wave. The first group to tee off 10 had to wait 20 minutes to tee off on #1. So, pretty much throughout the day, everyone else had to wait 20+ minutes to make the turn. Groups teeing off #10 in the afternoon wave had to wait more than 15 minutes for my friend's group to pass through. Usually starts like this go very poorly.

You're overcomplicating it. No need to budget. First group off gets down early... they start early. I doubt the event is big enough that there are that many tee times.

[Will Haskett]

High School golf in Indiana was a joke growing up. It's a spring sport, so you start before the ground has thawed some years and finish by the time the humidity has reached an insane level.

One year, I played a match in 39-degree temperatures, with a 25mph breeze and sleet. Fortunately, it was only a 9-hole match. I hit a 7 iron for almost every shot. Had enough clothes on that I could rotate about 60 degrees, so I settled for punch shots.

My final high school tournament (state regionals) it was 98 degrees, no wind and full sun. My two options for a shirt was thick cotton maroon, or thick cotton black. It didn't really matter. I literally stopped sweating with about two holes to go and the ADs that were following the group almost gave us illegal rides in the golf carts. I drank about 20 bottles of water after the round and it still didn't help. Graduation was that night and I was giving the final speech. I passed out from exhaustion/dehydration on stage. Fortunately, the principal sitting next to me was able to nudge me when it was time.

I love to grind in bad weather, but both of those days were taxing to say the least.

[Anthony Gray]

  My most grueling round is going to be at the KP with Garland and Kalen.

  Anthony

[Jordan Wall]

Last year, during the first day of districts for high school.  Played the craziest course, called the Gallery, in 35 degree weather with 40 mph winds and rain coming down nonstop.  After five holes I could barely hold my clubs.  The sixth hole is downhill about 60 feet, 140 yards, and I choked down a 3-wood to the center of the green.

I somehow ended up two under on the last three holes to shoot 87.  This course was a 6300 yard par-72, to give an idea of how high that score was and how hard it played that day.  I think low round that day was 77.  The next day the weather was perfect and I shot 70 - go figure.

That day made me appreciate fair weather golfers.

Cheers,
Jordan

[Pete_Pittock]

The King's Putter in Palm Springs comes to mind. 36 holes on a day that topped out around 116. The afternoon round at Stone Eagle. I didn't finish.

Honorable mentions include 50+ winds at Bandon; Turnberry with the weather being credited for a triple-double and from the tips at TPC-Sawgrass where Kaopectate should have been administered (last day at La Romana in bed).

[Pat Burke]

Played in every season in one round of the NJ District qualifying.
Teed off in around 40 degrees, started raining on #2, sleeting on #4
Snow flurry on 6, and by 14 it was over 60
I think Sybil won that year

[Kenny Baer]

My most grueling day happened just a few months ago in Mesquite, NV.

Late June 2008.

5:30 am Falcon Ridge (After a night of heavy drinking w/ my 3 buddies we teed it up: It isn't quite as bad as it sounds as I live in Atlanta and the time change made it seem later than it actually was.)
Temperature = 95 at 5:30 IN THE MORNING!!!!

2:00 pm Wolf Creek (At this point it was just silly hot, 120 degrees and it felt like 140.)  It was the hottest I have ever been; if felt as though I was being followed around with a blow dryer....no make that a blow torch.  The beers we drank the night before did not compare to the delirium that kicked in from being in 120 degree heat; (I played the back nine at Wolf Creek butt freakin necked JK-I occasionally have heat induced flashbacks)

After the round I cramped up; I had no less than 10 gatorades that day and still could not get hydrated.  It was tough but me and my buddies had a great time; there was one hole on WC where all of us just looked at each other and started laughing; the heat was literally melting our brains.

[Chris_Blakely]

A couple of years ago, I played my first 18 on Rock Hollow GC .  The entire round was in pouring rain (this was in mid November) and believe it or not, I had the course entirely to myself.  I finished the round and there were three groups in the proshop waiting to go out.  I got some great comments from those guys .

I then drove up and played 18 holes at Mystic Hills GC.  Again, I had the course entirely to myself.  The rain stopped after about the 10th hole. 

Finally, I played 9 holes at Maxincuckee CC to close out the day.

Chris

[cary lichtenstein]

36 holes at Carnoustie on a cold, windy, damp, deary day

[Ian_L]

I played 81 holes on 4 different courses (Alameda North/South, Metropolitan, Monarch Bay) in June, but the conditions were perfect.

[TX Golf]

As bad as weather can be at times, I'm still not sure if there is anything worse than teeing off at 8:00 in the morning with a brutal hangover