Most Thrilling Shot You've Had On A Golf Course

[Brent Hutto]

My Most Thrilling Shot...Non-Hole-In-One, GCA Event Department

Alternate shot match, I was partnered with long-hitting John Van Der Borght and had to that point been a severe drag on our team's performance. He mishit his shortest drive of the day and left an approach that probably would have been a routine 7-iron or something for himself but required, by my standards, a huge carry of maybe 160-170 yards over some bunkers and rough and some kind of gully or another to reach the green. But I realized a few things were in my favor:

1) Breeze helping slightly and from the right
2) Hole cut in the back-left corner of the green
3) As a lefty slicer I realized I HAVE THIS SHOT!

So I pulled out my 4-iron of all darned things and hit a beautiful high "fade" that ended up rolling around behind the hole and nestling a couple feet away. Redemption. The God Of Foursomes Golf Partners had smiled on me and given me one, meaningful shot that was actually in my bag that day.

My partner did miss the putt. And we did get closed out of the match on the next hole. But damn that was one fine lefty "fade" there, it really was.

P.S. One of the joys of foursomes golf for a short-hitting weak player like myself is those holes where I poop a little tee shot out there leaving about 50 yards longer shot into the green than my partner would normally have. Then watching one of those big hitters squint at the flag waaaaay off in the distance, then ho-hum pull out a 5-iron and poke the ball up there in the middle of the green. That is a vicarious thrill at least.

[Bill_McBride]

P.S. One of the joys of foursomes golf for a short-hitting weak player like myself is those holes where I poop a little tee shot out there leaving about 50 yards longer shot into the green than my partner would normally have. Then watching one of those big hitters squint at the flag waaaaay off in the distance, then ho-hum pull out a 5-iron and poke the ball up there in the middle of the green. That is a vicarious thrill at least.

I played with the African Animal, Philip Gawith, as my foursomes partner at Muirfield.   They don't call him this for his short hitting!  We both played second shots from places where we don't usually hit them.   It was a really fun day.

[Bob_Huntley]

There's beautiful writing and there's beautiful thinking. That was both.

George,

Thank you, that was very kind.

Bob

[Greg Tallman]

Relatively important amateur event back in WV between high school and college.

Way back after day one but play well on day two to get into a playoff. Second playoff hole - opponent pipes tee shot and I blow it in the trees. He hits it to about two and a half feet before I even find my ball. I manage to land it inside his ball but it bounces through the green... I remove the flag and chip in and the poor guy has no chance and does not even hit the hole with his would-be kick in.

More exciting any of the aces through the years.

[SteveOgulukian]

My 4th shot approach at Pebble Beach #8.  That one hit the green!

[Don Hyslop]

After a decent drive on a the eighth hole, a 410 yard par 4, at Eagle Crest Golf Course in Nova Scotia, I was left with about a 180 yard shot over a knoll and downhill to a non-visible green which was backed by a large pond. Hit a good 4 iron hybrid that appeared to be straight at where I thought the centre of the green was. As I walked over the knoll and downhill to the green I did not see the ball. I thought to myself I must have rolled over the green into the water but I am going to check the hole just in case and sure enough there sat the ball and I had recorded an eagle. I have never had a hole in one, have had a couple of eagles on par 4 holes but this was the best one. It was on a hole rated the hardest on that golf course which made it even sweeter.

http://www.eaglecrestgolfcourse.com/golf/proto/eaglecrestgolfcourse/course_tour/course_tour.htm

[Stewart Naugler]

In the employee/caddy tournament at CPC, I hit a driver off the rock wall in front of #17 green and the ball landed ten feet from the pin.

Victory!

[Eric Smith]

I wrote this elsewhere a few months back.

My friends, I had the thrill of a lifetime playing National Golf Links on Sunday with Brian Sheehy. Likely never to be topped on the highometer for me. The highlight of the highs was the realization of a dream -- sending my tee ball soaring over the Sahara bunker and having it come to rest on the putting surface. I suppose it is likely that nothing will ever compare to the feeling of hitting the exact shot I wanted, then seeing the caddie stare up, then over his head, turning away from us, looking...looking...looking......."well?" The walk up the hill was a buzz and a half I can tell you!

Then...



A shit eating grin a mile wide...I did it!!! It was an incredible feeling. Waiting on Brian to play his approach from over on the right, my emotions got the best of me. It really was the one and only real dream I ever have had about the place. Besides the dream of actually ever getting to see it in the first place.

I like reading Tom Huckaby's posts re: Sahara. He says it's his favorite 2nd hole in the world and maybe his favorite on the golf course. It was mine before I played there and I'm happy to say it is after playing there. I hit the same shot the second round but the wind was crazy hard into us, gusting upwards of 40mph! at times and ended up maybe 20 yards shy of the green.

I love the thrill that this hole, this shot, provides.

[Mark Johnson]

Albatross at Chicago #16