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Matt_Cohn

  • Total Karma: 7
For fun: your best shot this year
« on: December 26, 2020, 12:26:30 PM »
If you play golf with me, you can count on me asking you after the round what was your best shot of the day. It’s a nice way to get everybody thinking about their good shots and feeling positive.


But now that we are approaching New Year’s Eve: what was your best shot of the year?

John Kavanaugh

  • Total Karma: 11
Re: For fun: your best shot this year
« Reply #1 on: December 26, 2020, 02:24:04 PM »
Dezcoin

Pete_Pittock

  • Total Karma: 1
Re: For fun: your best shot this year
« Reply #2 on: December 26, 2020, 02:37:17 PM »
Late August at Oregon Trail CC in Soda Springs, ID. On my return trip from playing Sand Valley and Forest Dunes I stopped off to play this 9 hole course.  Per the name the course has ruts from wagons using the Oregon Trail. I had photoed it years ago but never played.  By the way Trail Ruts GC in Guernsey, WY also has trail ruts.
DSC08075.JPG
This is the 7th hole, the tee just outside the bottom right edge of the picture and probably 20' below the elevation where I took the picture. 128 yards. The flag is in the middle of picture, to the right of the golfers and obscured by the baby-carriage shaped tree. Probably 50' of elevation change to a 3000 sq ft green. While calm at the tee, I knew there was a 30mph+ wind quartering from the right, and against at about a 45 degree angle.
Usually am a hit it quick golfer with minimal forethought. This time I visualized, thought about trajectory. After a lot of indecision and club changing I selected 5 wood at 100%, which for me is 170 at sea level. Pure, exactly as envisioned.
Ball stopped about 20' past the pin exactly on line, but past the green and about 3' below green level. Easy up and in for par.
« Last Edit: December 27, 2020, 06:51:08 PM by Pete_Pittock »

Peter Flory

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Re: For fun: your best shot this year
« Reply #3 on: December 26, 2020, 02:44:09 PM »



Casual round with hickories.  2nd shot on a par 5 and flushed a brassie/ 2-wood from 250 downwind and bounced it on (approach was from the right in this pic).  Was into the sun, so I have no idea how it missed- you can see by the grain that it was breaking L to R.  It's the only time that I've ever been close to a double eagle. 

Joe Bausch

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: For fun: your best shot this year
« Reply #4 on: December 26, 2020, 02:56:04 PM »
How about shots of the year on one hole?!  Pre-covid playing Cobb's Creek on the 3rd hole, a short par 4 with the green up against the creek; me and my usual buddies Matt Frey and Mike Cirba have all hit good tee shots.  Matt has the best angle in and plays 1st.  I'm at a real nice angle to see his shot looking great in the air to a front pin and he sticks the landing for a deuce.

Now that's pressure as I'm next to play.  I hit one nice and mid-flight wondering if maybe, just maybe... but almost as the ball dances around the hole for a kick-in bird. 

Now Cirba plays and over clubs to the back of the green just short of the water.  He really has the most pressure to get up and down for a group 2-3-4, and he does so!
@jwbausch (for new photo albums)
The site for the Cobb's Creek project:  https://cobbscreek.org/
Nearly all Delaware Valley golf courses in photo albums: Bausch Collection

Peter Sayegh

  • Total Karma: 5
Re: For fun: your best shot this year
« Reply #5 on: December 26, 2020, 05:14:38 PM »
Just happened. Gave up on my "woods" but kept the three in the bag for looks.Wild Wing Avocet Gold Tees, 247 yds. Uncovered it for the tee shot. Striped it.

Rob Marshall

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: For fun: your best shot this year
« Reply #6 on: December 26, 2020, 06:10:04 PM »
If you play golf with me, you can count on me asking you after the round what was your best shot of the day. It’s a nice way to get everybody thinking about their good shots and feeling positive.


But now that we are approaching New Year’s Eve: what was your best shot of the year?


Matt, that is awesome. I’m going to try that as a post round routine. Instead of thinking about all the shots I gave away, think about the best shot of the day. Brilliant.
If life gives you limes, make margaritas.” Jimmy Buffett

Matt_Cohn

  • Total Karma: 7
Re: For fun: your best shot this year
« Reply #7 on: December 26, 2020, 06:55:23 PM »
During the NCGA Amateur at Spyglass, I had played poorly and needed to go -2 on my last 5 to have a chance of advancing to match play. I birdied 14 and 15, bogeyed 16, and hit a wedge to tap-in distance for birdie on 17. I knew I needed a finishing birdie to get in cleanly or par to be in a big playoff at 7:00 the next morning. The pin on 18 was on the small shelf in the very back of the green and I drove into a downhill/sidehill lie in the right rough about 145 out. I judged it perfectly: a lowish fading 9-iron that landed over the middle tier and rolled to about 12 feet behind the hole. I made the putt not only to get into match play, but also avoid a 5:15 AM wake up the next day.


I know I hit better shots, but the fact that I thought of it first because of the situation probably makes it the winner.


From approximately here:




« Last Edit: December 26, 2020, 07:13:39 PM by Matt_Cohn »

Pat Burke

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: For fun: your best shot this year
« Reply #8 on: December 26, 2020, 09:59:55 PM »
I played twice this year, the last time on dec 23 at GoosE Creek


My right should just doesn’t allow me to play much


But it was blowing 20+ and on number 10, in hit a little chip 5 iron from 138 yards to about 6 feet.  It was dead into the gusting wind and I just wanted to see if I could do it still.


It was just a fun little shot that reminded me of what I love about playing

Rob Marshall

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: For fun: your best shot this year
« Reply #9 on: December 26, 2020, 10:02:46 PM »
Matt, played Spyglass once. Hit 8 iron from approximately the same spot to seal my caddie Gene winning a bet from the caddie master on an over under bet what I would shoot from the back tees. Of course he didn’t tell me about the bet until after I hit the shot. He’d caddie for me the day before at Pebble. Great stuff. Thanks for posting that picture.
If life gives you limes, make margaritas.” Jimmy Buffett

John McCarthy

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: For fun: your best shot this year
« Reply #10 on: December 27, 2020, 03:30:25 PM »
I just bled 3 holes to go AS on the 18th at Merit Club.  Nice drive, smother hook a hybrid into the tall grass.  Found it, punched out to 90 yard, SW to 9 inches to win 1 up.
The only way of really finding out a man's true character is to play golf with him. In no other walk of life does the cloven hoof so quickly display itself.
 PG Wodehouse

Criss Titschinger

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: For fun: your best shot this year
« Reply #11 on: December 27, 2020, 06:24:15 PM »
I mean, the shot I hit at Avon Fields' 2nd hole to within 2 feet to win a CTP contest was pretty sweet. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention my miracle 2nd and 3rd shots on the 18th at Pine Hills that set up a 1up victory in a tight, pre-Mashie match.

But my true favorite was my tee shot at the 15th hole at Camargo (Redan). I'm the resident GCA mid-capper, but that doesn't mean I don't know golf course architecture. I told my group, "This is how you play a Redan". Despite a left pin position, I went on to hit a perfect draw to the right side of the green, and watched it hit, then funnel back down to the middle of the green. It was one of the most rewarding shots I've ever hit because it proved I could use my study of GCA and apply it on the course.

Steve Lang

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: For fun: your best shot this year
« Reply #12 on: December 27, 2020, 08:16:14 PM »
 8) Matt,


Good question, in a similar vein, I like to discuss the "high light reel" that may or may not hit the evening news broadcast...


Aug 19, 2020, Forest Dunes, The Loop - Black Course, mini-Midwest Mashie, with Pete Pittock and Ms. Sheila, nice day, having fun tacking around the course, trying to follow Pete down left side of 12th hole, to enable look at green, which I birdied last time coming the other way on Red Loop, I block it right onto hillside with scraggly brush, no view of green or pin, but distance established by gps, whack out with crazy 8 iron, up and over hill it goes, hear some reporting of ball touring the green slopes, going by hole, ends up 5 ft away, make putt for bird and head out for home on northern crescent holes, feeling good.  Only 17 more Loop double birdie holes to notch on the belt, with a head start on 3 others. 


Wish I could have seen the high light reel with that ball wandering around the green going at the hole. 
Inverness (Toledo, OH) cathedral clock inscription: "God measures men by what they are. Not what they in wealth possess.  That vibrant message chimes afar.
The voice of Inverness"

David Wuthrich

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: For fun: your best shot this year
« Reply #13 on: December 28, 2020, 02:46:47 PM »
I think that 2020 taught us that any shot we can hit is our best shot!!


But if I had to pick one, it would be 10 foot birdie putt on the first hole at Sheep Ranch in rainy, 30+ mph wind, 50 degree conditions in early May to cover up the birdie my good friend had just made! ;D ;D ;D

Alex Miller

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: For fun: your best shot this year
« Reply #14 on: December 28, 2020, 03:08:05 PM »
https://imgur.com/a/7uC3Tbr


Just a couple weeks ago. 3W from about 270 into a bit of hurting wind from the right on hole 3 at Rustic Canyon. Gave it just about everything I had and absolutely flushed it. Started about 10 ft right of the flag and never waivered. Picked up my tee and was happy because that was all I could've done, but we couldn't see it with the glare. Walking up it comes into view from about 150 yds out and it looks good, but I imagine it's probably more like 8 to 10 ft as shots always look closer from far away. But as we walked up it just started to look closer and closer...

Alex Miller

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: For fun: your best shot this year
« Reply #15 on: December 28, 2020, 03:12:11 PM »
During the NCGA Amateur at Spyglass, I had played poorly and needed to go -2 on my last 5 to have a chance of advancing to match play. I birdied 14 and 15, bogeyed 16, and hit a wedge to tap-in distance for birdie on 17. I knew I needed a finishing birdie to get in cleanly or par to be in a big playoff at 7:00 the next morning. The pin on 18 was on the small shelf in the very back of the green and I drove into a downhill/sidehill lie in the right rough about 145 out. I judged it perfectly: a lowish fading 9-iron that landed over the middle tier and rolled to about 12 feet behind the hole. I made the putt not only to get into match play, but also avoid a 5:15 AM wake up the next day.


I know I hit better shots, but the fact that I thought of it first because of the situation probably makes it the winner.



Wow - sick finish and sick shot! Well done!

David Ober

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: For fun: your best shot this year
« Reply #16 on: December 28, 2020, 03:25:12 PM »
Nice, Matt! Great shot under the circumstances! I absolutely love Spyglass.

My "best" shot of the year is similar to yours, in that it's more the circumstances than the actual shot itself. Shot was a simple 80-yard LW approach on the par-5 18th hole at my home course in the final round of our club championship this year (Victoria Club, 6,570, 71.3/130)
 

We play "Red/White/Blue" tees in our championship. After rounds of 69 (red tees), 68 (white tees), I went into the final round 6-shots back of our current club champ, a 45 year old +2 to +4 guy who had won 10 of the last 11. Last year, my first year at the club, I beat him in the Match Play Club Championship, but lost to him by five shots in the Stroke Play. Knew I would have to play my very best to beat him and unfortunately shot myself in the foot when I shot just 69 from the red tees on day one, when he shot 65. He picked up another two shots the next day from the whites (my 68 to his 66), and as we teed it up on Sunday from the back tees, I was 6 shots back. I figured 65 should beat him or tie him.

Long story short(ish): I shot 4-under 31 on the front, to pick up two shots, but was still 4 back. Birdied 10, 15, and 17 to get to 7-under on the day and was just one-back standing on the 18th tee, a 545 yard par-5 with water fronting the green. Completely unreachable for me, but our defending champ is LONNNNG. 270 to 280 carry, 290 to 310 off the tee. With a good drive, he can reach for sure. I drove it down the middle and then laid up to 80 yards. The defending champ piped a drive 300ish and had 235 to a front-left pin. This was it. If he knocks it on in two, he likely birdies and I will have to hole out to beat him or hope he 3-putts.

Well ... he striped a cut 3-wood over the creek and onto the middle of the green and that was all she wrote. I took off my hat and applauded. What else could I do. I would now have to hole my LW and the best I could do was get it close on the first bounce but it sucked back to about 10-feet. All he had to do was 2-putt a simple 30-footer. He went first and lagged it up to 6-inches and marked. I made my 10-footer for an 8-under 64, the lowest round shot by three strokes in the 100+ year history of the club ... and he tapped in his birdie and I lost by one.
 
Still, the "old" me would have never, ever have been able to close with a 64 (that tied my career best and bettered my previous competitive best by two strokes). My nerves would have gotten to me somewhere along the way and I would have hit a really bad, untimely shot(s) somewhere. And I certainly would not have stood up to that LW on the final hole and knocked it dead at the hole and then buried the putt. I would have ... choked.

At 53 years old now, I'm playing the best competitive golf of my life when I can keep the back spasms at bay. If I can stay (mostly) pain free, I can do some damage as a senior am. Really looking forward to the competition.

Garland Bayley

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: For fun: your best shot this year
« Reply #17 on: December 28, 2020, 06:42:35 PM »
I hit a 3 wood 220 yards to two feet for an easy birdie on the #1 handicap hole on the course. Fellow green committee member who is one of the best players at the club told me he made net birdie on the hole that day. I told him I made net 1! He couldn't believe my handicap was high enough (it was 19) to do that. Earlier he and I had taken nassua (and press) money off two low single digits mostly off of his stellar play, but also my birdie on the pressed short par 5 18th hole.
"I enjoy a course where the challenges are contained WITHIN it, and recovery is part of the game  not a course where the challenge is to stay ON it." Jeff Warne

jeffwarne

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: For fun: your best shot this year
« Reply #18 on: December 28, 2020, 06:54:35 PM »
a second shot on the par 5 6th at National Gunnamatta,3 wood slightly downwind from 270 to 4 feet on a hole I had played the previous 2 days into the wind with a full short iron third.
We lost the hole,,,, and the match...1 down.
"Let's slow the damned greens down a bit, not take the character out of them." Tom Doak
"Take their focus off the grass and put it squarely on interesting golf." Don Mahaffey

Tim Martin

  • Total Karma: 1
Re: For fun: your best shot this year
« Reply #19 on: December 28, 2020, 07:00:13 PM »
Leaner on par 3 9th at Wintonbury Hills GC.

Kalen Braley

  • Total Karma: -4
Re: For fun: your best shot this year
« Reply #20 on: December 28, 2020, 07:06:51 PM »
a second shot on the par 5 6th at National Gunnamatta,3 wood slightly downwind from 270 to 4 feet on a hole I had played the previous 2 days into the wind with a full short iron third.
We lost the hole,,,, and the match...1 down.


Let me guess.  3 jack from 4 feet to save par?  ;)

jeffwarne

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: For fun: your best shot this year New
« Reply #21 on: December 28, 2020, 07:15:09 PM »
a second shot on the par 5 6th at National Gunnamatta,3 wood slightly downwind from 270 to 4 feet on a hole I had played the previous 2 days into the wind with a full short iron third.
We lost the hole,,,, and the match...1 down.


Let me guess.  3 jack from 4 feet to save par?  ;)


Nope, a holed 120 footer from off the green, followed by my inevitable miss....in a match and event I putted very well in otherwise.
« Last Edit: December 29, 2020, 09:44:08 PM by jeffwarne »
"Let's slow the damned greens down a bit, not take the character out of them." Tom Doak
"Take their focus off the grass and put it squarely on interesting golf." Don Mahaffey

John Crowley

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: For fun: your best shot this year
« Reply #22 on: December 28, 2020, 07:32:03 PM »
Not my best shots this year but, today I hit the flagstick on hole 15 missed 12 foot birdie, hit it to 8 inches on 17 and 4 feet on 18. Missed birdie putt on 18.

Tommy Williamsen

  • Total Karma: 3
Re: For fun: your best shot this year
« Reply #23 on: December 28, 2020, 07:32:43 PM »
It might be odd but I holed out from the fairway 120 yards(?) but I don't remember where or when. I think it might have been at Hidden Creek. I have been thinking about it for couple of days now.
Where there is no love, put love; there you will find love.
St. John of the Cross

"Deep within your soul-space is a magnificent cathedral where you are sweet beyond telling." Rumi

Tal Oz

  • Total Karma: 0
Re: For fun: your best shot this year
« Reply #24 on: December 28, 2020, 09:09:48 PM »
This was the year I finally committed to stretching and working on some explosiveness with my swing. I routinely was a 225y driver and am finally averaging 250+ now. A new to me M6 helped too if I’m honest.

Best result: driver to 5’ on #4 at Riviera just last week. Into a stiff 15mph wind, 225 playing 250+, I did dropkick it so it has a personal asterisk as *not* the best shot of the year. Made birdie.

Best shot: pitched in for par off the fringe on #6 at wilshire to a pin on the edge of a slope that didn’t hold a ball anywhere near it. Clipped it just right, flew over the left shoulder, checked up, and dove in left at perfect pace. Got to celebrate for all of 15 seconds before a fellow GCAer rolled in a 40 foot birdie putt to overshadow me

Most memorable shot: hitting the green on #16 at cypress with a flushed 3w

@Matt, I’m going to adapt your post round tradition, I need to focus more on the positives especially after poor ballstriking rounds.