Did you ever cry on a golf course?

[Bill Vogeney]

Twice


The day Payne Stewart died. Was playing with a great friend who played college golf at SMU right before Payne was there and we were both huge fans


Pebble Beach 2011. Started having back spasms the day before playing Pacific Grove with my son. It was my 50th birthday golf trip and had been looking forward to playing PB with my son. On the range I could not make a swing where the ball would go more than 50 yards. I sat down, tried to find some inspiration. I thought if I stood really upright and slowed down my swing, I could play with reasonable pain. Hit a few 5 woods 195 and trekked to the first tee. Piped it down the middle the first three holes and managed to finish with a par on 18. By the end of the round my spasms had relaxed

[Mark McKeever]

Funny, the last time I cried on a golf course was about 5 years ago.  Was playing in Jersey and my friend Cirba was playing poorly.  After a 3-wood of his had the trajectory and distance of a fat wedge, I laughed so hard I cried.

This story sounds familiar.   

[Lloyd_Cole]

The first time I ever had the unmentionables. I would have been 15 or so. I left my clubs on the practice ground and walked back to our house (next to the clubhouse) in tears.
The other type of crying, no, but I guess close on a couple of occasions, usually my overly emotional brother's fault. Which is weird really, given my interest in golf and beauty, and that Die Hard can make me cry...

[Tim Martin]

Losing two hot dogs to a crow on the 9th hole at Yale made me cry.

[Mike Schott]

Only once.
Standing on the left hand side of the 6th fairway at Pasatiempo, gazing through the fence at a house.


F.

I didn't cry there but there was some real sense of history walking down that fairway.

[Joe Leenheer]

It's been a while since I have posted to this site……Hi Pat (Mucci)…not sure you are even still here.There is no doubt that golf is a game of [size=78%]unequivocal [/size][size=78%]physical, emotional, and mental excursion. [/size]The stories that I have read on this thread have brought tears to my eyes.  Pure beauty and poetry. Most of them anyways (that's the Pat in me).  When I read the title I initially recalled my lone hole-in-one that indeed brought tears to my eyes.  But after reading all of your posts, those tears seem empty.  I am still young. 37.  I have children that are young, which has began the process of appreciating my parents and all that they did.  My father introduced me to and taught me the game.  A game that has given me EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING. Not many on this site can say that.  My journey in Golf has given me an identity, a spouse, a family, and a future.  For many of you it is a hobby, a game, a sport, a passion, and most likely an addiction.  But for me…it is my past, my present, and my future.  That is the poetry of golf.  To all of us on this site, we understand that it is not just a game or a sport.  It transcends the mere idea that golf is an activity.  Nay.  It is an experience….for most….a spiritual one.  Here is to more tears shed, memories made, and spiritual revelations had.

[Pat Burke]

Sorry, not architecture related.
In 1995 I was playing the Disney tournament, our second to last tournament of the year. I was battling for my first top 125 finish and needed a top 15 to get it done.  On the back nine, I had a chance to get in a playoff I thought, and was completely focused on trying to make birdies.  I missed very makeable putts on 11,12,13,14 and loterally flew it off the flag on seventeen before missing yet another birdie.
My focus never wavered until,I got on 18 tee and realized a par would lock up exempt status.  All of a sudden instead of aggressive I was tentative.  I guided on to the green in regulation and had lagged it up,to about two feet.  I had to mark it for my partner to putt.
As I waited impatiently, I hear DAD!!! And look over at my wife holding my twomyear old daughter.  They had never followed me on the course, and my wife wanted to see my finish with her when I kept my card for the first time.
Somehow I made the two footer, through tears.  Similar ones as I write this and think of that moment for the first time in many many years.  Such a moment shared from forty yards apart from the two most important people in my life.....thanks for asking this

[PThomas]

Sorry, not architecture related.
In 1995 I was playing the Disney tournament, our second to last tournament of the year. I was battling for my first top 125 finish and needed a top 15 to get it done.  On the back nine, I had a chance to get in a playoff I thought, and was completely focused on trying to make birdies.  I missed very makeable putts on 11,12,13,14 and loterally flew it off the flag on seventeen before missing yet another birdie.
My focus never wavered until,I got on 18 tee and realized a par would lock up exempt status.  All of a sudden instead of aggressive I was tentative.  I guided on to the green in regulation and had lagged it up,to about two feet.  I had to mark it for my partner to putt.
As I waited impatiently, I hear DAD!!! And look over at my wife holding my twomyear old daughter.  They had never followed me on the course, and my wife wanted to see my finish with her when I kept my card for the first time.
Somehow I made the two footer, through tears.  Similar ones as I write this and think of that moment for the first time in many many years.  Such a moment shared from forty yards apart from the two most important people in my life.....thanks for asking this

talk about a tough 2 footer!  great story

[Philippe Binette]

First time I played golf again, two months after my near death pneumonia and coma...


Played nine holes... not expecting to have so little strenght... hole after hole my shot were shorter and shorter... my driver on the last hole went about 165 yards !!!


bogeyed the first three holes... after two solid but weak shots on my fourth hole, was down in the valley... holed a blind pitch from 60 feet for birdie... that brought a tear or two..

[Peter Pallotta]

Thank you, gents.
It's a beautiful game - for me, all the more so on those rare times when the cracks appear
Best
Peter

[BHoover]

Losing two hot dogs to a crow on the 9th hole at Yale made me cry.

Utterly tragic. You have my sympathy, sir. I'm not ashamed to admit that I shed tears just reading this.

[Matt Frey, PGA]

I was either in tears or near tears twice this past weekend. I was on a buddies golf trip in Pawleys Island, South Carolina and played True Blue (x2), Caledonia, Heritage and Tradition.

I was in tears because during our round at Tradition, one of our guys went for No. 14, a par-5, in two, and took a mighty whack with his 3-wood. The whole foursome lost the ball at impact. We looked around and questioned ourselves for about 45 seconds to one minute until we realized he topped the golf ball with such force it was about two inches in the earth. We lost it. I was laughing so hard I was crying.

Here's proof the shot:



#####

During our round at Heritage, I was surprised to find the slave burial ground directly in front of the tee box on No. 8, a par-3, requiring golfers to hit over the site. There was a plaque denoting the site and it was fenced with a modest fence (in keeping with low country tradition). I paid my respects for several moments and came very near to tears. While walking back to the teeing ground realized that golfers inevitably top and duff their shots into the area and surely some go in to retrieve their balls. That just made me angry. I do my best not to play armchair architect, but feel like the cemetery should have been out of play.

Here's a look at the cemetery from the green:

[Dave McCollum]

Matt, I've seen that too in a competitive match by my opponent.  After we finished laughing, we didn't know the rule.  I said I thought it was an embedded ball and entitled to relief, no penalty.  As it turned out, the match was halved and I always sort of wondered if my generosity should have reflected more competitive team spirit.  Doesn't matter, I'd probably do the same again, thinking unrealistically that I should beat him because of the wasted stroke, even though I was giving him a ton of shots.  What is the correct ruling without any special temporary ones for weather?  It was wet and soft, but we were playing the ball down.     

[Matt Frey, PGA]

Dave: Luckily, my good buddy, also a PGA Professional and the Director of Rules and Competitions for a state golf association, knew the exact Decision: 25-2/6 Ball Driven Straight into Ground.

Q.A player's ball lies in the fairway. He plays a stroke and drives the ball straight into the ground, i.e., the ball is never airborne. Is the player entitled to relief without penalty under Rule 25-2?

A.No. Under Rule 25-2, relief is provided if a ball is embedded in its own pitch-mark. The word "pitch-mark" implies that the ball has become airborne.

That's a hard pill to swallow!

[Jack Carney]

Love Post number 55 by Joe Leenheer - pretty much my life as well. If not for a passion to play golf given to me by my parents and grandparents I would not have been driven to nearly what I have been able to live or accomplish - as Joe so well put - My Life / EVERYTHING for sure.


Out of school for a year or so (i'm 65 so much of this runs together at this point) my father invited me back to play the Member Guest at Rolling Green. After the practice round they had an outdoor reception on the back veranda over looking the 600+ uphill unreachable par 5. Rolling green is surrounded by houses at this point and hearing a disturbance over the hill was not a big deal. it got louder, then louder then again. I looked over and a FULL, had to be at least 60+, Pipe and Drum Corp was marching up the hill on number 9 playing Black Watch or something. They came up and made a semi-circle, played several tunes and included some scotch dancers. I was totally consumed by the spirit of the game and all that it meant to me and just started crying. Never forget it. Played like a dog the next few days but sure had a great time!!

[Morgan Stephenson]

I have become emotional a few times at Tobacco Road. I know it sounds corny but there have been times that I felt like Mike(Strantz)was around. It may happen during a beautiful sunrise or sunset. Coming down the path on seven and looking up eight and nine. Or many of the other great vistas on the course. I would have this overwhelming feeling he was there, the hair on my arms standing up. Always feels like it's a sign that he's happy with the course and the direction it's going. There are others that knew Mike that have had similar experiences as mine. Think of him every day and miss him.

[Ira Fishman]

My father loved the game of golf even though he took it up in his forties and never became better than a mid-90s player.  In retirement, he played over 200 rounds a year in the weather of Chicago.  He and I had hours upon hours of wonderful times on the golf course by ourselves and with his many friends.  I celebrated my 40th, 45th, and 50th Birthdays by going on golf trips with him. His health forced him to stop playing a few years ago at nearly age 80 so celebrating my 60th on a golf trip this year was not possible, but he was excited about my wife and me doing so.  A week before our trip, my Dad passed away peacefully after a terrific 86 years and 63 years of being extremely happily married to my Mom.  So I grabbed a couple of balls from his bag to take with us.  On the 16th tee at Cypress, our hosts were extremely understanding and supportive when I asked if it was okay to drive one of his balls into the Pacific as a tribute to him.  It probably was the best drive I hit all day and certainly will be the one I remember for the longest time.


Ira

[Matthew Rose]

I realized I never did follow up about going to Pebble.

I didn't quite choke up, but I got pretty close when I stood on the 6th tee and could see the next four holes unfold before my eyes. That was the "I'm actually here" moment for me.

I did get pretty angry a couple of times though, lol.

[Mike Sweeney]

My father loved the game of golf even though he took it up in his forties and never became better than a mid-90s player.  In retirement, he played over 200 rounds a year in the weather of Chicago.  He and I had hours upon hours of wonderful times on the golf course by ourselves and with his many friends.  I celebrated my 40th, 45th, and 50th Birthdays by going on golf trips with him. His health forced him to stop playing a few years ago at nearly age 80 so celebrating my 60th on a golf trip this year was not possible, but he was excited about my wife and me doing so.  A week before our trip, my Dad passed away peacefully after a terrific 86 years and 63 years of being extremely happily married to my Mom.  So I grabbed a couple of balls from his bag to take with us.  On the 16th tee at Cypress, our hosts were extremely understanding and supportive when I asked if it was okay to drive one of his balls into the Pacific as a tribute to him.  It probably was the best drive I hit all day and certainly will be the one I remember for the longest time.


Ira

This is a really awesome post. If Admiral Mauz was your host via Uncle Bob, I am sure he would love this. Regardless, a great story. Thanks for sharing.

[Jim Lipstate]

I had tears of happiness wiping away previous frustrations when I finally hit the 17th green at TPC Sawgrass. We were playing a four man scramble tournament format in the Liberty Mutual National four man scramble finals. After the others in my group splashed their shots I hit an 8 iron that stayed on the green. First time in eight previous tries on that hole. Definitely got a bit misty. Hitting that green was a bucket list achievement for me. A shot I won't forget.

[Rick Lane]

Some years back, my dad, who taught me the game, was dying of cancer.   I had visited him a few days prior, for what I knew was the last time, and I am glad I got to hug him and thank him and tell him how much I learned from him and would carry forward.

So now I am playing in our club championship, and I was aware that the phone could ring at any time.   Sure enough, on the 14th tee, the head pro came out and told me that my wife had called.   I knew.  My opponent offered to stop the match and somehow finish later, but I told him, "My dad loved golf, and he actually would want me to buckle down and kick your A** right now".   So on we played, but I  lost.  And when we were done I cried.     Dads are pretty special things, especially the ones who teach you golf, and all that that means.