Embarrassing Golf Moments

[Jeff_Brauer]

MSNBC had an article this morning about embarrassing work moments.  For a little lighter hearted fare around here, I figure why not ask the clan about your most embarassing golf moments.  Please share, and we will all laugh with you......

I shared my most recent one (related to golf) on another thread:

Years ago, I added nine holes to the Lady Bird Johnson Golf Course, in Fredericksburg, TX.

I was recently recalling that, using the unfortunate phrasing of "Back when I was doing Lady Bird Johnson...." which drew a big round of laughs and guffaws.

There are many more, trust me!

[Martin Toal]

Played in a corporate event at The Grove, Watford, UK, the venue for the 2006 WGC event, the day after the final round. Nick Faldo was the pro host and played a par-3 with every group. Arrived at the tee, took dead aim with my 8 iron, and shanked the bugger.

[Mark McKeever]

I once tried punching out of the trees and nailed the left one square.  It came right back at me and I reached up and caught it with my left hand.  My buddies found it hysterical.  I dropped the ball and tried the shot again, only to succeed the second time around.

Mark

[Jeff_Brauer]

Shanks have to be involved in many embarssing moments, and were in my first embarrasing moment, on the first tee of Medinah No. 2 on my first trip on a real golf course.

My next door neighbor had taken me out to their range several times, but we were going to finally play a 3 hole loop.  He lined me up, stepped aside and watched as my shank caught his left ankle.  He limped up to line me up again, give me some tips, stepped back, and my second shank caught his other ankle.  I had to go to the pro shop for help carrying him up the hill.

[JMEvensky]

Witnessed at a muni course many years ago.

A beginner stands on the first tee and whiffs it twice.The starter screams over the loudspeaker "buddy,if you can't hit it,pick it up and throw it down the fairway".

My last sight of this guy was him slamming down the trunk of his car and peeling out of the parking lot.

[Steve Pozaric]

Playing in a charity golf outing sponsored by a client in one of my first years out of law school.  On the first tee, with the president of the client in the group waiting to tee off behind us, I proceed to cold top my drive.  The client says in a loud voice, “At least we know our lawyers are working and not playing golf!”

Embarrassing and funny at the same time.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Playing in the Member-Member event at my home club, a few years ago. My brother, who's three-time club champion, is my partner.

Second round, we start on the 6th tee in contention. We'd had a few "pops" (as they say here, in Canada) the night before, following round one. I tee it up. The shotgun horn sounds. I hit a bullet, dead right. The ball hits the clubhouse on the fly. It's lost.

We didn't win! And, I continue hear this story recited about every other time we arrive at the 6th tee, at Essex!

[John Kavanaugh]

I admire our own Jeff Dawson for his sense of style and ability to pull it off.  In an attempt to emulate one of my heros I purchased a couple of johnnie-O shirts as linked on his site. http://www.dawsongolf.com/ I was pleased to find the shirts delivered one day as I went home for lunch.  I modeled one for my wife, it was given away before I returned home that evening.

Now if I can just figure out what a bespoke shoe is and get my gout under control I can see John Lobb in my future.

[Alex Miller]

I occasionally let my frustrations out while my ball is in mid-air or mid-roll.

Once, in a high school match, I stroked an 8 footer for birdie. Upon it leaving the putter I immediately yelled, "C'mon!" in frustration because I was sure I pulled it badly. Of course I started walking and almost beat my ball to the hole in anticipation of the tap in, only to stop dead in my tracks as the ball went in dead center. I would've much rather hit a putt I was happy with and had it miss.

[Matt Bosela]

About 20 years ago, the par five 8th hole at my home club had a little waterfall as part of a 10-12 foot wide creek that ran in front of the green.

Like most teenagers, I was entirely too impatient to make the long walk to the bridge about 40 yards right of the green so we'd usually make a game of walking across the shelf of the waterfall to get over to the other side.

Well, one day I lost my footing and fell right into the creek, golf bag and all.  I'd somehow manage to climb out of the water with the bag still strapped to my shoulder as my friends were rolling on the ground in hysterics but I'd find out a bit later that my nine-iron fell out of my bag while in the water, an unfortunate casualty.

That walk down the ninth fairway back to the clubhouse in drenched and mud-ridden clothes, listening to the trash talk from my friends, with one club less than regulation was easily the most embarrassing in my life thus far.

[Adam Clayman]

It's interesting that I'm having a hard time remembering ever feeling embarrassment on the GC. I've fallen down a few times but I don't recall the feeling. I suspect one reason I don't get it, when others have told me they were nervous about playing with a caddie, or have been embarrassed after a shot, is due to the sport being so humbling. If you still get embarrassed, you just haven't played enough golf.

I once hit a friend right above the eye, at the old Tropicana course, with a shot that ricochet off a tree. I felt bad for him, and he was not hurt, but I  don't think it was embarrassment because he was sitting in a bad spot, with his feet propped up on the window sill of the cart and in no position to react to what was clearly a possibility. I think he still had a reverse image of "Titleist" on his head when we went to the Tyson fight that night.

[Bill_McBride]

Anyone who has played LaCumbre in Santa Barbara, CA will be able to visualize this embarrassing moment.  I was teeing off the first tee in a college match and made a violent lunge, I guess, as I popped the drive up well to the right and short.  It landed on the second green.  (Like most Thomas courses, the second comes back to the clubhouse).

Complete silence on the tee.  Thank God the group two groups ahead hadn't reached the green, I could have killed someone.

[John Kavanaugh]

A guy does not play golf for 43 years without soiling himself at least once either early or late in his career.

[Tom Yost]

On the tee of the par 3 second hole of a crappy course that is thankfully NLE.  7 minute tee time intervals guaranteed a three group backup on the 2nd tee.  After a long wait, I finally was able to tee off, skulling a shot that hit the ladies tee marker squarely, sending my ball directly backwards at a high rate of speed and causing the three gentlemen waiting on the bench behind to have to dive to the ground to avoid being clobbered.

As they picked themselves up and dusted themselves off, I meekly offered a belated "fore."

[John Nixon]

Witnessed at a muni course many years ago.

A beginner stands on the first tee and whiffs it twice.The starter screams over the loudspeaker "buddy,if you can't hit it,pick it up and throw it down the fairway".

My last sight of this guy was him slamming down the trunk of his car and peeling out of the parking lot.

Ahhhhh, growing the game, I see. I hope the starter lost his job.

[Jason Topp]

On the first hole of an early morning round with a regular group, I make a snotty remark about a playing partner's shirt.

He replies "At least I am not wearing two belts."

[JMEvensky]

Witnessed at a muni course many years ago.

A beginner stands on the first tee and whiffs it twice.The starter screams over the loudspeaker "buddy,if you can't hit it,pick it up and throw it down the fairway".

My last sight of this guy was him slamming down the trunk of his car and peeling out of the parking lot.

Ahhhhh, growing the game, I see. I hope the starter lost his job.

I hate to admit this,but it was over 40 years ago.

The starter was a legend--a WWII vet who'd lost a hand and had a prosthesis that looked like a giant claw.He scared the hell out of everyone.I don't think "growing the game" was ever part of his job description.

[David Whitmer]

In the summer of 1990, I was 17 years old and it was my last opportunity to play in the US Junior Amateur. I live in Cincinnati, but back then many juniors went up to Columbus to try to qualify. The reason? The qualifier was at Muirfield Village Golf Club. You got a practice round and two tournament rounds for $12.

That year, I started my second round on the 10th tee. It just so happened that Jack Nicklaus's son (Michael, I think) was playing in the group in front of me, and Jack was there to follow his son. On the 8th hole (my 17th hole), I hit my approach to the par 3 in the right greenside bunker. Did I mention it was about 100 degrees and very humid out? Anyway, by the time I get to the bunker to hit my second shot, Mr. Nicklaus was still right by the green, as his son's group had not yet teed off on #9. So as I entered the bunker, I noticed he was watching me.

Did I mention it was about 100 degrees and very humid out? I hit a pretty below-average bunker shot...I barely got it on the green. To show my lack of delight, I went to splash the sand with my clubhead. Well, because it was so hot and humid, my club flew out of my hand, went up in the air, and landed right on the green, all with Mr. Nicklaus watching. I was convinced someone was going to lead me away in handcuffs.

Thankfully, Mr. Nicklaus never said a word to me, even though he had to have been upset. I honestly had no intention of doing anything like that, but you know what they say about the law of unintended consequences. That was more than 20 years ago, and I remember it like it was yesterday.  

[Zack Molnar]

I was playing in a high school tournament and I was playing in the last group coming up the 18th hole, with everyone standing around the green. We had all hit our shots onto the green, and I walk up, mark my ball, and start walking to the side to place my bag down. As Im walking im looking at my yardage book not paying any attention to whats in front of me, I accidentally kick two of my competitors' balls off the green, which were sitting right next to eachother. This was in front of a crowd of about 50 people. The only good part of it was that it kept people from remembering my score that day, which was not counting for my team, to say the least.

[Joe Bausch]

Just this year I was playing the 14th hole at Pickering Valley, a home built public course near Philly that isn't too bad actually.  On this par 5 the first 2/3 is very uphill.  I felt like I had to help my drive in the air, thus proceeded to hit the driver 4 grooves low and the ball right on the forehead.  It goes screaming a bit to the left, directly at a large plastic recycling bucket near the forward tee box.  It hits this container near the bottom, bores through the one side leaving a square hole, but without a enough energy to exit.  It rattled around inside there with a bunch of empty beer cans and bottles.  The entire event still makes me chuckle.

[Jud_T]

OK,

I think I've got this one licked.  About fifteen years ago I was playing some upscale public track near West Palm with a woman who was a very large client of the firm.  On some hole she was chipping from short left of the green.  I wandered into the right bunker where my ball had landed.  This was roughly 90 degrees from her line of play.  She proceeded to shank one right into my thigh, grazing the crown jewels in the process.  Needless to say I doubled over in pain.  I soldiered on in the name of relationship management.  Believe it or not, she managed to hit me again later in the round, although I didn't have the heart to tell her.  Try elevating and icing your purple rosin bag for a couple of weeks.  Of course we did get a lot more business done in the ensuing weeks and I did manage to become a father again.  That's what I call taking one for the team!  So the next time you see me standing 50 yards behind you while you play, don't look surprised!

[Dave Herrick]

In the early 90’s I took a trip to Pinehurst Resort. One day I went to the range to warm up. At the time there was a ball machine adjacent to the midpoint of the range. In front of the machine the concrete pad sloped down and way. Things proceeded smoothly until just after I dropped the token in the slot. At that time (but not, unfortunately, just a bit earlier) it became clear to me, (and it served as a reminder to everyone on and near the range) why they place a stack of plastic baskets next to the machine. 

[Cory Lewis]

In 2009 the wife and I were driving to Charleston to see her dad and had made arrangement to play a course just off the highway in Santee, South Carolina.  We get to the clubhouse and find out they don't have us on the tee sheet.  After a 7 hour drive I was less than patient and proceded to get out my notes with my reservation number, date I called and such.  The very polite gentlemen behind the counter looks at me and says "what course did you make the tee time for"  I told him, and of course we were at the wrong golf course!  Apparentely we missed the turn for our course and since these two courses are literally right next to each other we assumed we were at the right place.

One more:  As most people know that have played with me, I am a VERY fast player, and as a result I'm not very patient when it comes to getting off the tee.  One day I was playing in a very nice pro-am, the AB Thorn, at Lancaster CC.  The PGA likes to make grand introductions like they do on tour, so I tee my ball up and I'm waiting for the guy to shut up so I can tee off.  I'm standing over my ball as he goes through his intro and as soon as he gets the last word out I take the club back and hit.  The guys we were playing with were in mid conversation and there were several people around talking.  Instantly everybody within 50 yards, about 40 people, turn and stare at me, apparently the crack of a shot as somebody completes the introduction is not a common occurence.  I look at my dad, who was caddying for me, and he's shaking his head and laughing.

[Bill_McBride]

On the first hole of an early morning round with a regular group, I make a snotty remark about a playing partner's shirt.

He replies "At least I am not wearing two belts."

One of my regular buddies once asked me if I had dressed in the dark that morning.

So I guess the striped shirt and plaid shorts weren't working for him!

[Joe Bausch]

In the early 90’s I took a trip to Pinehurst Resort. One day I went to the range to warm up. At the time there was a ball machine adjacent to the midpoint of the range. In front of the machine the concrete pad sloped down and way. Things proceeded smoothly until just after I dropped the token in the slot. At that time (but not, unfortunately, just a bit earlier) it became clear to me, (and it served as a reminder to everyone on and near the range) why they place a stack of plastic baskets next to the machine. 

Been there, done that.  ;-)  :-)

I know for me it ended up looking like that episode of I Love Lucy and Ms. Ball on the candy line!