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"Shotgun" Start

Q.Q.Quillume

By Q.Q.Quillume
in Golf Talk

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Note: This thread is 6390 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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Q.Q.Quillume Great Member

Q.Q.Quillume

Posted
Posted

Okay, why is it called a "shotgun" start?

I've played in lots of tournaments or outings with a "shotgun start" but have never seen or heard a shotgun. Or even a siren or any type of noise device to indicate it's time to start play.

It seems before the golfers are sent out onto the course, "they" tell everybody the particulars (format, local rules, info regarding par-3 closest to the hole awards, closest drive to the center of the fairway award, longest drive award, how frequently the cart babe will be driving around the course & etc.), then each group drives out to their assigned starting hole, and -voila - everybody starts playing. No shotgun, no nothing . . .

I'm probably taking this "shotgun start" thing far too seriously . . .


Alex B Well Established Member

Alex B

Posted
Posted
http://golf.about.com/cs/golfterms/g..._shotgunst.htm

The term "shotgun start" comes from the first known use of such a starting format. As reported in the December 2004 issue of Golf Digest, Walla Walla (Wash.) Country Club head pro Jim Russell fired off a shotgun to sound the start of play to golfers waiting on tees around the course at a tournament in May 1956.

Seems reasonable to me.

What's in my bag:

Driver: R7 CGB Max, regular shaft
4-wood and 7-wood: :: Launcher, regular shafts
4-iron to A-wedge: X-20, regular steel shafts56- and 60-degree wedge: forged, stiff steel shafts, vintage finish, MD groovesPutter: Circa '62, No. 7, steel shaft, 35"Ball: NXT Tour or ProV1(x)...


bigphil Established Member

bigphil

Posted
Posted

Of course it had to be eastern WA. Im suprised it wasnt Lakewood, WA where this was invented.

♠ In the bag ♠
Driver► R7 SuperQuad 10.5º, ProForce V2 X
3 Wood► Steelhead III 15º
Hybrid► 2008 Baffler Pro 18º 2/R
Irons 3-P► 2008 Pro CB, Project X 6.0, +¼", 2° UpWedges► 52° RTG+DSG, 58º RTG+DSGPutter► White Hot Tour #1Ball► Pro V1xWhere I play:...


gogolfing Great Member

gogolfing

Posted
Posted
The club where I'm a member at used to have a gun that shot off blanks. We used it for scaring off the geese and to start shot gun tournaments. People living around the course complained too much though and they got rid of it. Now it is just the standard air horn to start things.

Ping G 410 10.5 ˚ Driver Ping Tour Stiff Shaft
Ping G 410 14.5˚ 3 Ping Tour Stiff Shaft
Ping G 410 19˚ Ping Tour Stiff Shaft
i 500 irons 4-UW 1/2 inch over, blue dot, NS Pro Modus 105 Stiff Shafts
Ping Stealth Wedges Wedges  54˚ 58˚

Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport 2 34" 


NM Golf Super Member

NM Golf

Posted
Posted
It is because groups are spread throughout the course on every hole like a shotgun. You know a shotgun spreads lots of pellets to cover a larger area than just one bullet can. It doesn't have anything to do with a sound used to start a tournament.

Danny    In my :ping: Hoofer Tour golf bag on my :clicgear: 8.0 Cart

Driver:   :pxg: 0311 Gen 5  X-Stiff.                        Irons:  :callaway: 4-PW APEX TCB Irons 
3 Wood: :callaway: Mavrik SZ Rogue X-Stiff                            Nippon Pro Modus 130 X-Stiff
3 Hybrid: :callaway: Mavrik Pro KBS Tour Proto X   Wedges: :vokey:  50°, 54°, 60° 
Putter: :odyssey:  2-Ball Ten Arm Lock        Ball: :titleist: ProV 1

 

 

 

 

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iacas Hall of Fame Member

iacas

Posted
  • Administrator
Posted
It is because groups are spread throughout the course on every hole like a shotgun. You know a shotgun spreads lots of pellets to cover a larger area than just one bullet can. It doesn't have anything to do with a sound used to start a tournament.

I believe it does, per the link Alex B posted earlier:

http://golf.about.com/cs/golfterms/g..._shotgunst.htm

Erik J. Barzeski — ⛳ I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • Author, Lowest Score Wins
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MSDOGS1976 Great Member

MSDOGS1976

Posted
Posted
My pro actually shoots a shotgun to start play.

 Sub 70 849 9* driver

:callaway:  Rogue 3 & 5 woods, Rogue X 4 & 5 hybrids

:tmade: SIM 2 6-gap irons

:cobra:  King snakebite grove wedges 52 & 58*

 :ping: Heppler ZB3 putter

 

 


birdmangriffin Member

birdmangriffin

Posted
Posted
Of course it had to be eastern WA. Im suprised it wasnt Lakewood, WA where this was invented.

Wasn't that the place (I know it was in WA somewhere) that a guy tried to change a tire, couldn't get it off, so he shot it with a 12 gauge?

What's in my bag:

Driver: R5, 9.5 degree
Fairway woods: 973F
Irons: RAC, 3-AWWedges: Vokey spin milled, 56 degreePutter: White Hot #7Ball: Pro V1


Garthmo Well Established Member

Garthmo

Posted
Posted
Our club uses a airhorn to start our shotguns

Driver - SQ SUMO2 9.5 stiff
3 Wood - SQ SUMO2 15* stiff
Hybrid SQ SUMO2 20* stiff
Irons - CCi steel stiff
Wedge - 56*Wedge - Knight 60*Putter - ITraxBall - platinum+Black but soon to be switching to pr0v1 SG 2.5


Note: This thread is 6390 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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