What is your best golf accomplishment or most memorable moment?

[MEfree]

Golf is a tough game, so let's take the time to pat ourselves on the back and/or relive a memorable moment- I'll start.

Yesterday, I won my first Club Championship!  I had a 3 shot lead after shooting a 74 (+5 at the par 69 Copper Creek in CO) last Wednesday, stretched it to 9 shots after an even par front 9 of 35 yesterday and ended up winning by 16 shots with a 145 total.  The guy who won 2 years ago (78-72= 150) was second with 77-84= 161 and the defending Champ was about 5th with a 165 total.

I combined very good ball striking with poor putting the 1st round and very playable ball striking with solid putting the 2nd round.  The 71 was my best score ever at Copper Creek.  Only 1 birdie in two rounds (on a two putt) which is low for me, but no doubles and only 8 bogies- very steady golf for me.

I didn't dare to post in the goals thread, but this was my goal for this summer after I posted a 72 to win my first individual Men's League comp by 4 shots.  Making this my goal put extra pressure on myself, but I am proud of the way I responded and still have a smile on my face.

What makes you smile the most when you think about it?

[Chris223]

Well mine can't come close to that...

But probably the last round I played.  I only shot an 88 but as a whole was the best round I've played just overall.  I putted well, I kept the ball in play off every single tee, and if it weren't for a bogey-double bogey finish I would have shot 85.  But I did hit 7 GIR which is (I think) a personal best and those 7 holes I played -2... 2 birdies and 5 pars, no three putts on those holes which is amazing for me, lol.  I'm still smiling about it 4 days later haha.

[bkuehn1952]

First, congratulations.  That was some excellent golf you played.  No one is going to give you strokes for a while!

As far as an accomplishment that makes me smile, my father and I won his club's Member/Guest many years ago (TPC at Prestancia, Sarasota, FL).  It was a team effort but he did most of the heavy lifting.  He had to stop playing golf about 10 years ago because of back issues but we took a trip over to the club last year and our names are still up on the wall along with his and my mother's aces.

[TJBam]

Way to go MEfree.  Sounds like you crushed the field.

My most memorable experience was the day I shot 85 on 6800 yards 72.1/131.  Before that I had not convincingly broken the 90's with my lowest rounds being 88's and 89's.  The thing I remember best is making par on the 18th to finish out.  At that time I would usually lose a ball or lay-up for a bogey or double.  It is a par 4 with an island green, I bombed a drive right down the middle leaving me with an 8i into the tiny island green.  I put it on and two putted and fist pumped so hard the island shook.

The thing I remember best about the round is that I played an old Titleist ProV1x and kept it the whole time which was uncommon for me at that point.  I remember being so tuned in with putts that I could hardly miss.  Had maybe one 3 putt the whole time which again was unheard of for me.  The old Titleist is now sitting on my bookshelf with a big 85 written on it in sharpie next to a "Third flight second place" trophy (LOL).  It is my constant reminder that I am making progress.  The old 85 Titleist has been joined by a Nike PD Soft that reads 82.  As of several weeks ago there is a 38 (+2) through 9.

[MEfree]

Originally Posted by TJBam

Way to go MEfree.  Sounds like you crushed the field.

My most memorable experience was the day I shot 85 on 6800 yards 72.1/131.  Before that I had not convincingly broken the 90's with my lowest rounds being 88's and 89's.  The thing I remember best is making par on the 18th to finish out.  At that time I would usually lose a ball or lay-up for a bogey or double.  It is a par 4 with an island green, I bombed a drive right down the middle leaving me with an 8i into the tiny island green.  I put it on and two putted and fist pumped so hard the island shook.

The thing I remember best about the round is that I played an old Titleist ProV1x and kept it the whole time which was uncommon for me at that point.  I remember being so tuned in with putts that I could hardly miss.  Had maybe one 3 putt the whole time which again was unheard of for me.  The old Titleist is now sitting on my bookshelf with a big 85 written on it in sharpie next to a "Third flight second place" trophy (LOL).  It is my constant reminder that I am making progress.  The old 85 Titleist has been joined by a Nike PD Soft that reads 82.  As of several weeks ago there is a 38 (+2) through 9.

Good idea about saving the ball and continued improvement for you.  I find that you enjoy things much more that you are improving at rather than being good but going the wrong direction.

I think our league only awards shop credit and no trophy so a ball would be a nice keepsake- I played with 2 yesterday switching after the 14th hole, so the 2nd is in better shape than the first.  Time to find the sharpie...

[arturo28mx]

I'm just a mid handicapper, but last week I managed to hit nine drives in a row, long and straight down the middle of the fairway. Never before in my life. I think I have finally learned to hit the damned thing. For me it's a very happy moment.

[Jodastra]

Ahhhh.... just yesterday... I shot a drive off the blue tees on #3 and hit a goose. the ball bounced forward off the goose, towards the fairway, crossing the creek and came to rest in some medium tall fescue. It was a par 4 and I was still out 210 yds. On the adjacent fairway there was a three-some so I had all the time in the world to figure my next shot when....I looked back at the white tees 160 yards back and there was a guy waiting to drive. So i motioned him to play through, hopped in my cart and drove to the edge of the woods/fairway facing the tee box. I hopped out of the cart and put up the front rain windshield and hopped back in the cart. wouldn't you know it. his drive hit the cart windshield and went in the creek. I just started to laugh. He came forward and we exchanged pleasantries, he did a drop and moved on. When he cleared the green I hit maybe a 70 yard hybrid shot. Being switchback fairways his next tee shot landed 30 yards ahead of me and rolled by me by 10 feet. Well he shot another and went and played that ball. On may way down that fairway I went and picked his errant ball up. Well it became like and easter egg hunt I was finding his 6 miss hits for the next 2 fairways, and I mistakenly played one. When i noticed on hole #6 that there was no one ahead of me on the course? He was gone, the threesome was gone. I mean vanished...alien abduction? did he get in a scuffle with the threesome...and they are off hiding the body?   From there I shot a bogey, birdie, and a double.

Things I learned from this memorable experience:

Geese are resiliant, it shook it off and went with his gaggle to the next pond.

You are a target on the course

Plexi-glass will stop a 160 yard drive.

The group ahead of you may vanish

and of course check the ball you think is yours before hitting it.....

[Strandly]

Hmm, last Thursday I hit a wedge shot from maybe 80 yards out that flew nice and high and then landed and stopped a couple inches from the hole.  It looked like a highlight clip from the golf channel except of course most of the shots the shots before and after it were atrocious.  Haha

[Jimdangles]

Originally Posted by arturo28mx

I'm just a mid handicapper, but last week I managed to hit nine drives in a row, long and straight down the middle of the fairway. Never before in my life. I think I have finally learned to hit the damned thing. For me it's a very happy moment.

enjoy it. It probably wont last long. I HATE GOLF!!!

[Jimdangles]

best moment would probably have to be my eagle. It was fairly weak but like a 240 yard par 4 and I hit an easy 3 wood to like 3 feet. Only eagle still. I cant recall every shot Ive probably ever taken but not a lot that I just think about randomly.

[islandersfan1]

Mine came last year.  I was playing 18 in a tournament.  I had a HORRIBLE front nine with a 54.  My friend had I believe an 11 stroke lead on me after the front, and he didn't have a great front either, but he was the favorite to win... but anyway, I started the back on a par three.. Sunk a birdie putt.  From then on it was smooth sailing.  I was sinking everything, I chipped 2 in, drives were great and everything.  So I'm on the last hole.  My friend has a two stroke lead on me (he had a decent back, and he was still in the lead), and we both hit it on... I was away, but he still had a long putt.. I knew I needed to make it to at least have a chance... It was about 40 feet... a double breaker than somehow sunk...  So, for a tie, he would have to three putt from about 30 feet.. He put the first on about 10 feet.. The second one he put about 3 feet away.. If he sunk this it was a tie, he knew it and I knew it.. The putt looks to be going at the center of the hole, and it starts breaking... It lips out.  He feel to his knees... I guess It wasn't just my accomplishment but the luck I had that he didn't play all that great, but hey, I came back from a 11 shot deficit to shoot a 38 on the back, a 92 total, and to win the tournament by one stroke.

[hacker101]

I think the best so far was when I played with our biggest customer two weeks ago and his two buddy's at Trump.

This is a customer that has an ego bigger then the golf course and one that always gets a rate decrease instead of a normal increase.

I really did not know what I was in for when we started or how good he and his two buddy's were. But i can tell you there was no way in hell I was going to let this guy or his buddy's beat me. Now I am not the best golfer out there, between low 80's and mid 90's, never know how my game will be. I never hit my driver more then 225 +/- but that day it was 225 plus with one that on the GPS said 301, if I never hit a ball that far again I am really happy it was on that day. Of course it was slight down hill with a wind to my back.

This guy and his two buddies lost two full boxes of my balls, plus the few I had in my bag  and one box of his buddy's on the front 9. We even had to stop and get more at the club house on the way to the back 9, I lost one ball all day. That round of golf took over 6 hours, thank god there was no one behind us.

So did I beat them all, oh ya,  and bragging rights is all i wanted out of this...of course I will be picking up two boxes of ball on my company CC, and I did not pay for this outing.

[dfreuter415]

Originally Posted by MEfree

Golf is a tough game, so let's take the time to pat ourselves on the back and/or relive a memorable moment- I'll start. What makes you smile the most when you think about it?

1) The shot that makes me smile was my hole in one in July of 2006, 160 uphill shot with a Hogan Edge 5 iron, that went in the hole after a lucky bounce. I have a number of shots that were better swings, but none with better results. Check that off my bucket list.

2) As a father my favorite memories are golfing with my daughter, Kelly, who also caddied at Oakmont with me when she was in high school. Caddies are allowed to golf at Oakmont after the Monday party is over, and Kelly and I would often play nine holes. Kelly was a high school champion golfer, but she had never beaten me. This particular Monday the first and tenth tees were backed up, so we decided to start on the 15th tee and play the back nine. I always made Kelly play the men's tee and the 15th is 440 yards long. I hit a good drive and had 180 left for my second shot. Kelly stepped up and hit a screamer with only 160 left to the pin. "I think today is the day," she told me as we left the tee. Well, it was an up and down battle and when we went to the 14th tee, our last hole in the match, and we were all even. I stepped up and hit a good drive, but just a little left of my target. Anyone who has ever played Oakmont knows that being just a little off usually means big trouble, and I was up against the front lip of a very deep fairway bunker. Kelly just smiled and ripped her drive in the middle of the fairway. I had no shot to the green so I laid up, only 10 yards past my daughter's drive. Well, to make a long story shorter, she hit the green, two-putted for par and said, "Wait 'til the guys in the caddie yard hear about this!" Needless to say, I was the butt of jokes for losing to a girl, but a proud father, nonetheless.

3) As a caddie my best moment was on Fathers Day when I carried a bag for a golfer who played with his father, (who rode a cart), and his son, (who carried his own bag).  The 16th hole at Oakmont is a 211 par 3 into the wind most of the time.  The pin was back that day and Mr. Meyers said that he would hit a 3 wood.  I said, "You can't get there with a 3 wood, because the wind is stronger than normal."  He took my advice and hit a driver...  into the hole - on Fathers Day - playing with his father and his son.  Priceless.

[Tref]

My most memorable moment on a golf course was at the 1980 Epsom Grand Prix European Tour Pro am at St Pierre Golf course Chepstow UK . I was playing in the Pro am as I had won the competition at the club and they had a free team entry. Our pro that day was Sam Torrance ( to be European Ryder Cup Captain in 2002) who made it a memorable day and taught me so much about reading a green ( they see so many things we don't ). Anyway back to my highlight which came on the 8th hole which is a Par 4 guarded by a large Chestnut tree on one side and a deep bunker the other side. If you can picturefrom the tee which was 3 or 4 deep and all down the roped edges spectators were stretching to the green which had large stands in a horseshoe around the green with at least 1500 spectators sitting there.....it was a real caldron as one stood on the tee....Sam went first with a 3 iron and left it perfectly for a wedge to the green.....now came my shot being a member of the club I had made this shot many times, but less the people and the stress, it didn't help to have one of my fellow team member say just over there on the right where all those people are is where my slice goes.....Now it was all quiet on the tee as I put my ball down, in my hand the driver...in my head the thought...don't think just hit it....a beautiful swing...the ball as it flew straight down the fairway just bouncing under the tree and rolling onto the green....all around me cheers all down the fairway cheers...the players on the green ( one was Seve Balesteros) looking back as the ball rolled up to them...I turned to Sam and said "I don't think he liked that" " well he should play faster" Sam said to the laughter of the crowd. When I got to the green after being clapped all the way there, everyone stood up and clapped me on the green.. I missed the eagle but tapped in for the birdie. But another trill came later...Sam went after the round to practice and said he'd meet us in the bar in 30 minutes..he was good to his word and came back with Seve would shook my hand and said what a great shot. To do that and then have my hero tell me what a great shot.....I think you'll know how I felt and still feel!......

[TJBam]

My most memorable moment on a golf course was at the 1980 Epsom Grand Prix European Tour Pro am at St Pierre Golf course Chepstow UK . I was playing in the Pro am as I had won the competition at the club and they had a free team entry. Our pro that day was Sam Torrance ( to be European Ryder Cup Captain in 2002) who made it a memorable day and taught me so much about reading a green ( they see so many things we don't ). Anyway back to my highlight which came on the 8th hole which is a Par 4 guarded by a large Chestnut tree on one side and a deep bunker the other side. If you can picturefrom the tee which was 3 or 4 deep and all down the roped edges spectators were stretching to the green which had large stands in a horseshoe around the green with at least 1500 spectators sitting there.....it was a real caldron as one stood on the tee....Sam went first with a 3 iron and left it perfectly for a wedge to the green.....now came my shot being a member of the club I had made this shot many times, but less the people and the stress, it didn't help to have one of my fellow team member say just over there on the right where all those people are is where my slice goes.....Now it was all quiet on the tee as I put my ball down, in my hand the driver...in my head the thought...don't think just hit it....a beautiful swing...the ball as it flew straight down the fairway just bouncing under the tree and rolling onto the green....all around me cheers all down the fairway cheers...the players on the green ( one was Seve Balesteros) looking back as the ball rolled up to them...I turned to Sam and said "I don't think he liked that" " well he should play faster" Sam said to the laughter of the crowd. When I got to the green after being clapped all the way there, everyone stood up and clapped me on the green.. I missed the eagle but tapped in for the birdie. But another trill came later...Sam went after the round to practice and said he'd meet us in the bar in 30 minutes..he was good to his word and came back with Seve would shook my hand and said what a great shot. To do that and then have my hero tell me what a great shot.....I think you'll know how I felt and still feel!......

That's nuts!!  What a great feeling.

[Patch]

My wife saved a guy's life by giving him CPR immediately after he suffered a heart attack. He was in our foursome, and just fell over with no warning. My wife knew immediately what was going on. I called 911, helped with the CPR, and in less than 20 minutes the guy was on his way to the hospital where we later learned he survived. Pretty memorable moment for me.

As for my golf, I once beat a ringer for $1000.00. We all decided to put up $250 on the first tee. He was a better golfer than I was, but I managed to steal the show by one stroke, on the last hole, after being down by 4 strokes at the turn. (73-74) I just kept playing my steady, consistent game of par. He eventually made a costly course management error. I also remember we all went home in a cab after a long stay at the 19th hole afterwards. Pretty sure the waitress, and the cab drive received a decent portion of the winnings.

I have also pulled off some very memorable, very unorthodox,  golf shots over the years that still come to mind.