Idiotic Mistakes on the Golf Course

[billchao]

As a matter of fact, taking relief (no penalty) is mandatory.

You are correct. I assume you'd get assessed the two-stroke penalty for putting the ball off the green instead of taking relief, as well?

[Lihu]

[QUOTE name="billchao" url="/t/79508/the-good-grief-im-an-idiot-thread#post_1098223"]   [QUOTE name="Lihu" url="/t/79508/the-good-grief-im-an-idiot-thread#post_1098217"] This happened to me a lot on the local 18 hole par 3 courses. I putt off the green then hit from the fringe or the rough. Saved a few strokes that way.[/QUOTE] You know you're entitled to relief when your ball is on the wrong green, right? You added strokes by putting it off, first.[/QUOTE] As a matter of fact, taking relief (no penalty) is mandatory.

Thanks for the correction. At least, I know what I did truly belongs in this thread :-D

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

As a matter of fact, taking relief (no penalty) is mandatory.

You are correct. I assume you'd get assessed the two-stroke penalty for putting the ball off the green instead of taking relief, as well?

Yep.  And the stroke counts too.  That's 3 strokes that knowing the rules would have saved.

[billchao]

Yep.  And the stroke counts too.  That's 3 strokes that knowing the rules would have saved.

That's what I thought. Thanks for the clarification.

[RFKFREAK]

I was playing a round of golf with some friends and teed off 18 where I drove the ball to the left rough.  My playing partner hits it shorter than I do so we go to his ball, he hits, and then we drive to my ball.  I laser the flag and it reads in and around 180 yards (don't remember specifically) so I pull out my hybrid and hit the ball and it sails clear over the green and into a wooded area behind the green.  So, thinking it was one of those rare occasions that I accidentally hit it on the sweet spot, I drop a ball, and re-hit and the ball goes sailing over the green again and to the left, avoiding the wooded area.   My friend must have seen the confused look on my face and asks, "dude, why'd you pull out a hybrid for a shot that's less than 150 yards?"  He then proceeds to point to the white stake that I didn't even bother looking for and then it dawns on me that I didn't shoot the flag I shot the yardage to the woods behind to flag.

I could say that it happened because it was the first round I had ever used a rangefinder for but more than likely, it was just the idiot who swung the club who doesn't know how to estimate distances.

[Lihu]

[QUOTE name="billchao" url="/t/79508/the-good-grief-im-an-idiot-thread/18#post_1098246"]   [QUOTE name="Fourputt" url="/t/79508/the-good-grief-im-an-idiot-thread#post_1098243"] As a matter of fact, taking relief (no penalty) is mandatory.  [/QUOTE] You are correct. I assume you'd get assessed the two-stroke penalty for putting the ball off the green instead of taking relief, as well?[/QUOTE] Yep.  And the stroke counts too.  That's 3 strokes that knowing the rules would have saved.

Well, unfortunately it's one of those rounds where I miscounted the total, and shot a 61 instead of a 59. Oh well. Lucky it was on a par 3 18 hole course, which never count into my handicap anyway.

[bkuehn1952]

I joined a group of strangers on the first tee, a par 5.  I had not seen the first guy hit but the next two flared their drives right.  I unexpectedly hit a good drive down the middle.  I began walking up the middle of the fairway.  The other three guys were in carts and took off to the right.  I watched them hit and then walked on to my Titleist in the fairway.  I hit a poor 2nd shot that found a water hazard.  Disgusted, I grabbed my bag and began walking forward when I noted another Titleist in the fairway ahead of me.  Turns out the 2nd ball in the fairway was mine.  I had just hit the ball of the 1st player into the hazard.

To his credit he was not visibly upset and accepted my contrite apology and a new Titleist from me.  Still, what a way to start a round with three complete strangers.

[RFKFREAK]

I remember two seasons ago I was playing a course I never played before with two of my friends.  We get to a hole in the middle of the round and while I'm getting my driver out, my buddy tees off.  I go next and hit a nice drive into the fairway.  I then watch my other friend tee off but lose the ball in the sun.  So I start walking to my ball and see my two friends walking towards the tree line on the left.  So, because we're all terrible golfers, I naturally think that they both hit bad shots and are looking for their balls in the tree line.  So, because we're playing ready golf, I get ready to hit but I can't see the green so I don't know what direction I'm supposed to hit my second shot.  I shout to my friends and ask which way should I be aiming and one of them yells over the trees.  So, I begin to think how weird that is and wonder how the layout of the hole is that I should go that way?  I think maybe I misheard him and ask again only to receive the same response.  So, since I can't see the green, I follow their advice and hit over the trees.  Turns out, I aimed for the wrong fairway.

[golfbarefoot]

I was three under going into 18, literally playing one of my best rounds of my life in a big Am tournament. With a lead and my caddie and I are basically thinking about Sam Adams in the club house, I had not won in a long time.. I had a long putt for birdie and left it way short...I miss the next putt and then idiot me, instead of taking my time I walk up disgusted and try to back hand it.... And missed it....cost me everything and ended up in a playoff...and lost.

[DrvFrShow]

Tournament time: Oct 2014 = I hit a 220 yd drive that landed in the first cut on the right hand side of the fairway. There was a tree. With overhanging branches. Not too low, and high enough to be tempting to try and hit a low shot to reach the green on this par 5 in two. Good sense told me to hit a knockdown out onto the fairway, but instead I pulled my 19 degree hybrid, played the ball back in my stance and hit the shot. I caught it solid... and it caught that branch solid ricocheting left off a pine tree with a crack to go out of bounds ending in a yelp after hitting someone's dog in their yard. There was no doubt the ball went out of bounds. I had to drop and hit a knockdown onto the fairway and ended up with a triple.

A knockdown would have saved me 2 strokes.... maybe 3.

Just an idiot decision on a hole. I have some other gems I can share.

[MacDutch]

During a vacation I played a course I had never played before. My drive on the first hole was way to much to the right, but people on the terras above me (clubhouse) applouded when I watched my ball land on the far right side of the fairway. Second shot was on the green and two putts later I had a par start....... on the wrong green. My first shot had been perfect. :doh:

[Club Rat]

A friend sent me this today, it's so funny I had to post it.
It sort of falls in the category of making "stupid mistakes"

Quote

David Feherty does a stand up show that is quite spectacular.

It's all about his life in golf, the drinking and lots of true stories
about life on the tour.

Here's one of his stories:

It was back in the 70's and a soon-to-be prominent golfer (Ray Floyd) was playing at Augusta for his first Masters.

Back then the players could not bring
their own caddies but had to use one of the locals. Floyd told the caddy master he wanted a big fellow who could handle his bag, but who also would keep quiet, no advice needed.

The caddy who was assigned Floyd said, "Hello Mr. Floyd."
Floyd said "Hello." And followed that with, "That's the last I want to hear from you
unless I ask you a question."
 
Everything went well until the 10th hole when Floyd pushed his drive into the right trees on the par 4. After surveying the scene he said out loud, "I'm going to hit a low fade out through that opening to carry and land mid green and then roll over the crest down near the hole."

Surprisingly he pulled it off exactly and turned
to his caddy and said, "How's that?"

The caddy spoke for the first time and said, "That wasn't your ball."

 

[MarvChamp]

On 1/25/2015 at 10:14 AM, golfbarefoot said:

I was three under going into 18, literally playing one of my best rounds of my life in a big Am tournament. With a lead and my caddie and I are basically thinking about Sam Adams in the club house, I had not won in a long time.. I had a long putt for birdie and left it way short...I miss the next putt and then idiot me, instead of taking my time I walk up disgusted and try to back hand it.... And missed it....cost me everything and ended up in a playoff....and lost.

I just finished a two-day tournament. Yesterday, on my last hole, I putted for a par, missed, and the ball was 6 inches from the cup. I totally forgot I was in a tournament and raked the ball back toward me to pick up the "gimme". But recovered my sanity in time to putt again, missing the 3 footer coming back...twice...An 8 instead of a 5. MISERY

- Marv

[Hardspoon]

Last season, while playing a round with @iacas and @saevel25, I hit a pretty good approach shot into a green that seemed to be overly protected by trees.  They were strangely spaced, with only a small gap between them open to the green...

...because it was the wrong green. 

[dennyjones]

On 1/24/2015 at 3:00 PM, RFKFREAK said:

I was playing a round of golf with some friends and teed off 18 where I drove the ball to the left rough.  My playing partner hits it shorter than I do so we go to his ball, he hits, and then we drive to my ball.  I laser the flag and it reads in and around 180 yards (don't remember specifically) so I pull out my hybrid and hit the ball and it sails clear over the green and into a wooded area behind the green.  So, thinking it was one of those rare occasions that I accidentally hit it on the sweet spot, I drop a ball, and re-hit and the ball goes sailing over the green again and to the left, avoiding the wooded area.   My friend must have seen the confused look on my face and asks, "dude, why'd you pull out a hybrid for a shot that's less than 150 yards?"  He then proceeds to point to the white stake that I didn't even bother looking for and then it dawns on me that I didn't shoot the flag I shot the yardage to the woods behind to flag.

 

I could say that it happened because it was the first round I had ever used a rangefinder for but more than likely, it was just the idiot who swung the club who doesn't know how to estimate distances.

I did this last year being the first year using a rangefinder.   

[bkuehn1952]

We were playing an unfamiliar course yesterday in Round Rock, TX. My gps said 200 yards but it sure looked a lot closer. Eventually I decided the gps should be correct. Then we recalled that the starter said one of the holes had a temporary green. That was the hole and in fact it was 100 yards, not 200.  Almost a bone head shot.

[sirhacksalot]

On 1/24/2015 at 10:45 AM, Osmond said:

I've always found this weird. How can you not tell whether it's a i6 or i9 in your hand? O_o

Um I've mixed up 5 and S.  Glance, grab club while looking away, feels weird not paying attention,  swing, great shot 75 yards short. Granted I was used to bladed wedges, and it was first time out with a set that had a matching cavity back  

[Buckeyebowman]

I can understand confusing clubs and not being sure where the hole goes, but I don't understand what I did once. Pick my ball up off the green to clean it without putting down a mark! Uhhhhh, hey guys!