Embarrassing moments...come clean here...

[graham57]

I was playing with my son on a local course. We stood on the first tee, which has very high trees on the right and a public road going down the hill behind them. I skied my drive almost at a right angle and it went up and up over the trees. While we were watching it, we heard a car coning down the hill behind the trees. We looked at each other in trepidation and hoped for the best. Next thing we heard was a loud bang, followed by tyres squealing, as the car did an emergency stop. The ball had obviously hit the car roof and the driver literally did not know what had hit him! A few seconds later, he continued on down the hill. I felt terrible, but as we couldn't even see the car, there was no way of making ourselves known to the driver.

My brother was playing on a course in Scotland and hit his drive down amost into a burn (stream in standard English!). The greenkeeper was watching him as he played his next stop. He missed the ball, lost his balance and fell backwards into the water. He was so embarassed that he walked to his car, got in and drove off, soaking wet as he was!

[ghalfaire]

I have played golf on and off for a lot of years now.  Only seriously since I retired.  So a lot of embarrassing moments.  But here is the one I remember best.  Many years ago we were playing a course that was pretty narrow and wandered through a housing area, most manufactured homes.  So  on the tee I hit a big slice and it bounces off the roof of one of the homes.  Clearly OB.  So I tee it up and manage another big slice and hit the same home.  As I was teeing the third ball the fellow who lived there came out with a stick waving a white flag.  I though my buddies were going to sprain a rib laughing and they still remind me of this whenever we play there.  In my defense I was just learning to play in those days and these days I have not hit a house in many year.  But it was embarrassing.  

Edited October 24, 2015 by ghalfaire
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[Lihu]

I have played golf on and off for a lot of years now.  Only seriously since I retired.  So a lot of embarrassing moments.  But here is the one I remember best.  Many years ago we were playing a course that was pretty narrow and wandered through a housing area, most manufactured homes.  So  on the tee I hit a big slice and it bounces off the roof of one of the homes.  Clearly OB.  So I tee it up and manage another big slice and hit the same home.  As I was teeing the third ball the fellow who lived there came out with a stick waving a white flag.  I though my buddies were going to sprain a rib laughing and they still remind me of this whenever we play there.  In my defense I was just learning to play in those days and these days I have not hit a house in many year.  But it was embarrassing.  

The white flag was the perfect touch. If I were there you would have had to carry me back!

[inthehole]

Was on a business trip a couple years ago in OK City & had some free time on fly in day.    Rented clubs at a nice local course.    Teamed up with a cool local business man, and I was playing surprisingly well (ball REALLY carries out there - just smoking the ball perfect every time with that Nike Covert rental driver).    So about halfway through the round, we start catching this foursome of walkers ahead of us.   Next hole we bump into a guy who was waiting for us ... it was the OSU ladies golf coach.    He said his girls just tee'd off, but he'll hold them up & let us tee off & then jump ahead.  He said he's got two all Americans there, so just don't hit it past them - and winked (knowing they were long hitters).

Problem is that when I got to the tee box, I saw four of the most attractive young ladies I've ever seen, the fact that they were super talented golfers put the already pegged attractive meter past 10.

So, my partner stripes one right down the pipe and gets a clap from the girls.    Now, the pressure's on ... feeling it.   I step up, address the ball, and manage to hit the most brutal snap hook I've ever seen - it must have gone a hundred yards straight & 200 yards left into a pond, which was so far out of play, neither of us even knew there was water there.   I was apparently trying to hit it farther than the girls and made a complete mockery of it - it was an atrocity of a golf shot.    Totally immasculated, I managed to lob one out there next, about 30 yards behind the girls tee shots.    After we eventually left the tee box, my partner was laughing his ass off ... I remember exactly what he said ... "put a few pretty girls on the tee box and you fold like a circus tent" - it was pretty hilarious.

... as a follow up, I've seen the same uncomfortable look of feigned appreciation for at least trying from ladies before, just never thought I'd see that same look on a tee box 

[Abu3baid]

Sitting in the waiting area, the kid throws up right infront of him, as I go put a bag to catch any more he may have a lady walks right next to it and slips and falls.. She doesn't land in it, but might as well have.. She is confused, not sure what to do, I start explaining and she doesn't want to hear it..  Nothing I could have done really, as she literally walked 10-15 seconds after he threw up..  I felt so bad and embaressed, but nothing I could do really.. Kids throw up, it happens.

[natureboy]

I split the seat of my pants once on the course while bending down to read a putt. I kept playing as I was only a few holes in and had a cart to protect my minimal dignity when not swinging.

[awmgolfer]

The two that come to mind for me is I was out playing with the golf pro at our course as we are good friends. He was in the drivers seat of the golf cart and we are both good golfers so it was parked even with me and my ball and he was turned out a bit towards me. It was a 100 yard shot and it was one of those once in a blue moon things, I left my face wide open and shanked it on top of that right into his shin, he had a heck of a bruise for a few weeks.

The second one happened during the second day of our club championship last year. On the 9th hole I was using a 9 iron taking my usual 2 practice swings and was a tad too close to the ball and caught it as I came back after my first practice swing and hit it about 20 yards behind me. What was even more painful is it ended between me and another guy and we ended up going into a playoff that went for 6 holes and I ultimately lost. If I hadn't done that I would have won it, oh well, lesson learned :) This past year I made a conscious decision to stand just a little further away..lol.

[RandallT]

I hit a 2nd shot on a par 5 way left. Left of left, and hooking more left. Up a hill toward the clubhouse and practice green, so far left you don't even want to think about it being anywhere near in play.  As I walked up the hill, I stopped short of the putting green by about 30 yards, contemplating if I should just stop there to avoid looking on the green with my bag strapped to my back, also thinking there's no way it could've rolled this far up the hill. But hmmm, it was dry and hard for that week. I guess there's a small chance it rolled up further.

A guy on the putting green yells over to me from the green, "Hey buddy, your ball is here." He's pointing down to his feet, about a foot from a hole cut near the edge of the green.  Not only was it a horrible shot, I might've endangered people on the practice green. He said "It rolled up nicely and I thought it was going in."

Then the walk of shame to find NPR and play through back down the hill to a green about 120yds away, as the players about to start their round all looked on.

[Valleygolfer]

The two that come to mind for me is I was out playing with the golf pro at our course as we are good friends. He was in the drivers seat of the golf cart and we are both good golfers so it was parked even with me and my ball and he was turned out a bit towards me. It was a 100 yard shot and it was one of those once in a blue moon things, I left my face wide open and shanked it on top of that right into his shin, he had a heck of a bruise for a few weeks.

The second one happened during the second day of our club championship last year. On the 9th hole I was using a 9 iron taking my usual 2 practice swings and was a tad too close to the ball and caught it as I came back after my first practice swing and hit it about 20 yards behind me. What was even more painful is it ended between me and another guy and we ended up going into a playoff that went for 6 holes and I ultimately lost. If I hadn't done that I would have won it, oh well, lesson learned :) This past year I made a conscious decision to stand just a little further away..lol.

I wonder why this doesn't happen more often. I see people swing so close to their ball.

[possumkiwi]

Some great yarns here!
 

Two which stick in my mind: the first is being invited to play nine after work with a friend, who’s a solid 4HC and hits the most beautiful iron shots I’ve ever seen.  He’s a lovely guy and makes crappy golfers like me feel ok about their terrible shots.  His advice is always “I don’t care if you’re rubbish – just don’t be rubbish and slow.”

 

Anyway I show up and there’s two other guys there who both play off low numbers.  You can guess how this goes.  I don’t think I made solid contact until about the 4^th hole and even then was trying to hit too hard.  Big slices, topping the ball, I was all over the place and getting more frustrated and nervous by the minute.  The 8^th was a short par 3 along a row of houses, everyone else on the green and me on the tee.  I play for the slice and snap hook a 6 iron onto someone’s roof.  Reload – my last ball.  Deep breath.  Relax the grip.  Loosen shoulders.  Swing slow.  Snap hook onto same roof.  Utterly mortified, I mutter an apology and leave the course.

 

Second was my first proper tournament.  I’d been playing really well leading up and was feeling confident.  First day was a mixed stableford and we’re the first group away off the first, par 5 with a nice wide landing area, 60 or so people watching.  Ladies’ tee 50 yards or so in front, where the two ladies were waiting, guarded by a big tree in front of it but well off line to the right.  I hit 3W to make sure she stays in the fairway and get it right out of the screws.  Unfortunately I’ve blocked it right and it screams right into the trees, directly at our partners.  Thankfully it hits something solid and stops, but now I’m not only the jackass who’s hitting his 2^nd from under a tree 50 yards from the tee, I also can’t be trusted to hit straight off the tee, so for the rest of the round, the ladies don’t go forward to their tee until after I’ve hit my shot. 
For the record, I got schooled by a lady old enough to be my mother, who was absolutely lethal from 100 yards in.

 

Edited November 16, 2015 by possumkiwi
Looked crappy

[billchao]

I played a round with @GolfLug last week where I had this one approach shot from just in the right rough and flushed a 7i right at the pin. Then I watched it airmail the green, over the cart path and hit a tree behind the green of an adjacent hole and disappear into oblivion.

I was confused as to how I managed to hit my 7i so far when V asked what club I hit, which I told him. He promptly responded, "From inside 100 yards?"

I apparently caught the yardage to that tree with my rangefinder and never second guessed it. It's not like it was a short par 4 on a course I've played dozens of times or anything 

[JBailey]

30 years ago I had just joined a new club.  The club was considered the "players" club in the area.  I had joined too late to take part in the men's league, so I signed up to become a sub.

At the beginning of the round most of the players were around the front tee to watch folks tee off.  You know the scene -- about 30/40 players standing around with a drink in one hand and a cigar in the other.  I was a big hitter in those days and I was sure they would all be impressed with the length of my drive.  You can probably tell what's going to happen.  I took a mighty swing but got underneath the ball.  The ball went straight up to the right, hit a tree limb, went sky high and landed about 20 yds. away -- behind me on the blue tees!!  You can only imagine my embarrassment.  The laughter could be heard in the next county to the west -- which, by the way, was across Lake Michigan.

I went on to hit a decent 3 wood off the blue tees and ended with a double bogie.

Later,

John

[boogielicious]

12 hours ago, billchao said:

I played a round with @GolfLug last week where I had this one approach shot from just in the right rough and flushed a 7i right at the pin. Then I watched it airmail the green, over the cart path and hit a tree behind the green of an adjacent hole and disappear into oblivion.

I was confused as to how I managed to hit my 7i so far when V asked what club I hit, which I told him. He promptly responded, "From inside 100 yards?"

I apparently caught the yardage to that tree with my rangefinder and never second guessed it. It's not like it was a short par 4 on a course I've played dozens of times or anything 

I've done that!

[bones75]

There's haha embarrassing and then there's ashamed embarrassing...

Early in my career, i used to get pretty salty and vocal about my bad shots (and they were all bad), thinking I was a much better player than what I was currently doing.  We all know the drill.  Had a particularly whiny day as a single playing with two guys that were friends.  They were good, and pleasant and smiling to me all day.  Didn't think anything special of the round.  Next morning same course, I'm in the pro shop and see one of them again, turns out we got paired up again.  He was all nice and looked glad to see me.  Outside the pro shop was walking to get my clubs when i could make them out on the other side of a line of hedges, but they didn't see me.  Evidently, the guy i met in the pro shop was just telling his friend who they just go paired up with.. his response? ... "Awwww man.. we gotta play with THAT guy again?".

Like to think i have kept quiet on the course ever since then.

[Jaymancds]

My most embarrassing moment:

 

Playing in a 3 ball with a couple of friends from my high school.  One is a scratch so I asked for help off the tee.  He told me I was gripping the club to tight and to let it just rest in my hand.  So off the next tee (big surprise here) I loosen my grip up too much and launch my driver about as far as the ball went.  Nearly hit one of the guys I was playing with.  Note to self, don't let go half way through the swing ever again.

[isukgolf]

Relatively new to golf ... crowed on the first tee box ... I was so nervous I could hardly breath with everyone watching ... at least two groups waiting on the tee ... I shank my drive into a tree by the tee box that bounces straight back and rolls under a cart of the waiting groups ... I walked straight my cart and never looked back ... That was almost my last day of golf ... hell I am still embarrassed about it. 

[Gator Hazard]

I have plenty.  This is more funny than embarrassing, just happened this weekend:

Second Tee, drive faded hard into the tree area on right hand side.  I found my ball in a shrub so picked up my provisional and hit the original.  It flubbed out about 15 feet.  This is still under a huge canopy of cyprus trees that even covers the cart path.  Third shot trying to punch it up there with a 5H, hit it solid but it popped off the  hard dirt too high, up into the tree canopy with a huge crack and then a bunch of rustling around until it eventually drops out of the trees about 10 feet behind where I started.  It sounded like a squirrel running through the trees and left us in stitches.  Golf is better if you have a sense of humor and humility about you.

[Valleygolfer]

This is the reason I started this thread... Barely anyone was on the course. I had pushed a drive right and laid up to 100 yards with a perfect 6 iron. I proceed to hit two chunk shots in a row with my 55 degree vokey.... I am fuming...(I seem to get more frustrated when I am playing alone) and I just want to toss my club. I go to whip my club into the stratosphere and change my mind on the direction because of trees and I don't want to lose or break my club. I hold on to it a bit longer to go where I thought was safe but I was swinging a little harder than I thought and chucked into the pond. I realized that the only thing I could do was take my shoes off, roll up my pants and wade out and get my club. I was and felt like a complete ass.