Best Shot of the Week

[Fairway_CY]

I hit a poor... okay, very poor drive on a short 337 yard par 4.  My back foot slipped out from behind me (it was pouring at the time)... I top-pulled the ball... it hit the rough and died there, 65 yards from the tee.  Because the rough was so thick to begin with, and getting 'thicker' because of the rain... I decided to hack a 4 iron as far as I could get it to go.  It didn't go overly far, only about 160 yards.  This left me 110 yards, up the hill to the pin... playing about 120.  It was cool and humid, in addition to the rain... so I took an extra club (plus) and hit an 8 iron with as smooth a swing as I could.  The ball never left the flag.  It landed 4 feet shy and kissed the pin, kicking slightly to the left.

It left me 9 feet to save my par, but... unfortunately, my putt ran over the left edge, so I had to settle for a bogey there... but, seeing the ball hit the pin was great.  It's the first time I can remember doing that since about 1995 when I was playing in a member-caddie tournament at the country club I worked at.

CY

[inthehole]

Last shot of the day ... 75-80 ft super long putt practically in the dark with a glow ball.    Couldn't read the break at all it was so dark - probably the luckiest shot I've ever hit.    Cool to see that ball disappear and the hole glow green !!

[phillyk]

Dogleg right at 315yds. I went for the green. Not sure what the carry was but it had to be 285-290 still. I hit a perfect high fade over the trees. Didnt see it land but i knew it had to be close to green. Ended up 12ft short of the flag. Unfortunately i missed the eagle by a inch but it was a easy tap in birdie.

[Gator Hazard]

Had my first lesson yesterday at a smaller course, mainly par threes and a few par fours.  He started me off on chipping, spent a lot of time on that.  Took me over to one of the par threes and had me tee off from the red which was about 100 yards.  Handed me my pitching wedge and said "let's see what you've got, let me know when you are ready" (he was taking video of my swing).  The pin was placed towards the upper end of the sloping green and I threw it up high, landed no more than a few feet away from the pin and rolled towards it and then downwards.  Instructor could not believe it, thought I was going to make a hole in one.  I knew I did some things wrong in the stroke and watching the video definitely opened my eyes.  My head moves too much, I move my legs too much for a wedge shot and I sway slightly.  At release my arms and hands are bunched up.  All of that going against me and still almost made it.

[phillyk]

Had my first lesson yesterday at a smaller course, mainly par threes and a few par fours.  He started me off on chipping, spent a lot of time on that.  Took me over to one of the par threes and had me tee off from the red which was about 100 yards.  Handed me my pitching wedge and said "let's see what you've got, let me know when you are ready" (he was taking video of my swing).  The pin was placed towards the upper end of the sloping green and I threw it up high, landed no more than a few feet away from the pin and rolled towards it and then downwards.  Instructor could not believe it, thought I was going to make a hole in one.  I knew I did some things wrong in the stroke and watching the video definitely opened my eyes.  My head moves too much, I move my legs too much for a wedge shot and I sway slightly.  At release my arms and hands are bunched up.  All of that going against me and still almost made it.

Nice!! I had a similar shot of 100yds uphill into a par 4 green.  Front pin, and I knew the green sloped a bit left to right, so I hit my 3/4 52* wedge starting left of the pin and working back.  It hit on the front of the green and it somehow went in.  I didn't see it happen, but it's always fun to hit the shot you intended to hit. 

Edited October 5, 2015 by phillyk

[vangator]

I cut down the shaft in my driver and was really having problems.  When it was 45.5 inches, I'd hit a mid high draw.  I put several grams of lead tape on the toe and back.  I was hitting the ball much higher.  One of my last holes was a 357 yard par four.  Hit it about 40 yards from the green.

Same day I hit my drive on 18 about 180 from the green.  I hit a 5 iron absolutely dead straight at the pin.  Never left it.  I wish I could have taped it.  Landed about 3 yards past the pin.  Of course I lipped out the putt.

[inthehole]

60 ft pitch in from well below the green ... to save bogie .

Edited October 6, 2015 by inthehole

[phan52]

Played in a 36 hole member-member alternate drive/alternate shot tournament over the weekend. There is a lot of money on the line and a top finish can be worth well into four figures. We ended up in second and I could think of a lot of good shots that we both hit that would fit a description as the "best shot", but I will go with the most impactful.

We were on 18 tee, three shots behind the leaders, who we happened to be playing with. My partner hit the drive and split the fairway. Not long (he's 72 and a good player, but length is not his strength) but it gave me a chance to get close to the green. I had 200 yards, uphill, into a strong wind and I figured it was playing closer to 225. I don't have that length with a fairway wood so I figured my best bet was to try to get it as high on the hill as possible into the neck of the fairway approach to the green. The green has bunkers on both sides, and two more on both sides below them on the hill. I said to my caddie that our only hope was to make a 3 and hope they make a 6 (we were both getting shots so a 3 would be a net 2). My opponent hit first and he gave us an opening by hitting a poor shot into one of the lower bunkers. Tough shot for anybody, needing about a 25 yard carry to get on the green from there. I hit a solid 3-wood and did exactly what I needed to do, leaving my partner about 15 feet off the front with a good look at the pin. Our opponents then took two shots to get on the green, laying 4 about 10 feet from the hole. So what does my partner do? HE CHIPS IT IN THE HOLE FOR A 3!! They get aggressive with the putt, which they assumed was for the win, and hit it four feet past, then missed it coming back for 7! WE WIN!!

I thought.  Another group behind us made 5 net birdies over the last 5 holes to beat us by a shot. I watched them make a 12 footer on 18 for the win. But second place in this tournament is worth a lot of cash that will provide plenty of consolation.

Edited October 6, 2015 by phan52

[Cupcakus]

Hit my first par 5 in two yesterday, bombed my drive down the middle, 220 to green center, I decide to just try it.  The green is a narrow shot behind trees (picture provided) and I killed a 3 wood right down the middle to land on the right edge about 20ft from the hole.

[vangator]

On a 500 yard par 5, I hit a gorgeous power fade.  We were playing at the same time as a scramble was going on.  When I got to my ball, it was about 10 yards past their long drive.  I was about 200 out with the pin hidden behind a grove of trees.  I needed to hit a draw and hit a beautiful 5 wood to about 15 feet above the hole.  Super fast greens.  I three putted for par.

[Psyber]

Hit my furthest drive ever on Saturday. 270 on a flat and soft course so that was mostly carry. Landed in the fairway too.

[inthehole]

Pulled a 3w approach shot from the rough badly - left me with a group of trees in front of me & maybe a 4 ft  gap between them - gap was lined up well - directly at the green (trees were 30' in front of me); sensible option was to just punch out & lose a stroke.    Due to the narrowness of the gap, I gave it a <50% chance of success ...  75 yard approach - had to keep it low, so hit a hard pitch with a 7i.     Amazingly, pulled it off - caught it pure,  shot the gap, landed nicely on the green & ran just past the pin.    Committed to it & summoned my inner Phil ...

[Valleygolfer]

After tee off on the 1st hole, I was left in a fairway bunker about 131 out. Taking a nine iron I out the ball within 15 feet.

[inthehole]

fatted approach shot, left me about 40 yards short & left ... green is hugely elevated - at least 20' above ball.    Could only see top of flag.    Went upstairs with the 58° & rolled it up to 3' for bird.   

[vangator]

On the 2nd nine, I hit 6 of 7 fairways.  However, the fairway I missed was on a 380 yard par 4 dog leg left with water down the right, bunkers on both sides of the landing area and a nasty thicket of trees down the left.  So I hit a 3W for "accuracy" even though I hit every fairway with my driver.  Snapped a nasty hook short of the bunkers and about 20 yards behind the thicket of trees.

I was 181 out.  I was thinking of punching out with a 9 iron but, I had a great lie on some rough where the ball was sitting up nicely.  What the hell.  I played a 6 iron up in my stance and hit a high, hard hook over and around the trees.  If the ball didn't hook, I'd be in the water.  If I didn't clear the trees, the ball would probably be lost. 

I hit the ball exactly how I envisioned the shot.  It went over and hooked around the trees and hit 5 feet from the pin and stuck like fly paper.  Drained a nice little breaking putt for birdie on a hole I thought was looking like a bogey or worse.

[Gator Hazard]

Teeing of on Northdale #7 a short par four 336 from white tees. There is a pond water hazard about 235 or 240 ahead covering a lot of right hand side. Left hand is a small area and high trees to carry. Hit driver and blasted it, carried trees on left hand side and must have gotten a good cart path bounce. When we drove up was 50 yards from center of green. That's a loooong drive for me. Longest yet. 

[Marty2019]

I played a really poor round yesterday.   However, on the 11th hole, I hit an 8-iron to 8 feet and made the putt for birdie.   So the 8-iron was my best shot of the week. 

[jkelley9]

I posted this shot in the winter depression thread already (it was 28F out and really windy, real feel was in the low teens) but I figured I'd post it here because dang nabbit, I'm STILL thinking about this shot 3 days later :)

short par 5 and my drives are pretty short (180-200) because I'm taking 1/2 to 3/4 swings to keep it in play, considering all the layers I'm wearing. I lay up with a 6i that was a little off but still in the fairway with 98y to a tucked back left pin. This is the toughest green to hit on the course, virtually surrounded by water, surrounded by bunkers except for the FRONT edge (pin is about 100+ ft. from the front edge btw). I pick up a tuft of grass to see which was the wind was blowing and it went completely horizontal into my face (lol, lesson learned). I would usually hit a gap wedge here, said no to the pw, no to the 9i, and decided on the 8i because hot dang was that wind whipping my face! I hit it super flush and watched it sail up on a perfect target line then LIFT in the air and come to a soft stop.... 15 ft in front of the pin! I could have taken a 4th club and maybe been fine haha. Anyways, even though it wasn't particularly close or anything, it was a GIR that was risky and was a really fun shot to hit and see work out :)