With all the stress of the game, pressure of competition, frustration and difficulty of making improvements, it’s often easy to forget how funny the game of golf can be. This week I’ve got a few stories and anecdotes from my experiences. Hopefully they will get you smiling.
The sub-ma-buggy
A beautiful summer’s day, and like most days in the summer holiday as a youngster, I spent the day on the course with my golfing buddies. This particular day was very special as a friend and I had saved our pocket money so as to hire a golf buggy. We were around 13-14 I think at the time, so this was only possible after much sweet talking and pleading to the pro.
Anyway we sailed round the first round of the day having a great time. A nice quick round, speeding up the fairways, the wind in our hairs and swapping driver on alternate holes (praying for par 5’s on my turn).
At lunch we couldn’t wait to get back out again. So off we went and all was going great until the par 3 17th – 155 yards with a small ditch across the front of the green collecting to a pond to the right of the green. A narrow bridge crosses the ditch just about wide enough for a golf buggy.
Now before I continue I’d like to point out I was playing my shot from in the ditch. In hindsight I’ve never been happier to have hit a shot into a ditch!!
Well as my friend was driving over the narrow bridge, the front right wheel slipped off the bridge, which caused the buggy to leave the bridge onto the bank of the pond. At this point my buddy decided all hope was lost and bailed out. Think Bruce Willis in Die Hard 4 diving out of the cop car before it flies off into the helicopter (just a 14 year old kid diving from a golf buggy doing 6mph)!
Anyway, after much red faced pondering we called for backup. It took 2 full-sized mowers and 3 tractors to get that thing out of the pond! We were named and shamed at the next presentation evening and needless to say, buggies are no longer available to minors! Sorry!
3 wood in the woods
As a youngster my enthusiasm for the game was huge. I wanted to play all day everyday, rain or shine. Anyway, this particular day it decided to rain heavily part way down the first hole. My dad whom I was playing with asked if I wanted to turn around, although I think he knew the answer would be no!
By the 4th hole we were soaked, bag soaked, clubs soaked. The 4th hole had an old railway embankment running down the left side which was heavily wooded. With about 180 to the flag, I grabbed my trusty 3 wood. Before I even got to the ball I had a good feeling about this shot, a REALLY good feeling. I’m overflowing with confidence; this ball is going on the green! Couple of practice swings, and I’m ready to rock.
I know it’s going to take a good crack to get this on the green. Backswing, smack, ball’s sailing straight to the pin and my 3 wood is flying straight towards the woods! Slipped straight through my grip in the wet.
Now as a boy of 12 I am truly torn. Do I watch my perfect shot sail towards the pin just how it happened in my head, or track my 3 wood flying off towards the woods?
Well I watched my 3 wood clatter into the trees, assuming my ball was safe. I clawed the rogue club out of the branches with a long iron and was thrilled to see my ball on the front of the green.
Let’s see you do that again!
During the cold winter months I teamed up with my dad to play in our club’s winter league. Temporary greens, winter tees and numb hands, but we loved it. Friendly competition, meet new people and good old fashioned father-son bonding.
This Sunday morning was particularly cold, the ground was frozen (fun to play on if you’ve never tried it). Anyway by the 5th hole we were 3 down, my hands were numb and it was looking like a pretty miserable morning. The 5th was a par 3 around 150 yards guarded by a pond across the front of the green. This pond has wooded boards across the bank by the green.
With our opponents with one ball on the fringe and one 25 feet away on the green, I’m a bit worried. It’s a long carry for me. I’m probably around 13 at the time. Well I grab a 4 iron and give it my best swing. I’m gutted as soon as I strike it. I know it’s thin and going nowhere but the middle of that pond. That’s exactly what happened. Because of the low trajectory and the partially frozen pond my ball bounced off the ice hard, straight into the top corner of the wooden boards, sailed up 20 feet in the air and landed 6 feet from the hole.
We were all speechless. I missed the putt on the frozen green and halved the hole. We lost the game but I certainly had something to smile about!
OK that’s all for now. Please comment below with any stories you have from the links!!!
Photo Credit: Photo by Kevin Stanchfield.