Most Embarrassing golf moment so far!

[avgjoe88]

I went to a local shop the other day, Fairway Custom Golf, in Terre Haute, IN. I told the guy, Brad, that I was looking for my first new used set of irons, I've been using cheap Strata clubs for the longest time. Now Brad is a great guy, he doesn't say much, and when he does he is very soft spoken, being the anti-social guy that I am, it's perfect for me.

 

Brad takes me over to the SkyTrack and hands me a Nike 7 iron and tells me to swing away. While I hit a few balls, Brad walks around the store picking out other clubs for me to try. He comes back and hands me a Nike Vapor Pro 7 iron. I hit a couple balls with it and almost instantly fell in love with them. We tried a couple of other clubs but I kept coming back to the Nike Vapor Pro.

 

After taking a few more swings, Brad says, "hang on, I want to see something." He takes the club, slaps a sticker on the bottom and throws down a plastic board about 2 ft long and 1 ft wide, and sets the ball down and says, "swing away." I take one, he takes the club, removes the sticker and replaces it with a new one. I hit a second, he does the same thing. After he hands the club back to me I look behind me and notice that there are 3 people, older guys, standing there watching me. I instantly get nervous.

 

Brad hands me the club, I set up behind the ball, and notice that I am shaking so bad that it looks like the club head is vibrating. I tell myself, "self, DON'T SWING!" I've never been one to listen to authority, as I'm in the middle of my back swing, I almost know EXACTLY what is about to happen. I'm throwing everything I have into this swing, trying to adjust for all the shaking, I figured swing quick and you'll be fine.

 

I hit about 6 inches BEHIND the ball, catch the bottom of the plastic board, slam the board into the skytrack and then the wall, shattering it into about 200 pieces. I can't do anything, I'm paralyzed. People come running in from the back room wondering what the hell just happened, and asking if everyone is alright.

 

I slowly look up at Brad, "I am so sorry." Brad just smiles, and in his soft spoken way say, "eh, it happens, I guess." He goes on to tell me that he was trying to figure out where I hit the bottom of the club at so that they can bend the club heads if I decide to buy them, but suggested that I play a few rounds with them first and bring them back and we can go from there. Essentially telling me in his own way, "why don't you get better and then come back and see me." I bought the irons that day and even offered to pay for the bored, he told me it really wasn't that big of a deal and to just come back and see him when I can.

 

This was the most embarrassing moment I have had so far in the entire time that I have been golfing.

 

[Twism86]

For reasons like the above, as a newer golfer, I prefer to play my rounds alone! I play vastly better without strangers watching me.

[chas521]

> @Twism86 said:

> For reasons like the above, as a newer golfer, I prefer to play my rounds alone! I play vastly better without strangers watching me.

 

Then you must love the first tee.

[HatsForBats]

The good news is the Lie Fitting boards usually aren't very expensive. It's the SkyTrack I would have been more concerned about.

 

Hopefully you can find a way to get over the jitters. I got over them at a very young age by starting at a course that started with a tee shot over a pond with usually a decent crowd around every time. Just being subjected to that over and over and watching other better players sometimes hit into the pond got me over my case of the jitters.

[Argonne69]

'Can't decide which of the two incidents was more embarrassing. During one round my approach to the 18th came up short, and rolled back into a creek. I thought the ball might have got caught in the weeds along the edge, so I walked along the bank to see if I could spot my ball. I saw a ball lying on the mud near the waterline, and stepped close to the edge to try to identify the ball. The wet soil along the bank gave way, and my fat a** fell down into the ravine. I managed to grab a handful of weeds, so I kept myself from falling into the water. I managed to wrench my knee on the way down, which kept out me out of commission for a few weeks. I pulled myself up, and the entire front of my shorts and white polo shirt were covered in mud. Now, given that this was the the 18th, a few dozen golfers sitting on the elevated bar overlooking the 18th got a great clown show. I did get a round of applause, which has to count for something. Adding insult to injury, the ball along the bank was not my ball, but a cr*ppy old Top Flight.

 

The 2nd incident involves me riding in the middle of the 18th fairway heading towards the green. Out of nowhere comes a blood curdling "FORE!!!!". It sounded like it was coming from the 1st teebox, adjacent to the 18th. Thinking that the ball was going to come through the windshield and nail me in the face, I initially though about laying down on the passenger side of the seat. Something in my stupid brain said that I'd still be a sitting duck, so I bailed out of the cart. Once again the surrounding golfers got a comedy show with the fat guy rolling down the middle of the fairway while the golf cart continued driving towards the green. Turns out the errant shot was no where near me. Sigh.

 

Slightly less embarrassing was my first round with a new white TaylorMade driver. I was running late, so I didn't have a chance to hit the range before heading to the first tee. Thinking that this new toy was going to add 30 yds to my drives, I teed it up high, and made a might lash at it. I went right under the ball, and it launched straight up in the air. 'Probably got a good 20 to 30 yds straight up. The ball came back down and landed a few inches from the spot where I had it teed. The guys I was playing with had a good laugh. The worst part was that I put a giant black skymark on the crown of the new driver that had just been taken out of the plastic. I put some white paint on it, but it was still visible at address, and a constant reminder of my shortest drive ever.

 

[PappyVanWinkle53]

> @Argonne69 said:

> 'Can't decide which of the two incidents was more embarrassing. During one round my approach to the 18th came up short, and rolled back into a creek. I thought the ball might have got caught in the weeds along the edge, so I walked along the bank to see if I could spot my ball. I saw a ball lying on the mud near the waterline, and stepped close to the edge to try to identify the ball. The wet soil along the bank gave way, and my fat a** fell down into the ravine. I managed to grab a handful of weeds, so I kept myself from falling into the water. I managed to wrench my knee on the way down, which kept out me out of commission for a few weeks. I pulled myself up, and the entire front of my shorts and white polo shirt were covered in mud. Now, given that this was the the 18th, a few dozen golfers sitting on the elevated bar overlooking the 18th got a great clown show. I did get a round of applause, which has to count for something. Adding insult to injury, the ball along the bank was not my ball, but a cr*ppy old Top Flight.

>

> The 2nd incident involves me riding in the middle of the 18th fairway heading towards the green. Out of nowhere comes a blood curdling "FORE!!!!". It sounded like it was coming from the 1st teebox, adjacent to the 18th. Thinking that the ball was going to come through the windshield and nail me in the face, I initially though about laying down on the passenger side of the seat. Something in my stupid brain said that I'd still be a sitting duck, so I bailed out of the cart. Once again the surrounding golfers got a comedy show with the fat guy rolling down the middle of the fairway while the golf cart continued driving towards the green. Turns out the errant shot was no where near me. Sigh.

>

> Slightly less embarrassing was my first round with a new white TaylorMade driver. I was running late, so I didn't have a chance to hit the range before heading to the first tee. Thinking that this new toy was going to add 30 yds to my drives, I teed it up high, and made a might lash at it. I went right under the ball, and it launched straight up in the air. 'Probably got a good 20 to 30 yds straight up. The ball came back down and landed a few inches from the spot where I had it teed. The guys I was playing with had a good laugh. The worst part was that I put a giant black skymark on the crown of the new driver that had just been taken out of the plastic. I put some white paint on it, but it was still visible at address, and a constant reminder of my shortest drive ever.

>

 

Thanks for the laugh.

[SnapHooker_307]

Played a derby earlier this year. I decided to yell "YEET" right before hitting the ball and ended up topping it right into the creek. Super proud moment.

[Twism86]

> @Argonne69 said:

> 'Can't decide which of the two incidents was more embarrassing. During one round my approach to the 18th came up short, and rolled back into a creek. I thought the ball might have got caught in the weeds along the edge, so I walked along the bank to see if I could spot my ball. I saw a ball lying on the mud near the waterline, and stepped close to the edge to try to identify the ball. The wet soil along the bank gave way, and my fat a** fell down into the ravine. I managed to grab a handful of weeds, so I kept myself from falling into the water. I managed to wrench my knee on the way down, which kept out me out of commission for a few weeks. I pulled myself up, and the entire front of my shorts and white polo shirt were covered in mud. Now, given that this was the the 18th, a few dozen golfers sitting on the elevated bar overlooking the 18th got a great clown show. I did get a round of applause, which has to count for something. Adding insult to injury, the ball along the bank was not my ball, but a cr*ppy old Top Flight.

>

> The 2nd incident involves me riding in the middle of the 18th fairway heading towards the green. Out of nowhere comes a blood curdling "FORE!!!!". It sounded like it was coming from the 1st teebox, adjacent to the 18th. Thinking that the ball was going to come through the windshield and nail me in the face, I initially though about laying down on the passenger side of the seat. Something in my stupid brain said that I'd still be a sitting duck, so I bailed out of the cart. Once again the surrounding golfers got a comedy show with the fat guy rolling down the middle of the fairway while the golf cart continued driving towards the green. Turns out the errant shot was no where near me. Sigh.

>

> Slightly less embarrassing was my first round with a new white TaylorMade driver. I was running late, so I didn't have a chance to hit the range before heading to the first tee. Thinking that this new toy was going to add 30 yds to my drives, I teed it up high, and made a might lash at it. I went right under the ball, and it launched straight up in the air. 'Probably got a good 20 to 30 yds straight up. The ball came back down and landed a few inches from the spot where I had it teed. The guys I was playing with had a good laugh. The worst part was that I put a giant black skymark on the crown of the new driver that had just been taken out of the plastic. I put some white paint on it, but it was still visible at address, and a constant reminder of my shortest drive ever.

>

 

Tuck and roll!!!

[Argonne69]

> @Twism86 said:

> > @Argonne69 said:

> > 'Can't decide which of the two incidents was more embarrassing. During one round my approach to the 18th came up short, and rolled back into a creek. I thought the ball might have got caught in the weeds along the edge, so I walked along the bank to see if I could spot my ball. I saw a ball lying on the mud near the waterline, and stepped close to the edge to try to identify the ball. The wet soil along the bank gave way, and my fat a** fell down into the ravine. I managed to grab a handful of weeds, so I kept myself from falling into the water. I managed to wrench my knee on the way down, which kept out me out of commission for a few weeks. I pulled myself up, and the entire front of my shorts and white polo shirt were covered in mud. Now, given that this was the the 18th, a few dozen golfers sitting on the elevated bar overlooking the 18th got a great clown show. I did get a round of applause, which has to count for something. Adding insult to injury, the ball along the bank was not my ball, but a cr*ppy old Top Flight.

> >

> > The 2nd incident involves me riding in the middle of the 18th fairway heading towards the green. Out of nowhere comes a blood curdling "FORE!!!!". It sounded like it was coming from the 1st teebox, adjacent to the 18th. Thinking that the ball was going to come through the windshield and nail me in the face, I initially though about laying down on the passenger side of the seat. Something in my stupid brain said that I'd still be a sitting duck, so I bailed out of the cart. Once again the surrounding golfers got a comedy show with the fat guy rolling down the middle of the fairway while the golf cart continued driving towards the green. Turns out the errant shot was no where near me. Sigh.

> >

> > Slightly less embarrassing was my first round with a new white TaylorMade driver. I was running late, so I didn't have a chance to hit the range before heading to the first tee. Thinking that this new toy was going to add 30 yds to my drives, I teed it up high, and made a might lash at it. I went right under the ball, and it launched straight up in the air. 'Probably got a good 20 to 30 yds straight up. The ball came back down and landed a few inches from the spot where I had it teed. The guys I was playing with had a good laugh. The worst part was that I put a giant black skymark on the crown of the new driver that had just been taken out of the plastic. I put some white paint on it, but it was still visible at address, and a constant reminder of my shortest drive ever.

> >

>

> Tuck and roll!!!

 


 

[naval2006]

My dad’s buddies many years ago went to an amateur tournament on a hilly course with not much grounds to be around save the vicinity of the first tee. So it was full of people and guy 1 tells guys 2 and 3 not to think much on the tee. It was an elevated tee with a little creek just below which was never in play.

 

So guy 2 tees up and after a couple swings hits with the sole and hits right into the creek. Guy 1 tells guy 3 not to worry you can’t do worse than that. So guy 3 is now on the tee, couple of practice swings and off he goes. He misses the ball altogether.

 

It sounds like a grill room story but it is 100% true. I was witness to it LOL LOL

[BeerPerHole]

Great story there! Made me LOL! For me it was when I was still a pretty new golfer (maybe a couple years in) and I came down with an incurable case of the sh&%ks. I didn't quit the round, playing all 18 in a league competition. But, I should have quit, looking back on it. I bet I shot about 200. I almost quit the game right there. That was 20 years ago. My friend who got me into that league?...Father to a couple guys on the PGA tour. You can figure out who that is pretty easily. I hope I forget that all someday...

[BeerPerHole]

> @Argonne69 said:

> 'Can't decide which of the two incidents was more embarrassing. During one round my approach to the 18th came up short, and rolled back into a creek. I thought the ball might have got caught in the weeds along the edge, so I walked along the bank to see if I could spot my ball. I saw a ball lying on the mud near the waterline, and stepped close to the edge to try to identify the ball. The wet soil along the bank gave way, and my fat a** fell down into the ravine. I managed to grab a handful of weeds, so I kept myself from falling into the water. I managed to wrench my knee on the way down, which kept out me out of commission for a few weeks. I pulled myself up, and the entire front of my shorts and white polo shirt were covered in mud. Now, given that this was the the 18th, a few dozen golfers sitting on the elevated bar overlooking the 18th got a great clown show. I did get a round of applause, which has to count for something. Adding insult to injury, the ball along the bank was not my ball, but a cr*ppy old Top Flight.

>

> The 2nd incident involves me riding in the middle of the 18th fairway heading towards the green. Out of nowhere comes a blood curdling "FORE!!!!". It sounded like it was coming from the 1st teebox, adjacent to the 18th. Thinking that the ball was going to come through the windshield and nail me in the face, I initially though about laying down on the passenger side of the seat. Something in my stupid brain said that I'd still be a sitting duck, so I bailed out of the cart. Once again the surrounding golfers got a comedy show with the fat guy rolling down the middle of the fairway while the golf cart continued driving towards the green. Turns out the errant shot was no where near me. Sigh.

>

> Slightly less embarrassing was my first round with a new white TaylorMade driver. I was running late, so I didn't have a chance to hit the range before heading to the first tee. Thinking that this new toy was going to add 30 yds to my drives, I teed it up high, and made a might lash at it. I went right under the ball, and it launched straight up in the air. 'Probably got a good 20 to 30 yds straight up. The ball came back down and landed a few inches from the spot where I had it teed. The guys I was playing with had a good laugh. The worst part was that I put a giant black skymark on the crown of the new driver that had just been taken out of the plastic. I put some white paint on it, but it was still visible at address, and a constant reminder of my shortest drive ever.

>

 

HAHAHA! Oh man...thanks for sharing! I think we'd have a hoot playing together. Ever come to NorCal and we gotta do it...

[smashdn]

I flipped a cart. Dead, straight sober at the time. And not horsing around in the least.

 

Guy riding shotgun ripped the seat out of his shorts in the process somehow.

[K.ip]

This happened a few years ago

 

We’re playing a public course. Late afternoon and it rained the day prior

On one of the holes that was a bit soggy, we were driving to our second shot and I was driving straight on the fairway when i noticed some cart tracks that was looping around this one area on the fairway. Didn’t pay much thought to it and went straight through this area

 

Well the reason carts went around because it was a very wet and narrow depression on a downslope that went perpendicular on the fairway.

Luck has it, the cart’s back wheels got stuck

 

My buddy is on passenger side pushing up. I’m on the drivers side pushing up and pressing the gas pedal with a club

 

My side of the wheel caught the turf but my buddy’s side started to kick up wet grass and mud

This whole ordeal took ~5 minutes where the group behind us pulled up and played through

I forget what hole it was but needless to say, we called it a day and I ended up paying for his round.

 

 

[avgjoe88]

> @HatsForBats said:

> The good news is the Lie Fitting boards usually aren't very expensive. It's the SkyTrack I would have been more concerned about.

luckily they had a case around it and I only knocked the corner of it with the bored. But my initial reaction was more fear than I have ever experienced because I thought for sure I would have to pay for it!

 

 

[Chazb]

Not me but I had two local golf pros who were friends of mine and they were playing alternate shot in a tournament.

The one pro lashes a drive around three hundred yards in the middle of the fairway on a par 5.

He tells his partner to just lay up as it was a very long hole with water around the green.

His partner takes out a seven iron to safely lay up.....he shanks it out of bounds.

[*TQ*]

One of the first comps I played in, wasn't confident at all and my handicap (36 at the time) didn't help. Got paired with three guys who all knew each other and were of a fair standard. Managed to get a decent enough drive off on the first and I was breathing a sigh of relief, unfortunately it just leaked slightly right into some trees but I still had a line to the green and I was about 160 yards out. I took a six iron, made what I considered to be very good contact but must have been slightly off on the line because it hit the left edge of a tree in front of me and bounced 45 degrees backwards at pace straight towards my playing partner's head. I didn't even have a chance to shout as it happened so quickly, fortunately the guy managed to jump out the way but I was now shook up because I thought I'd nearly killed someone and was playing my third shot from 200 yards out! I whiffed with a hybrid. Twice.

 

My memory goes a little hazy at that point but I think the third hybrid swing (fifth shot) got up there and I chipped on and two or three putted to at least not have double figures on the card but I was so embarrassed I really struggled to play the rest of the round.

 

There have been plenty of embarrassing moments for me but I think that is the worst.

[jimb6golf]

Recently played in a corporate tournament in a best ball tournament.Cold shanked my first tee shot on a par 3 and missed the fairway/ hole and landed in a pratice bunker between 2 adjacent holes. Then on the tee shot I hit a tree limb and the ball bounced right back to my feet. Managed to play better after that and scored pretty well overall but those first 2 shots were really embarrassing. And I was the better player in the group too.

[macedan]

The clubhouse patio at my home course over looks the 18th green, it can be a fairly popular spot as well as it requires an approach shot over a large leg of a pond and their is very minimal room to leave it short as there is about 2 feet of fringe between the green and the railway ties on the wall above the water, two bunkers protect the sides and there is about 10 yards of space at the back going up a hill before the patio. The hole plays to about 350 yards with water coming into play at about 285. Wind is playing about 5mph into me so I pull driver and choke down and play an easy cut. To my surprise I actually caught the literal middle of the fairway with about 100 to center green. At the time my typical carry with my PW was about 115 and luckily for me I had just purchased a used 50* CBX the day before. Having exactly 0 idea what my expected numbers with my GW are I just assume it'll be around 100-105 with a full swing. I was already nervous as I was a relatively new golfer (and even newer member here) and I could see there were about 10 people enjoying a drink on the patio watching players take aim. I make a few practice swings, take dead aim at center green and take my swing. Instantly I feel a deep sense of regret as I know I caught bottom groove and launched this at about 10*. My heart sinks and I let out the usual sharp gasp as I see it hurtling towards two very large windows on the clubhouse....only to see it catapult off the shingles of the clubhouse and somehow miss every car in the parking lot. I put my club back in my bag, and had a nice head down walk past the patio, back to my car, and then home.

[avgjoe88]

> @jimb6golf said:

> Recently played in a corporate tournament in a best ball tournament.Cold shanked my first tee shot on a par 3 and missed the fairway/ hole and landed in a pratice bunker between 2 adjacent holes. Then on the tee shot I hit a tree limb and the ball bounced right back to my feet. Managed to play better after that and scored pretty well overall but those first 2 shots were really embarrassing. And I was the better player in the group too.

 

My usual golfing buddy just took me to a very nice golf course that I have never played on before. He usually lets me slide on certain shots if I for some reason completely slice over into another fairway or have an extremely hard lie. This time thought, he told me that I had to play a REAL round of golf, no cheating! I accepted his challenge. I did very well until the par 3 4th when I hit my 9 iron and completely sliced it off to the right, past the next holes fairway, and into the woods. I went to take a drop and he made me get back in the cart and hit my ball from the tree line.

[Yuck]

I almost killed a sale person at golfsmith. It was an accident.

[RSinSG]

More awkward than embarrassing. I was playing the Indian Canyon South course in the early 80’s - before the remodel. I was a lowly patrol officer at the time and my regular partner got a sergeant and a lieutenant to play with us. I ended up driving a cart and the lieutenant rode with me.

 

It had rained the night before but it was sunny and conditions were perfect. There are two narrow cart tunnels on the course that go under a road. They are kinda dark but both are one-way so it’s not a big deal.

 

I head down the steep tunnel at top speed and never saw the 6” of nasty standing water at the bottom. The impact and subsequent tidal wave splash was epic. I muttered something forgettable and when we got to the sunlight at the other side I looked at my boss and he was completely soaked head to to with water pouring off his hat. He was looking at me with a wide eyed disbelief look and was speechless.

 

After he got over the shock he had a few choice words for me and about me, and when we got to the next tee all three ganged up on me. I had no defense- nothing.

 

I think it is hilarious now, but at the time it wasn’t very funny. We actually became good friends and whenever he got the opportunity he couldn’t wait to retell the story.