Better Lucky Than Good?

[Medic]

Previous interesting threads centered on the ugliest par and then the worst choke. But we all know that luck also plays a HUGE role in this game that we all love. So on that note what is the luckiest break you can recall? Seeing as how I witnessed one yesterday I thought I would start this thread...

 

My opponent tees it up and hit it solidly to the right. Directly into a stand (Ok, a forest) of trees. We hear that tell tale sound of ball versus wood at least three times. And then out comes his ball - right into the middle of the fairway. He was still a LONG way away from the green but because it was a par 5 he was still in it. One long shot followed another and he ended up with a par. And a push on the hole.

 

This hole alone was enough to make me shake my head. But then later in the round he hit one towards the water on a par 3 only to have the ball skip onto dry land and he managed an up and down from the position. Not as lucky as the shot from the forest but still, it is REALLY hard to win a skin when your opponent is getting those kinds of lucky breaks.

[Canesfan101]

you mean you would be mad at me when i sniped one behind 40 trees, hit the ball without looking and have the ball nestle up next to the hole to make a bird. My friends were not happy with me today either. HAHA, but it felt good to me.

[RJRJRJ]

The problem is that even when I get really lucky, I don't get much satisfaction since I know my next shot is probably gonna expose my little scam. I prefer to hit nice shots that don't quite work out, because at least my drive home doesn't involve contemplating driving on the wrong side of the freeway.

[Argonne69]

I had a great "Jesus" ball this summer. I was on the 16th tee, a short par 4, and had a fantastic round going. The tee shot was a forced carry over water, and my playing partner put his shot in the drink. I stepped up with my 3 wood, and hit the ugliest worm burner imaginable. The ball skips twice on the water, hits a rock on the far side of the pond, pops 40 feet up into the air, and lands in the fairway. I wind up making par on the hole, and go on to shoot 79. :-)

[Ty_Webb]

The first 18 hole round that I played was to get my handicap for the first time. Previous games at that point had been only 9 holes. I shot 106 and that set my handicap at 35 (under CONGU rules for the record). The 6th hole I had never parred in the 3 or 4 times I had played it at that point. Stand on the tee and hit a big slice into the trees. Clattered into them and bounced out in the fairway. Second shot big slice into the trees, clattered into them and bounced out into the fairway about 80 yards from the green. Duff a pitching wedge on the front edge of the green 45 feet away from the hole. Knock the putt in. Par.

I've also hit a few drives that landed in out of bounds ditches and bounced back into play. Those are fun.

One of the luckiest things I've seen was this little gem from Davis Love III: http://www.newsday.com/sports/love-gets-bounce-to-hop-into-lead-errant-drive-hits-ob-post-stays-in-play-1.475014. Quite fortunate.

[Tyler08]

I like to look at luck as

"Luck is simply when talent meets opertunity"

[Medic]

[quote name='Argonne69' timestamp='1391529020' post='8596435']
I had a great "Jesus" ball this summer. I was on the 16th tee, a short par 4, and had a fantastic round going. The tee shot was a forced carry over water, and my playing partner put his shot in the drink. I stepped up with my 3 wood, and hit the ugliest worm burner imaginable. The ball skips twice on the water, hits a rock on the far side of the pond, pops 40 feet up into the air, and lands in the fairway. I wind up making par on the hole, and go on to shoot 79. :-)
[/quote]

Please tell us that you looked at your pard and said "I meant to do that" or something of the sort.

Classic....that ball was just afraid of the water. : )

[llewol007]

To be good is tested under pressure where as lucky is not. I would rather be good.

[Forged4ever]

My college position coach(LB) used to say that luck was nothing more than "the intersection point of practice & performance."

I've always kept that in the back of my mind and I don't see them as an exclusive, either or type of thing.

Sh!tty and mediocre individuals & teams usually don't get lucky, at least not often, lol


Fairways & Greens My Friends

[Itsjustagame]

The better you get the luckier you are.

[HighSpeedScene]

I honestly can't remember a time I got crazy lucky. I think because I can't look at it as good luck - I need to believe the good breaks I deserved in order to keep the right frame of mind to score.

I'm sure if I was objective, there are hundreds of examples.

[Titleist 670]

Playing in a team match, I had an 8-iron from the fairway to the green. The entire hole is surrounded by woods. My arms went way too fast on the swing, and I either pulled it or hooked it dead left of the green - I mean, this thing was way way off line, and deep into the woods. I didn't even hear a loud thud, but the ball disappears into the woods and comes screaming out dead right and onto the green, landing in the fringe probably 15 feet from the hole. It must have hit a tree trunk dead on but we didn't hear it. I made par, we won the hole, and eventually the match.

[PeanutsDaddy]

My first eagle came this past summer.

I hit a draw into the left rough off the tee of a relatively short par 4. I was left with 135 yards to the flag stick, but my path was blocked by a rather large tree. The only option was to hit a hard (Bubba Watson) draw around the tree. Only problem: I'm not Bubba and my typical shot shape is a fade. Proceeded to hit a 'beautiful' low flying shot directly at the center of the tree. The ball caught nothing but air, hit the front of the green and tracked toward the hole. I stood in stunned silence as the ball disappeared into the cup. Gave a little fist pump and walked to retrieve my ball. I was playing by myself on a relatively empty course.

[Gbyeball]

I had a case of the shanks 4 years ago, not the typical way to start a lucky story. I am on a par 5 and I shank my second shot into the woods, out it comes onto the fairway. I shank my SW third shot, hits a tree bounces on to the green tracks up to the hole and stops 1" short of dropping. Easy birdie

[highergr0und]

Constant luck is sometimes called skill..... lol

I'll take a mix. I need the occasional miracle shot but if I counted on them I probably wouldn't play the game