Golf Melt downs

[Zach Heusser]

Let's hear some stories

Ok We all know golf can drive a person mad, and cause someone to loose their cool. What is the craziest melt down you have seen or done. I will start. In 1990 I totally chocked in a big tourney went to the parking lot, and lost it . I broke a set of eye 2 coppers 2-LW, ping zing, and 2 Taylormade Ti's one by one. I was finished with golf done for good. About a week later I had them all reshafted. Man that was expensive .

[Smooth spin scott]

Ha thats funny...here's mine. In 1 ugly round, tossed a Titeist 905S over a massive fence into a wooded area on the 5th hole (no chance of getting it back), that was the plan, 12 or 13th hole, 3 iron into the pond, 16th hole, 4 iron into the pond and finally on 18 as I was about to fling the scotty cameron in the lake, my buddy was standing behind me and grabbed it on my follow through... Glad he did caused that would've have been a huge loss.

 

Positives out of this: got new hybrids, a new driver and salvaged my favourite putter. Buddies laughed their Word not allowed for what I believe was one of their most memorable rounds.

 

Negatives: between the bets I loss and the cost to replace the clubs, it worked out to an $800 round. haha

 

BTW: Out of character for me, I never toss clubs, frustration got the best of me. Gotta love this game!

[littlepingman]

I have a good one. Commited by me. About three years ago I was playing in a highly anticipated tournament, which I was the two time defending champion. On the very first hole. A driveable dogleg left par four that requires a tee shot over trees to reach the green. Out of Bounds all down the left side. I decide to use driver and go for it. I hit my first drive OB by about three yards, my second drive OB by about two yards, and my third drive OB by about one yard. Needless to say I was pretty shaken up when I bit the bullet and pulled a three iron and hit it right to the edge of the dogleg, next shot to about 15 feet and made the putt for a crowd pleasing 9.

 

To add icing to the cake, there was a small group of kids from The First Tee standing there watching. When I came back from discovering that every drive was in fact OB, after I hit a perfect three iron in the fairway, I looked and the kids and said "I hope you guys learned a lesson from this."

[littlepingman]

I have a good one. Commited by me. About three years ago I was playing in a highly anticipated tournament, which I was the two time defending champion. On the very first hole. A driveable dogleg left par four that requires a tee shot over trees to reach the green. Out of Bounds all down the left side. I decide to use driver and go for it. I hit my first drive OB by about three yards, my second drive OB by about two yards, and my third drive OB by about one yard. Needless to say I was pretty shaken up when I bit the bullet and pulled a three iron and hit it right to the edge of the dogleg, next shot to about 15 feet and made the putt for a crowd pleasing 9.

 

To add icing to the cake, there was a small group of kids from The First Tee standing there watching. When I came back from discovering that every drive was in fact OB, after I hit a perfect three iron in the fairway, I looked and the kids and said "I hope you guys learned a lesson from this."

 

I think Zach was referring to "emotional" meltdown. Did you toss anything into the woods, pond, etc.?

 

No, I was pretty much in a state of shock. I really don't show too much emotion on the golf course. I did manage to get it together a bit and shoot a 76 that day. It was am internal emotional melt down, I remember my hands shaking so bad when I teed up the three iron I could barely set the ball on the tee. I couldn't believe I hit so good.

[Tiger8]

I believe I was 16 and had just bought my first new putter. It was an STX, I played lacrosse and loved the brand.

 

I had just had my 5th 3 putt for the round and I throw the ball up and swung at it baseball style and hit it off the toe. This moved the toe about 30 degrees. In the process of trying to bend it back I broke the shaft.

 

That was a tough lesson to learn with my own money.

 

The worst I ever saw was during a work scamble when I guy slammed his club against the ground and the shaft broke and snapped up into his leg. Had to have the ambulance driver come out in a golf cart and take him back to the club house.

 

What did I learn from this - don't throw our slam you club into the ground and Callaway has great customer service ( they replace the shaft for free ).

[El Guapo]

A lifetime ago, I played for my high school golf team. We come to the 16th hole of our local club...elevated tee, postage stamp green, water everywhere including a lake next to the tee. I was a freshman at the time. One of my teammates, a senior, promptly sends one shot after another at the green with no luck. His frustration was increasing to uncomfortable levels. We were telling him to drop next to the green. He went "nutter" and said he was going to hit the green if he had to lose all of his balls in the process. True to his edict, he lost them all. At that moment we thought it was over. It wasn't! He lifted his entire golf bag (very nice leather bag with his high school "letters" embroidered on it, Ping BeCU Eye2's, Ping Eye woods, and Anser putter) and slung it way out into the lake. We all stood there in sheer disbelief. Best part is, the bag resurfaced after a couple of minutes. All of the clubs had fallen to the bottom of the lake. When this happened, he promptly took of his golf cleats, chunked those in the lake as well and stormed off towards the club house.

To this day, that "trumps" any other melt downs I have ever witnessed.

Personally, I've only had minor meltdowns in the past. My worst was after a round where I putted no less than 42 times. I'll put it this way, my Anser2 required a re-shaft : )

[pmas93]

Short version of the story,

Tournament, par 5, was currently even par after 12 holes on a nasty day of wind and rain and a soggy course. Good tee shot, good layup to 85 yards which is a perfect lob wedge. It was my waffle house hole, I chunked the shot which left it smothered in mud and part of the divot covering it. 4th shot chunked into the front bunker, 5th shot hit it super chunky so it was still in the bunker, 6th shot bladed it cause I was not going to hit another chunky shot so my lob wedge was thrown at the cart which was about 30 yards away and it missed the cart and sailed past it and embedded itself into a dead tree on the other side of the creek and being too lazy to go get another wedge from the cart I putted my 7th shot from 20 yards off the green, 8th shot was from the other side of the green to about 3 feet, lipped out the 3 footer and tap in for a 10. So I went from even to +5 in one hole. Great day. Took my shoes off to walk across the creek and get my wedge and just as I get to where I could reach it and snake come swimming out of the log the wedge was imbedded in. Talk about a fat guy running on water!!!!!!! I was happy that the wedge wasn't bent and was usable the rest of the round. Ended up tied 4th, one place out of the money and 4 behind the winner.

[Albatros]

I've got one from my last round... I started off pretty good with a Par, Birdie, Par. Everything after that is kind of a blur. The wind came up and I just lost my swing. I ended the round with seven....yes, 7, balls hit OB. I was a wreck. As for the emotional meltdown, there was no singular, explosive blowup. It was more like a consistent feeling of dread over every shot that I couldn't shake. On one par three I had to back off my tee shot twice because I was screaming inside "don't hit it left!" So I finally hit the ball and the people in my group all said "great shot" as my ball tracked right towards the flag. But as a testiment to the round, the cross wind must have swirled because the ball flew well over the green into the long grass never to be found. I still can't figure that one out. I hit an 8 140+ and this ball had to carry 175 to go over the green as far as it did.

 

But, the after round beer still tasted good and early on I felt some swings really groove that I can take away to work in on the range.

[littlepingman]

I think Zach was referring to "emotional" meltdown. Did you toss anything into the woods, pond, etc.?

 

No, I was pretty much in a state of shock. I really don't show too much emotion on the golf course. I did manage to get it together a bit and shoot a 76 that day. It was am internal emotional melt down, I remember my hands shaking so bad when I teed up the three iron I could barely set the ball on the tee. I couldn't believe I hit so good.

 

You're a replicant (check out "Blade Runner"), so I gotta put the "thumbs down" on your story ;)

 

 

A replicant is a bioengineered or biorobotic being created in the film Blade Runner. The Nexus series — genetically designed by the Tyrell Corporation — are virtually identical to an adult human, but have superior strength, agility, and variable intelligence depending on the model. Because of their physical similarity to humans a replicant must be detected by its lack of emotional responses and empathy to questions posed in a Voight-Kampff test. A derogatory term for a replicant is "skin-job."

 

I'm not sure if thats a compliment or not. :clapping:

[HipCheck]

I once hooked a shot with a seven wood so badly the ball went into a ravine. I ran up to the ravine, smashed the wood into the ground, then threw it down after it, yelling "go get it!"

 

I regret nothing...

[jcgrcya]

I personally have never had a meltdown. I am still too new to the game to have high expectations, so I have fun whether I am having a good or bad round. I did witness one of my regular golf buddies snap his driver shaft on a tree after a long day of bad drives.

[DRGJR72]

Playing in a tourny in South Florida and was currently in the second to last group of a three day tourny. I was 7 or 8 under for the event and was on the tenth hole. Short hole about 325 yds and drivable if the wind is not in your face, that day it is in my face and I decide to lay it back with a 5 wood and dump it in the bunker. At this point I am starting to lose my mind, I previously tripled the short ninth hole to shoot even on the front. So i get to the bunker and have about 100 yds in. I pull P dub and proceed to hit it about 50 yds, total chub fest. I then feel that it is my duty to make the bunker take a lesson for my mishit and I start digging to core of the earth and am smashing this wedge and sand is going all over the joint. I then gather my wits and find that not only do I have about 5 minutes of raking in the bunker, but I had covered my playing partner who was sitting in the golf cart just to the left of the bunker. In my fit of range I had totally forgotten that I was playing with anyone else and had proceeded to hit sand at this poor guy for the better part of 10 seconds. Needless to say I felt like about 4 inches tall and offered my condolences by buying him many beverages after the round.

 

It was a costly implosion, both at the bar and in my tournament check. Lesson learned...but pretty classic at the time

 

Dan

[dac]

never had an emotional meltdown playing golf. reading some of these makes me go whoa... ;)

[evanaamodt]

My biggest melt down was in our hs tourney. I was -1 going into the 16th and had to take two unplayables, so I ended up snapping my putter. Going into the 17th hole hit it within 15 feet and 3 jacked with my wedge. Then the 18th I also 3 jacked and ended with a 77. Walked every bit of the 1.5 miles back tot he clubhouse (they normal make u ride in carts but I refused).lol I was quite upset at myself.

[Shortknocker]

One of my bad habits is when I get really pissed off on the putting greens, on short putts I tend to try to see how hard I can hit the putt and have it still go in. I don't know how many times I've hit it off the back edge of the cup and had it either pop over or come back at me. Just makes a bad hole even worse

[mat562]

I'm not in the same league.

 

Just a couple of clubs, both damaged by a greenside putter toss after a couple 3-jerks.

 

One broke the neck of my Anser after an awkward landing. The other was again a Ping - a Pal 4 BeCu if I remember correctly - which acted like a cruise missile and collided with the soft side of my carry bag at greenside. Putter was fine, but the shaft in my driver (a Taylor Made Tour Gold) sadly wasn't.

 

Both were in junior tourneys though, when I was young and stupid. The amazing think is, I knew people (still do!) who used to hurl the putter in the fabled 'tomahawk' method and the putter would always survive despite the most fearsome impacts with turf, bushes bags and trees..

 

Mine weren't really enraged throws but quite mild lackadaisical 'lobs' towards the bag where the putter slowly spins and descends in a graceful arc over about 5 or 6 yards. And yet disaster struck twice...

 

Also, why does it seem that Beryllium Pings feature highly in these reported outbursts? Is beryllium toxicity linked to temper tantrums???

[tlflanders]

My story comes from a vaca round in Arizona earlier this year. My buddy played mini tours for a while and was a pretty good golfer. His game at this point kind of comes and goes. A little of background on him. He is the kind of guy that tweaks over the most miniscule things. He has been playing a 983K for about 3 years now. I will tell you now that the rash marks on this thing rivals those of a guy that has just beefed it on his bike at 100+. This thing has hit trees, cart path, and even ended up in a few lakes and waste areas. When he starts to make a few bad swings, everything snowballs. You fear for the next shot because you are afraid of what he is going to do. He has recoils that make us jump because we think that the clubhead is going to snap off and hit one of us in the face. Anyway, this day was no different. Snowball from the start. Everything was either a snap hook or a 40 yard slice. The first attempt was a 7 iron on a par 4 that flew about 80 yards in the air before snapping upon impact. Next was the sand wedge to the side of a tree. After about five throws of the driver, we could barely see the stamping of the bottom of the club. At this point the majority of his clubs have been airborne and have hit something (cart, tree, cart path etc). We get to a 205 yard uphill par 3. He hits his shot and being uphill we couldn't see the landing area. As soon as he hit it we knew it was going to be close. When we get to the green he walks up and pulls it out of the cup. He simply walks to the cart, sits down, puts his head down and tells us that he is done for the day. We still had about 24 holes to play. Didn't play another hole, just rode in the cart. Craziest episode that I have ever seen.

 

TL

[dpriester]

The funniest one I ever saw: a visiting friend of one the guys I play with duck-hooked a tee shot with his brand new driver on a hole requiring a 175 yard carry over the tall grass/wetlands. He whirley-birded his driver into the deep grass and absolutely nailed the concrete cart path that comes into play about 35 yards off the box. The club hit the path, continued to rotate and skid for another 20 yards. At this point, he had hit his new driver (bought it just before the trip) 4 times and it now looked like something from the Goodwill bin.

[20something]

Just a couple...

 

My father-in-law was so pissed after playing badly in a tournament, he went home and snapped the shafts on every one of his clubs. Says he just did it for effect because he had ordered a new set but, knowing him, I doubt it.

 

The other was a friend who hit a bad 7 iron and then hit his bag with the club. Ended up snapping the shaft on his driver.

 

I just like to see how far I can throw a club.......

[ebenn]

This happened a few years ago after playing Dubs Dread (#4) at Cog Hill. We all had decent rounds but nothing speactacular. Our fourth however didn't. He played beyond bad and to top it off, we all had a little fun with it.

As we were driving home, (for those in Chicago we were driving over the Archer Avenue bridge) he told us to pull over as he had to get into his golf bag in the trunk. So far that was all he had said to us since the last putt. He was a diabetic so we thought he was getting a candy bar or something.

With the trunk up, we couldn't see what was going on but out of the rear view mirror I see him running back to the bridge with his entire bag in hand and was getting ready to throw it in to the river.

We tried to catch him but we couldn't!!

There goes the clubs into the river with no way to get them. He completely lost it!! :russian_roulette:

He didn't play the rest of the year.

[ebenn]

another good quick one is what a family friend did. Pisssed after a bad shot, he smacked his club into the rear pocket of his bag. He hit it hard. Upon realizing what he did...two holes later...he reached in to find his Rolex totalled! Face, crystal broken....un repairable. That must have really sucked.

[Paka]

My brother has a firecracker temper, so I've seen a few... most memorable one was some years back, when we were both still living at home. 4th hole on our home course, hits a bad shot, doesn't say a word, but proceeds to take every single club out of his bag, and throw it as hard as he could. And he has an incredible arm (could throw a football over 70 yds. in his college years), so it was quite a sight. Not a thing said afterwards, either. Reminds me of the stories of Tommy Bolt's club throwing antics I've read about... well, Tommy would have been proud of this one. Luckily too, he also threw the clubs ahead so as not to have to backtrack to pick them up.

 

My husband, who I taught how to play, is on the opposite end of the spectrum-- he thinks nothing is funnier than hitting yet another tree. I try to have that mentality... I don't have outward displays of temper but I do get inwardly frustrated, so I try to look at his attitude and relax and not take things as seriously. You have to try to look at it that way when you rarely break 100. :drinks:

[Warszawa]

I (used to) regulary hit the shaft of a club into the side of my staff bag after a bad shot. A few weeks ago I had sliced my tee shot onto the opposite fairway on the 6th hole and had a six iron cut over trees to make the green. I thinned my shot into the first tree in front of me. As usual I walked up to my bag and hit it with the shaft but this time I accidently hit the metal handel on my bag, full force. My six-iron shaft was bent 90* an inch above the hosel. Needless to say I don't hit my bag anymore.

[theinsider]

Oh boy...where do I start! Ok, let's just say that when I was young I was a bit "fiery" on the golf course. One incident changed all that and I have been a "more casual" but still enthusiatic competitor since then.

 

So I am 18 (almost 20 years ago) and working for the summer at a muni course in my area. Surprisingly there were a lot of good players and there was always some sort of game going on where a young college student could pick up some cash if you knew how to make the right bet against the right person.

 

I have a team game going with some notorious locals (I can't even recall the bet but most of them in those days resulted in a couple hundred bucks exchanging hands) when we come to the fourth hole already with a three hole carryover. Unfortunately the island green on the hole was under construction, resulting in a temporary green in the fairway that, due to an extremely hot summer and little irrigation, was about as soft as marble.

 

All the other guys had finished out the hole, leaving me with about a 2 foot birdie putt to knock in and take a nice early lead. Nothing fancy, your basic straight in putt.

 

I pulled it.

 

I snapped.

 

To this day I am not sure if it was the heat, the pressure of a money game, or the fact I had no sleep having worked since 3 a.m. doing irrigation and maintenance work, but whatever the case the end result was a boiling rage.

 

I flipped my putter to the ground as I held my head, pondering the simple putt I had just pulled so far left it had not even sniffed the cup. I reached down to pick up my putter and ball (they conceded the par) as my foursome headed to the next tee. As I did I made a decision I still regret - I decided to punch, get this, THE GROUND. A sick pop and a little winch of pain told me something was wrong right away.

 

I only realized how bad it was as I took the tee (still with the honors) and gripped my iron to play to the par 3 - 5th. I woke up a few minutes later when the guys (whose backs were turned and did not see me punch the ground) told me to "quitting kidding around and hit my shot." After a few groggy seconds I got up and looked down at a right hand where my pinky finger now sat almost perpindicular.

 

Being the asses they were, I walked alone back to the clubhouse (the 5th tee was the furthest point away) where I called a buddy to take me to the hospital.

 

After a few hours waiting for X-Rays the doctor told me I had a couple broken bones and a cracked knuckle. He also said (not knowing how things had transpired) that he was waiting to see the recipient of my punch show up at the hospital. I said "don't bother, SHE won't be coming," referring to Mother Nature. I told him the story and as a golfer he laughed his butt off.

 

Every time I am upset on the golf course since then I just look down at my hand.

 

Here is why you try not to meltdown on a golf course. Or at least don't punch the ground. :drinks:

 

 

[theinsider]

I bet the Vulcan salute must be real easy for you since that incident, eh? :D

 

Word

 

:drinks:

[DarthFierce]

Years ago I witnessed the funniest thing ever. We were just out of high school and a bunch of my friends were playing (I think 5 in our group). One of my good friends (Still to this day, but he's mellowed a lot) had a habit of throwing his putter whenever he missed a short putt (that happened a lot!).

 

We had just played the 7th hole at a state park golf course and Mike had missed a 2 footer for birdie. Immediately everyone tensed and prepared to duck as the putter went flying, but instead Mike just sort of laughed a sarcastic laugh and looked at all of us as if to say, "I know you guys think I'm about to lose it." He didn't throw though.

 

However, as he was walking off the green he started sort of whipping his putter along the ground as if he was chopping weeds. The rest of us exited the green to the right side and headed towards the carts. Mike just kept whipping the club and it got faster and more violent.

 

We were about 10 feet from the cart when Mike finally couldn't stand it any more and let the club fly. He threw it like a helicopter right at the carts. The shaft struck the metal that holds up the front of the cart's roof and it rebounded backwards and kept spinning....right towards one of the guys in the group (Bob). Suddently the head of the putter caught Bob square in the family jewels. Bob fell to the ground in pain and probably would have attacked Mike had he been able to breath.

 

Mike appologized for an hour and I never saw him throw another golf club.

[hattrick3518]

ahahahahahaha funniest story i have heard in a long time darthfierce :drinks:

[golfr03]

so i am playing with my friend who was probably a +3 at the time...and we are in a cart....so he is not having a very good day and is maybe 2 over...but on the ninth hole he missed a short putt and finally snaps...he picks up his ball and throws it...then snaps his putter over his leg....THEN he walks to the cart and picks up his phone out of the cubby hole thing and proceeds to spike it on the ground as it shatters into 1000 pieces....

 

haha i didnt know what to do and tried to make it so he couldnt see me laugh...needless to say we finished and he went to practice for probably 2 hours....

[Warszawa]

so i am playing with my friend who was probably a +3 at the time...and we are in a cart....so he is not having a very good day and is maybe 2 over...but on the ninth hole he missed a short putt and finally snaps...he picks up his ball and throws it...then snaps his putter over his leg....THEN he walks to the cart and picks up his phone out of the cubby hole thing and proceeds to spike it on the ground as it shatters into 1000 pieces....

 

haha i didnt know what to do and tried to make it so he couldnt see me laugh...needless to say we finished and he went to practice for probably 2 hours....

What did the innocent phone have to do with it? :drinks:

[HotWired]

I have two that are particularly memorable. Once, playing a tournament at Troon North, I hit two incredibly bad wedges shots on the same hole and proceeded to chuck my Ping Eye SW into a waste area. I probably only threw it about 30 yards, but four of us searched for it for five minutes and never found it.

 

Playing a three day tourney in Palm Springs, the course escapes me, I was leading after the first two days. The third round was a shotgun start so we'd all finish at the same time and I started on a real easy par 3. 145 yards over water, elevated tee box. Unfortunately, no good drop area. I proceeded to hit my first four shots into the water before just clearing the water, chipping close and three jacking for a crowd pleasing 13. I was forced to play the rest of the round with a new club I invented, a 3 wood putter. Needless to say, I finished out of the money.