BEST shot you have ever hit

[bortass]

I didn't get to see the entirety of my best shot ever. #10, earlier this year, I hit a decent drive into the middle of the fairway. This hole is kind of like a W elevation wise with the middle point being lower than the tee bow or green. I'm about 160 from center and it's always a semi blind shot. You can see the top of the flag but that's it. The flag looks like it's in the middle and there is a bunker in the face of the slope in front of the green from the right side to part of the middle of the green.  I take my 7w, since I don't hit the ball far, and catch it nice and thin and a bit left. It's a line drive into the face of the slope, maybe a couple feet left of the bunker. The ball pops up in the air and somehow makes it the 5 or so yards to the green. I'm just happy I have a GIR as I'm walking to the green after yet another mishit. There's a couple guys in my group on the green, since they were riding, when I get there and they tell me my ball is in the hole.... My only eagle and I never saw it go in. I guess this is proof that it doesn't matter what the shot looks like, just the result, lol.

[sittingbull]

Was playing in a huge scramble at hawk hallow in michigan one of those that half play in the morning and half in the afternoon.

We were on 18 165 out over water with a a pin about 10 yards on the green and I holed it on the fly in front of the club house with about 150 or so drunk golfers on the balcony and they went nuts. We ended up with 1 of the only 2 skins that day 

Edited November 30, 2020 by sittingbull

[Circaflex]

Best shot, it took me a while to think about this one but I believe I have found it. A few weekends ago I was playing in a tournament and it was pouring rain for the first 5 or 6 holes. On the 4th hole I hit a piss poor drive that resulted in an uphill, tree blocked shot. It was a par 5 and I was parallel to another holes fairway, I figured I could hit a giant hook and at worst, would be a straight ball into the other fairway with a good look at the hole. Well, I hit a nasty toe ball that went into yet, more trees. Knowing I need to take my medicine I told myself just punch out, hit one close and save par. Well that little voice said hey, you have a good window between those trees. I talked myself into a knock down punch from about 90 yards away into the breeze and rain; i pulled my PW and hit the most perfect shot, between the trees just in front of the green and it rolled up two feet from the hole. I ended up making the birdie putt.

 

I have a few others I thought about posting, but this one considering the rain and it was a tournament I feel its my best shot.

[GoletaGolfer]

Cherry Island GC, Elverta California.  Playing the 18th hole (Now the 9th); a short par 5 at 474 yards.  This was roughly 1993 and I was about an 8 HC. It is a weird, double dogleg hole with a big ditch running through the middle of the fairway starting bout 225-230 out - so no driver off the tee, unless you can carry it 250 or so.  I never have been long, so I hit a drawing 5 wood that (luckily - I had never played the course before) stopped about 10 feet before the ditch.  

 

So I had 240 -245 left, and had to hit a huge cut around this giant oak tree that stuck out into the fairway on the right, at about 125 or so from the hole. No way to hit it over the tree. There was room left to lay up, but who wants to do that!?  

 

So I pull my 3 wood from my bag, and one of the teenagers with whom I was playing says, "NO, hit your driver!" Well, who am I to deny this young sprout his wish? So I pull driver (which I had hit off the deck about three times in my entire life), look down at this perfect, fluffy lie, then visualize the giant slice necessary to get around the oak tree (when I say giant, I mean about 30-35 yards).   I take the club back and POWDER the ball - it goes straight for about 80 yards and then begins its glorious bend around the oak tree.

 

I see that that it is going to be somewhere in the zipcode of the green, so I  throw the driver back in its bag, pat myself on the back, and start hoofing it for the green.  It takes a while to get up to the green, as the two guys have a couple of shots each to get up there, and only then did I look for my ball.

 

There was no trouble or long grass short, which is where I thought I ended up, but I did not see it. We looked in the bunker, and even though I knew damn well I did not have the length to hit is OVER the green, I looked there too.

I am completely befuddled, AND THEN - "Hey buddy, look in the hole for me, will ya,"  I yelled  to one of my playing partners. It was the only place left to look!  He walked over to the pin, peered down, and then, with a giant smile on his face, reached down and plucked it from the hole. Albatross!

 

I walked into the pro shop and told them I just double eagled their finishing hole. They were fired up for me and actually called the Sacramento Bee sports guy to memorialize my feat and make it official. I still have that clipping somewhere...

 

#2  About 1991  La Purisima, Lompoc Ca - 8 HC

Finish playing 18 and have exactly 1 hour of light left. More than enough time to walk another 9. Because I am playing so quickly, I do not have time to think my way into problems. Playing great on a long hard course (They played the PGA Qualifier there) and come to 18 two over. It is darkish. I stripe it off the tee and it "feels" good (can't see it). Find my ball in the middle of the fairway - 161 to the back right pin on a little shelf. Now it is dark. I pull 7 iron, hit it flush but can only see the first 25 feet of the ball's path, a slight cut the direction I want it to go.  I jog up to the green, do not see my ball. Thought maybe I hit it over the green. Walked up and saw a pitch mark 5 feet short and 1 foot left of the pin. Yep, a two in the dark. Good times at La P.  Played there 225 times that year.

Edited December 5, 2020 by GoletaGolfer

[MikeW2]

Since others have done it, I’m going to go over two. First was about 20 years ago at Bretwood in Keene, NH. We were playing 36 holes that day and my buddy brought a friend of his that I’d never met before. Not a pleasant guy to play with...loud, rude, vulgar, SLOW, bad, and commented after everyone of my shots what I should have done. First 18 I shot 76 and he shot 113. But he spent lunch telling our table what we needed to work on. Knowing I’ll never play with this guy again I’m just ignoring him. We get to the 5th hole on the north course and I’m 1 under. 5 is a par five dogleg right and I hit a good drive that left me about 220 in. I pull my 7 wood and hear “no way that’s enough club” and I let it get in my head. I made a terrible swing chunking the ball about 3 yards forward. I’m mad at myself now for listening to this guy and smoked the same club to the very back left corner of the green. It’s an enormous green with some tiers and I’m roughly 115 ft from the hole that was about 3 paces from the front. “Man you really screwed this hole up” from the guy lying 6 in a bunker. I asked him if he was seriously talking to me. “Yep” ok, I’ve got $50 bucks that says I make this. “Sure” So I hit my putt and with about 15 left I turned and said to him “go get my money, I want it now.” Then the ball dropped into the hole. The only way to describe that feeling was elation. Then I hear, “I don’t actually have any cash, I’ll just get you next time we play.” Oh no, no...I’ll let you keep your cash but you do not make another comment about my game for the rest of the day. “I’m just trying to help you” Seriously??? I’m beating you by 40 strokes, just keep your thoughts to yourself. Many years later, with a wee bit more maturity, it was arrogant and self aggrandizing but not for one second was there any doubt I was making that putt and it felt awesome when it dropped.

 

Second one was yesterday. A simple 1 ft putt for par on 18 that fell for my first sub 70 round ever. Been playing for over 30 years and have never played better than the last 3/4 months. Two months ago was first time I broke par for 18 holes and my friend said you easily could’ve been 3-4 shots lower. Breaking 70 as a real possibility has been on my mind ever since. I knew where I stood score wise and was probably a little slow and over cautious with a simple putt but I was nervous. Thankfully it went in and breaking that barrier felt great.

[ChipNRun]

In spring 1998 I was playing at Eagle Green GC down in Denton, TX. Course was across the street from University of North Texas football field.

 

No. 9 was a tight, uphill par 5 at 500 yards long. For golf architecture buffs, it is similar to No. 9 at the Country Club in Brookline, Mass.

 

I hit a decent drive that ended up in right rough. Took a 5W and layed up short of the two fairway bunkers about 60 yards short of the terraced green. Pin was about three

feet below the terrace ridge.

 

I hit a wedge thin that landed short and skipped about 15 feet onto the upper terrace.

 

A big hitter in our group was on the back fringe in two, and was putting for an eagle. His shot rolled out smoothly, reached the terrace fall, and rolled off the green and back into the fairway.

 

Shaken by this, I took a 7 iron. My goal was to hit a putt-chip with a little cut spin, and have the ball trickle downhill from gravity, rather than impact force of the club.  It worked! Ball trickled over the edge and into center cup for a birdie.

 

Sad story: RIP, Eagle Green. About year 2000 the course got closed and subdivided.

 

 

[Obee]

I don't know if it's the best shot I've ever hit, but it's the most memorable for me ....

 

2005 SCGA Mid-Am. North Ranch Country Club in Westlake Village, California. I'm relatively new to competitive golf, having entered my first "real" tournament in 2000. The previous year, 2004, I qualified for both the SCGA Am and Mid-Am and made the cut at both tournaments, but I didn't really know how my game stacked up against the better players in California.

In the morning round, I shot 73, but bogeyed two of the last three. I was a few off the lead. In the afternoon, I played well and was 1-under heading to the 18th, a 424-yard par-4 with a deep, elevated green. I hit a very good drive down the left side that ran forever and I had 105 to a front-right pin with the green above me, but a slight breeze behind me.

I figured it played the full 105, which was a perfect sand wedge for me back then.

My shot never left the flag. It flew a few yards behind it and sucked back and into the hole for an eagle.

I walked into the clubhouse, signed my card and found out soon thereafter that the 69 put me in the final pairing the next day.

I will never forget that tournament.

Edited December 5, 2020 by Obee
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[Roejye]

To the OP, thanks for starting this thread. It's been great reading all of these great shots, hopefully this thread will live on for a long time.

[Ian Ford]

2 come to mind.  A 125yd slam-dunk hole out from the fairway in 2011.  Age 24, 2003, dogleg left par 4, pulled my drive behind a tree. I had 220 left but I was at the bend and my FOV was completely obstructed to the green.  Now, I had 5i and was about to put it back for a 9i to punch into the fairway....until my playing partner said, "you can't hit that shot. Better lay up."

  And as Michael Jordan said, "...it became personal with me."

  5i it was. Opened my right foot almost perpendicular to my left, aimed OB right and roped a high hook from the left rough to the right side of the fairway and it landed on the back of the green. It was worth the gamble just to hear him say, "what a shot!" Missed the birdie putt, lol. But I took par and ran!  

[Long_Left]

27 June 2003 (It is framed in my office, I had to look at the date) I had been in my job for a little under 3 years and had gotten into a Friday afternoon group of the "bosses." The game was a $50 buy in (at a tight, tree lined course) and had so many points and dots and games that I had to trust that the scorer was doing right by everyone. Long hitting 10 handicap at this point, 20+ years younger than the group average.

 

Having a generally normal round, three groups playing back to back, and we get to the 16th tee, slight uphill Par 5 "dogleg" at the end created by a stand of trees, about 525 yards. I crush a drive but pull it right (lefty) into the desert about 5 yards off the grass, good clean lie in firm packed sand. 212 yards to center and I pull 6 to ensure I can lift it over the trees, figuring I can make the front edge if I clean it. Blind to the green, I pick a tree and hit a high soft draw on my intended line, and was happy that I hit the shot I saw. As everyone gets to the green the foursome in front of us  on the next tee says  "One of you better make a 3 or Bob wins about $300!" Bob was my direct supervisor. I approach the green from the side and see nothing. I'm looking in the collars, rough, bunkers and getting pissed, knowing I had to chip in to tie I'm assuming my ball is buried somewhere. Guy in my group says "What are you playing?" And my response was "MaxFli M3 Tour Red" and he says "Nice shot." with a big grin on his face as he pulls it from the hole.

 

The group and I whoop it up a little bit to let the guys in front of us know something happened 🙂

 

As we were pulling up the rear, when we pulled into the clubhouse Bob is standing there looking smug, and says "Unless whichever bastxxx pushed my 3 on 16 made 3 at 17 I still took the money..." Jack, the guy who pulled it from the hole says "Bob, no one pushed your 3 at 16 (loooong pause) but Erik made a 2."

 

10 of the 12 players erupted in laughter, Bob got as red as I'd ever seen him, and I sat there wondering if my blind luck had cost me my job.

 

Took home almost $400 that day, and over 17 years later I still work with Bob, though he isn't my boss anymore.

[kwcsports]

5 wood, 218 yds, wind blowing 40 sideways right to left. I hit the ball out to the right into it a bit and watched it ride the wind back left, towards the pin, 1 hop and a 10 ft roll into the hole. best shot I ever hit, really lucky as well haha. 

[GoletaGolfer]

17th at La Purisma in CA.  30 MPH quartering wind right to left. Pin is back right, downhill, about 150.

Aim 35 yards to the right of the right edge of the green and flush a 180 club (5 Iron).

 

The wild a** guess as to what the wind was going to do was correct, (for the first and last time in my golf career) and I knocked it to 18 inches.

 

Don't ask me if I sank the putt; that would show you are a rude person.

[naval2006]

A few years ago we were playing the Fourball Club Championship final match.  It was winter, course soggy and we were 1 up on the 17th tee.  The match had been level all day so we knew we had to take advantage of our situation right now.  17th is a long par four, OB right.  My partner, the better of the two hits OB so I tee up thinking about center left of fw.  Hit a decent driver but into the wind it was quite short.  Our rivals hit both in the middle, one around my distance and their better man a bomb down the fairway.

 

I was 210 into a strong wind and I knew the moment to pull a shot was now or our thin advantage would go in no time.  One of our rivals hit first: decent shot barely short of the small saucer-shaped green so he had a great opportunity to save par from there.  

 

When it was my turn I felt the pressure of being on my own for the hole and when I picked up my head to look around I saw lots of people watching us, which is typical final match when it's even and people start showing up to see the definition. As I was a bit rusty about so many people following I decided not to take too much time: I stood behind the ball and hit a wonderful draw with a hybrid that landed on the middle of the green.  That was the moment I told my partner "the cup is about to stay home."  Second man hits an iron to the middle of the green too.  He putts first from like 25 feet and holes out.  I was so convinced that they couldn't get away with it that I hit a 22 footer down the center of the hole to secure the advantage to the last hole.  Those two shots clinched the championship for the third time with my partner.  

 

I'm sure I hit better shots and holed out longer putts, but in the heat of competition and with a lot of pressure on, a good shot often becomes a memorable one in golf.  

[GolfTurkey]

It didn’t lead to a great score or victory or memorable stretch of golf, but thanks to playing with really dumb course management I get to pull off the very occasional miracle shot.

 

Back in the old balata days I was in some low hanging trees with a slightly restricted backswing and about a 170 carry over a creek to a green about 185 away. The only shot anyone sane would have played was a punch out to the fairway leaving a wedge over the creek.
 

The lie was bare so I choked down on my driver and hit down on it as hard as I could with a 2/3rd backswing. The ball took off low and stayed about 2 or 3 feet off the ground for about 20 yards to get out from under the trees. Then it started climbing rapidly (the old start low then soar balata shot). It just cleared the creek and rolled up to 6 feet and I made the putt for birdie. Of course there are 20 disasters for every shot like that...

[Ty_Webb]

I have two main contenders I think. I've probably described them both on here before. One for sure. 

 

Anyway - first one, playing at Deal (Royal Cinque Ports) in England. 4th hole is a bunkerless par three with a raised green that falls away on all sides. 148 yards. It was windy - blowing 35-40mph and the wind was pretty much dead into. I hit a 3/4 3 iron that started 6 feet right of the flag and drew 6 feet. Landed 6 inches short of the hole, bounced up, hit the flag pretty gently and dropped down on the green 6 inches away. Wound up being good for a half because our opponents (it was foursomes) hit it to 12 feet and holed the putt. For context on my shot, it was a shot I struggled with and had a tendency to snap hook. I could have missed the green 50 yards left, but I hit it so pure. It was so good I didn't care that it didn't go in (except for the fact we'd have won the hole if it had). 

 

Second one at Bethpage Black on the 10th hole. I hit a dreadful high flare to the right off the tee and wound up on the sandy bank behind the back right portion of the fairway bunker. I had one foot in the bunker and one foot on the bank at the back. The ball was sitting okay, but in amongst long grass tufts. I looked at it and noticed that there was a path through the long grass to go towards the green. I had 237 yards to the flag. Pulled out my 3 wood and with the ball a foot above my left foot and level with my right foot, I took a swipe at it. Absolutely crushed it straight at it. It landed on the green and wound up about 6 feet away from the hole. Made the putt too. One and only time I've ever birdied that hole. 

 

[platgof]

Today was a short sided shot over a deep bunker, way below the hole, and holed it out for the birdie. Yea, I let out a shout over that one. Unexpected!!

[tannyhoban]

Most of the ones I remember are insane trouble shots.
 

An example. Couple years back on a local track with the regular

group. Short par 4 and I hit a decent drive. Skull shanked wedge into the trees on the right which left me pretty awful. Low lip bunker greenside guarding the pin to deal, about a 1ft crease of daylight in between the trees and 40 yards to the pin. Meanwhile my playing pards are futzing about looking for a ball or something. I pull a 9 iron and punch it figuring with a little draw it will have just enough to skip in the bunker and get somewhere on the green. It came off perfect and left me five ft for par.

 

I look around for some acknowledge of this feat but. Nobody in my group saw it. So I tell this without attest, lol.

 

But I pulled it off dammit. And that's all that matters to me .

[lefthack]

I almost made an ace yesterday. Dropped on the front of the green, was rolling straight at the flag. Missed the cup by inches and stops 4' past. 130ish par 3 with my 8i. I won't say it's the new grip, but they sure don't hurt.

 

 

[twidener]

One of my best, considering the circumstance, was the qualifying tournament for the USGA PublicLinks in 1975. The championship was in Hawaii that year and in our qualifier two players got to go to Hawaii, and I wanted to be one of them. We played 36 holes in one day back then in USGA qualifiers and on the 32nd hole I was one shot out of second. We were on a par 5 and I hit my second shot in a green side bunker but it was close to a fried egg lie and downhill 20 feet to the hole. The guy who was one stroke ahead of me had a 5 footer for a birdie. I had a Hogan Special Sand Iron and hit a shot from that lie with a ton of spin. It landed about four feet on the green and rolled out like putt and ended up less than an inch from the hole. The guy missed his short birdie putt and over the next 4 holes I picked up 4 more shots on him to secure second place and a trip to Hawaii. I use to always practice different sand shots when I played in college.  I would normally spend 30 minutes at each practice just hitting sand shots so I knew I could hit the shot, it was just a matter of landing it in a good spot and from there hoping it rolled out fairly close to the hole.

[MattCarter]

These stories are awesome.

[ClubBuildRookie]

Best shot for me occurred this year and ended in a Par 4 bogey.  Night before the round I was watching a Friday PGA round on TV.  I watched several of Pro’s get in trouble on the left then miraculously hit trap draw shots and escape like Houdini and save Par or make Birdie.  
 

Inspired by their skill, I grabbed the laptop and went out to the garage sim to try figuring out how to hit that shot.   Having a fade tendency I knew it was going to be a challenging shot to figure out.  However, after about an hour I started getting pretty darn good at hitting the shot given it was my first time actually trying to play the shot.
 

Next day, off to the course I go to get 18 in.  I had a decent round going but not a great great.  On hole 14 I pulled my tee shot left into the rough.  I found the ball in a perfect situation where I needed Houdini to arrive to achieve a GIR to stand chance at birdie.  Huge tree in front of me full of leaves.  Gotta aim way right, fly it low and nearly hook it to get on the green.  No shot at the green whatsoever unless you have the trap draw shot in the bag.  It would have been an easy chip out, then approach shot and easy two putt for guaranteed bogey.

 

Having practiced the Houdini shot the night before I was feeling like Houdini.  Had about 160 to the hole.  I took my stance, made all my adjustment and swung.  Dang if I didn’t duffed the ball to about 10ft in front of me.  If you don’t first succeed, try and try again right?  I take my stance, make my adjustments and swing again.  Dang if I didn’t duff it exactly the same again.

 

At this point, I’m pissed cause I just wasted 2 strokes trying to be Houdini.  However, being committed to pulling off the shot, I looked over at my playing partners who are being extremely quite but with smiles on their faces and proceed to tell them I’m not leaving that spot until I hit the shot in my minds eye.  
 

I take my stance, move a little further away from the ball this time, close my stance and club face and make the committed swing.  I hit the purest and most beautiful trap draw shot my playing partners ever seen to about 3ft of the pin and then made the one putt for bogey.  Thats awesome feeling to have that level of shot making ability.  Someday I’ll get there on the first attempt....:)