Tell us the tale of the worst golf shot you've ever seen in person

[GolfWRX]

...you know the one...The first-tee shank that hits a board member seated on the patio at the club. The bladed wedge that buzzes the green then rockets through the window of a course-side home. We want to hear the full story of the worst golf shot you've seen in person. The best answers will be featured in a front page article. 

 

 

[MtlJeff]

I can think of 2 that stand out above the rest, though i am sure people will have better ones:

 

1) Playing as a single in my younger days about 15 years ago. Guy i was paired with lines up a 3 wood to hit off the tee about 2-3 yds behind the wood tee block. He thins it so bad it hits the tee block and ricochets hard straight back into the woods behind the tee box. He actually went in there and played it, rather than take a mulligan, to his credit. I have never seen a guy punch out of the woods and end up lying 3 and still being behind the original blocks

 

2) Playing a par 3 at a course i used to play at a lot. There were houses lining the course so a couple were not too far off the green. My friend put his ball in the bunker. The house right behind the green there was a lady doing laundry and hanging it from the rack in her backyard. My friend blades his ball so badly it looks like it's headed straight for the screen door--except the lady left the door open. So my friends ball actually went INSIDE the house without breaking any windows. We didn't hear any loud noises--maybe it hit a couch or something. We all pretended nothing happened and ran to the next tee LOL

[ezpz]

Foursome matchplay competition 1st hole from the tips trees all the way down the left side, par 4. guy tees it up hits his drive it goes straight left maybe 2 yds forward 5-6 yds left and lands next to the teebox in some really long rough that hasnt even been considered for play. obviously his foursomes partner wasnt thrilled to het the 2nd shot. Almost like watching a reverse shank never seen anything like it.

[MikeW2]

Two come to mind, one awful and one hilarious.

1- my friend had just asked his girlfriend to marry him and to celebrate his future father in law asked him to play. D hits a tee ball on the first hole that took off at a 45 degree angle and hit a marble hole marker. It ricocheted straight back and hit his FIL to be squarely on the forehead, knocked  him out cold, bleeding everywhere. Nothing permanent but did have a concussion and needed a couple of stitches. 
2-another friend who hits the ball a mile hit a drive that was a pace or two shy of 400 yards. Wind aided but it was CRUSHED, out drove all of us by at least 120 yards. Talking junk and really pooping all over us as we drove up to our balls and hit our shots, which to be fair, I would’ve been doing if roles were reversed. He’s got a 125 yard sand wedge into a par 5 for his second shot. What happened next I will never understand. He must’ve topped it or something but the ball went 10 feet BACKWARDS! His face was lobster red, the 3 of us are crying laughing at him instantaneously. Worst shot, situationally, I’ve ever seen.

[lefthack]

During my lesson yesterday, I topped one that went straight at the small retaining wall about 100 feet away, hit and ricochet straight back and beaned the kid in the stall next to me. 

 

I saw it coming for him but yelling fore at the range seemed weird, so I just told him to look out. 🤣

[Soloman1]

I apologize in advance for this:

 

One time I was playing at one of the several exclusive, private clubs that I sit on the board of and slightly mishit my 2-iron off the first tee. All of the employees of all of my businesses came to see their founder and CEO tee off because they know how good I am. I'm a little old now, but I'm 5'9-1/2" and 250 lbs of pure muscle from when I was a martial arts expert, football player (my nickname was "minifridge"), Special Forces, Navy Seal, cage fighter and totally awesome weight lifter.

 

I hit it a little off the sweet spot towards the toe, which is very, very rare, and it went almost 5 yards left of the center of the fairway and only 228 yards. They still clapped because they respect me so much, and they know I'm a very good golfer.

 

And that's the worst shot shot I ever hit.

 

Then I woke up and realized it was a bad dream. Everything else is true, but I've never a bad shot. That's why I'm a 2-5 handicap and you're not.

[mizuno player]

Two that made me laugh so hard I pe** myself. 

 

Friend hit his tee shot on first hole , first day of a trip. Pulls it a bit. Goes out about 15 yards and hits a rock. Hits it and goes behind us about 10 years!!! Thankfully he laughed as well. 

 

Playing a money game at my old club. Guy gets up proceeds to hit his tee ball about 3" forward and straight INTO the ground. Buried it about 4-5" underground. 

 

 

[Ghostwedge]

Southern Hills PGA Championship (80' something) on the 18th tee Jeff Sluman during the Wed practice rd hits his tee shot 120 yds straight left into the crowd and almost took out my future wife. Ha

[Ghostwedge]

Amateur division..   

9th hole 360 yds dogleg left up hill with the biggest willow tree in existence sitting 200 yds out at the bend. Guy I'm paired with lands his tee shot 20 yds short of the willow tree. 2nd shot hits the willow tree and it rebounds his ball almost back to the tee box. Catapult city..... yikes.

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

I have one I witnessed, because I hit it.

Crowded day on the course, we’ve been waiting to hit our tee shots, and the group behind us pulls up to the tee and watches us hit.  
Topped my tee shot that barely got past the forward tees. Decided to hit my new driving iron out of the rough for my 2nd, to advance it as far as possible. Wide open shot, except for one of those ballwashers, standing to the side.

Of course, I hit an unwanted stinger at light speed (beautiful) straight into that thing, and my ball gets trapped in it. See photo below. 
My group is dying of laughter (literally rolling on the grass and hitting the ground with their hands) and I had to make a very unpleasant call to the clubhouse to explain the situation. Tip of the hat to the following group who could barely hide their laughter, and now knew the reason for their waiting, or so they concluded. 
I‘m still blushing when I think of it. 
 

[MtlJeff]

6 hours ago, mizuno player said:

Two that made me laugh so hard I pe** myself. 

 

Friend hit his tee shot on first hole , first day of a trip. Pulls it a bit. Goes out about 15 yards and hits a rock. Hits it and goes behind us about 10 years!!! Thankfully he laughed as well. 

 

Playing a money game at my old club. Guy gets up proceeds to hit his tee ball about 3" forward and straight INTO the ground. Buried it about 4-5" underground. 

 

 

 

That first one  = /thread

 

Any shot that results in time travel is the clear winner.

[ChipStrokes]

6 hours ago, mizuno player said:

Two that made me laugh so hard I pe** myself.

wait we can’t say “peed”?

 

edit: i guess we can. weird self-censor, bro. 

Edited September 5, 2021 by ChipStrokes

[Argonne69]

Three come to mind.

 

1) I was on the green, and the group ahead was teeing off on the adjacent parallel hole, ~20 yds away. Thus, the player had his back to me. The guy makes a mighty swing, and the ball catches the heel of his driver, and shoots backward through his legs. The ball rolls up and on to my green, passing a few feet from my ball. I could hit 1000 golf balls and not hit one between my legs.

 

2) I was running late for my tee time, but arrived just in time to run on to the 1st tee and hit. I had just put a new white TaylorMade driver in my bag. Knowing that this new secret weapon was going to add 30 yards to my drive, I teed it up high, and without as much as a practice swing made a lash at the ball. I went right under it, and the ball shot straight up in the air ~30 yds, and then landed no more than a foot from where I had teed it. The guys in my group busted out laughing. To add insult to injury there was a huge black sky mark on the crown of my new white driver. Ugh.

 

3) Playing a par 3 with an elevated teebox and an "island" green surrounded by desert canyon. My playing partner was in the middle of his swing when a rabbit comes out of the scrub, and hopped across the front of the teebox. He severely tops the shot, and it one hops and hits the rabbit in the side of the head. The rabbit stopped, shook its head, looked at us as if to say, "WTF", and then continued to hop across the teebox. We basically lost it we were laughing so hard. A shot so soft that it didn't phase a rabbit.

 

[cgasucks]

I've seen my share of crappy shots and they're too many to mention but I only remember the remarkable ones that I shot myself.

 

About 10 years ago or so I hit my tee shot on a short par 4.  Tee shot was good and had about 130 yards on my 2nd.  There are overhead electrical wires going across on the fairway and my approach shot hit the wires and bounced back and landed exactly in the same spot.  🙄

[hoselrocker]

I have two - both me, and both at driving ranges.

 

The range was packed and the only opening was right next to the range shop/office. I'm hitting next to a very attractive lass who is obviously a very good golfer as she's working draws/ fades and pounding her driver. So I figure I'll impress her and hit a couple "draws" and "fades" as well - in quotes because I can do neither. My first "draw" attempt goes off either the hosel or toe still not sure, and then ricochets off the little steel divider between us and blasts straight through the window of the driving range shop with a thundering crash. Everybody on the packed range stops hitting and is looking around for the clown that managed such a miracle shot, including me. The gorgeous lady in the stall beside me then slowly turned around and looked at me like I just took a dump in the middle of a restaurant. Busted. I slithered into the shop and offered to pay for the window.

 

The second one I was at a different range because see above story. I had just finished a basket except for about 5 balls because at this range there is a practise green for chipping that's about 50 yards away from the main tee boxes and when it's quiet guys will turn around and chip to this green which is behind the main tee area. So I turn around and figure since I'm warmed up so I'll drop a couple balls on the green. Nope - first and last shot is sculled just as a brand new Toyota Highlander is rounding the corner on the road that runs behind this green. One hop off the pavement and smashes out the headlight of said Toyota. I'm the only guy on the range so there's nowhere to hide, not that I'd do that anyway. Guy was a golfer and very nice about it and I gave him my contact number so I could pay for the headlight.

Cost of a new Highlander headlight? $800!! Cost to my golfing ego? Priceless...

One positive was he's the owner of a well known local nightclub and felt bad about the cost to me so he offered me a $100 drink voucher at his club which I fully used to numb my lack off chipping prowess - and hitting draws, or any other shot now that I think about it.

Edited September 5, 2021 by hoselrocker

[mizuno player]

4 hours ago, ChipStrokes said:

wait we can’t say “peed”?

 

edit: i guess we can. weird self-censor, bro. 

Just never sure around here ,bud. 

 

[Dill Pickleson]

Off the top of my head, I was playing blades at the time, and my dad asked if he could try to hit one of them.  So I said sure why not.  So he takes the 3 iron and takes a look at it and says "Wow those are pretty small."  He proceeds to try to hit my 3 iron off the tee on a par 4.  Only one problem, he misses.  He misses what you might ask, he misses everything.  Didn't hit the ground, the ball, or the tee.  Just air, we both got a good laugh.

[Ghostwedge]

1 hour ago, hoselrocker said:

I have two - both me, and both at driving ranges.

 

The range was packed and the only opening was right next to the range shop/office. I'm hitting next to a very attractive lass who is obviously a very good golfer as she's working draws/ fades and pounding her driver. So I figure I'll impress her and hit a couple "draws" and "fades" as well - in quotes because I can do neither. My first "draw" attempt goes off either the hosel or toe still not sure, and then ricochets off the little steel divider between us and blasts straight through the window of the driving range shop with a thundering crash. Everybody on the packed range stops hitting and is looking around for the clown that managed such a miracle shot, including me. The gorgeous lady in the stall beside me then slowly turned around and looked at me like I just took a dump in the middle of a restaurant. Busted. I slithered into the shop and offered to pay for the window.

 

The second one I was at a different range because see above story. I had just finished a basket except for about 5 balls because at this range there is a practise green for chipping that's about 50 yards away from the main tee boxes and when it's quiet guys will turn around and chip to this green which is behind the main tee area. So I turn around and figure since I'm warmed up so I'll drop a couple balls on the green. Nope - first and last shot is sculled just as a brand new Toyota Highlander is rounding the corner on the road that runs behind this green. One hop off the pavement and smashes out the headlight of said Toyota. I'm the only guy on the range so there's nowhere to hide, not that I'd do that anyway. Guy was a golfer and very nice about it and I gave him my contact number so I could pay for the headlight.

Cost of a new Highlander headlight? $800!! Cost to my golfing ego? Priceless...

One positive was he's the owner of a well known local nightclub and felt bad about the cost to me so he offered me a $100 drink voucher at his club which I fully used to numb my lack off chipping prowess - and hitting draws, or any other shot now that I think about it.

Winner.

[hoselrocker]

1 hour ago, Ghostwedge said:

Winner.

Thanks, but the word that comes to mind when I think of my relationship with the golf ball is loser.

[xkilgorextroutx]

Worst one I ever saw was one of my own. Playing my old home course, 2nd hole was a downhill par 5 dogleg right with an extremely large rock on the left side of the fairway about 200 yards out. So of course, playing with a friend and two others we were paired up with, all my brain can think about is "don't hit towards the rock" and I naturally hit my 3w right towards it. Thankfully the shot was low, barely above a worm burner, and the rough slowed the ball down about 10 yard short of the rock. 

 

The smart play here was to hit a wedge or 9i to the right of the rock, clearing it and setting up an OK 3rd shot that had a chance at maybe hitting the green. I, of course, did not choose the smart play. I pulled out my hybrid and proceeded to hit the rock dead on, sending my ball screaming backwards a good 50-60 yards. Thankfully no one was hurt. Well, ok my ego was hurt, but physically everyone was fine, save for the sore stomachs from laughing so hard at me. We were walking so I had to trudge back up the fairway to hit my 3rd shot, earning some confused looks from the group that had just arrived at the tee box.

[Loki]

Playing in a scramble, first hole. I hit my drive and one of the guys actually laughed at me because it ended up just into the rough, a decent length...for me. I digress.

 

The guy that invited me gets up to hit his utility. He got under it and it goes two feet forward and spun back three feet behind the divot hole. No one said anything. I was laughing my butt off silently. I don't think anyone could intentionally do that.

[Jackal66]

Back around 1997 we were paired up with a couple  of guys at a course in the city park. 

One the #1 hole a guy either shanked, or hit a hard toe shot.

It went straight right of where he was aiming   onto the roof of a boys club.

It hit the skylight and broke  a big chunk  out of it.

We all hit  and waited  for someone  to come out, but no one ever did.

After we finished our round the guy went over to the boys club and went inside. 

We didn't  wait around, so I don't  know  what happened. 

That  skylight must have been 150 yards away.

Edited September 6, 2021 by Jackal66

[phizzy30]

Happened 3 month ago at Whittier Narrows GC.  Was playing on the weekend with my group.  One of my playing partners drops me off at my ball then proceeds to drive to his ball which in the left ball among a bunch of trees.  He lines up his shot and swings.  I hear the ball hit the tree in front of him and he immediately collapses reeling in pain.  I hit my shot and and run over to him to see what's up.  Apparently, his ball hit the tree, ricocheted and hit him square in the forehead.  He usually brings a cooler full of ice but not this time.  Only thing he could do was put a bottle of water on his forehead.  He is constantly asking me if it's swelling up and I say it looks fine.  Well, after the round, he has a decent sized knot.  Later, he admitted that he shanked it and paid the price. 

[goaliedad30]

This was probably 40 years ago now ... a high school match. We're playing in the first group, so 1/2 players on each team. Our #1 was a +3 (now a club pro), and I was scratch. The other team's players were, let's say, somewhat less skilled.

 

Their guy hit a tee shot right off the heel. Low screamer. It hits the forward tee marker, and goes out of bounds. Directly BEHIND us. Right over our heads.

 

Only time I've ever seen stroke and distance give someone a distance advantage....

[Ferguson]

On 9/4/2021 at 10:30 PM, Soloman1 said:

I apologize in advance for this:

 

One time I was playing at one of the several exclusive, private clubs that I sit on the board of and slightly mishit my 2-iron off the first tee. All of the employees of all of my businesses came to see their founder and CEO tee off because they know how good I am. I'm a little old now, but I'm 5'9-1/2" and 250 lbs of pure muscle from when I was a martial arts expert, football player (my nickname was "minifridge"), Special Forces, Navy Seal, cage fighter and totally awesome weight lifter.

 

I hit it a little off the sweet spot towards the toe, which is very, very rare, and it went almost 5 yards left of the center of the fairway and only 228 yards. They still clapped because they respect me so much, and they know I'm a very good golfer.

 

And that's the worst shot shot I ever hit.

 

Then I woke up and realized it was a bad dream. Everything else is true, but I've never a bad shot. That's why I'm a 2-5 handicap and you're not.

 

 

I remember reading about this.  Here is a picture of you after finishing #18.   

 

Three hours earlier you had the guys in green fight the guys in red for your amusement.  

As you can see there a far fewer guys in green.

 

 

 

 

 

[BIG STU]

This was not a bad shot but funny.

Me and my old man were playing a big money match at the course he ran. Our 4th hole was a par 4 down the hill and back up one. The barn now maintenance shed sat directly behing the green maybe 10 yards or so off the back fringe. I had hit my ball to the bottom. The old man was on the green in 2 but about 20 ft from the hole. He asked what I was going to hit and I told him the 10 iron. He said no no no you can not get that 10 iron there. I told him I had hit that 10 iron from there numerious times. He replied Jack expleted Nicklaus could not hit a 10 iron that far hit the 9. I told him BS but he said we are playing for my (expleted again) money. I was around 16 or so and had gotten strong. So I pulled the 9 and hit the crap out of it striped it high and long. Landed it on the sloped roof of the barn now that green was flat with no undulation. That ball rolled off the slope of the barn hit the green and went in for a 2. I looked at the Old Man and told him you are right the 9 was the correct club. The old man went into a cussing fit he believed in "proper by the book golf". But they had pressed ( automatic 2 down) so we had them down 2 bets. Ended up getting them 3 bets won 3K that day. Me and the old man never got along on the course could not play 4 holes without argueing. In fact the side bet sweaters had to get us seperated and him calmed down. The next day I climbed up on the barn and took paint and circled the dent from the ball. Painted beside it " It was the right club EAGLE". Next day he had the guys replace that strip of tin roof and paint the whole barn roof to match.

What really incensed the whole deal was a local golf paper ran the story and the photographer got the pic of the barn before the old man had it painted over. The story was cleaned up with no gambling involved and was presented as I hit too much club and got lucky. Later the day of the incident I took him there and hit 3 10 iron shots on that green from there. He hated to be wrong and he just said nothing and got on his cart and rode away. One of the bet sweaters told me later on he heard the old man club me and he knew it was too much club for me because he had me for a partner 2 days before. In fact he said I let him down when he saw me pull the 9 he bet the guy on the cart $50 I would knock it over the barn because he knew I was mad. Of course he won good betting on us. In fact the bet sweaters had seperated me and him off the same cart. If not we would have never steamrolled that match

Edited September 7, 2021 by BIG STU

[caeye0710]

*Shots - - this was the par 5 (5th hole) at Tot Hill Farm in Asheboro. 

 

My friend, who is about a 9 handicap, hit the green in two and was ecstatic. If you've played here, you'll remember this being a massively tiered green. Pin was on the front and he was on the upper tier. 

 

Proceeds to putt it off the front of the green. Goes to chip and somehow blade-shanks a chip into the bunker and goes back and forth across the green for what seems like an eternity. Meanwhile, myself and my other buddies are on the ground. I remember laughing so hard I couldn't breathe and my stomach was sore for days. 

 

Not exaggerating: he walked off with a 15. Probably the only man to ever do so after hitting a par 5 in 2. 

[TLUBulldogGolf]

I saw someone hit either a hole sign or ball washer, not sure which, off the first tee and it ricocheted backwards into the pool area by the clubhouse. 

[Augster]

I have a couple. We’ve all seen the tops, blades, skanks, and shanks. Too many to mention over the years. But only a couple, truly, horrible shots stand out. 
 

We’re playing alternate shot. My partner center cuts it and I have 235 in. We’re talking about what club to take. And I’m saying, “I’ll go over with my 3 wood, but I’ll be short with my hybrid. Where do you want to chip from?” And he’s giving me the rah rah speech about hitting the green, “you can do it” and all that crap. Meanwhile the other team we are playing with are standing around watching this and listening and we go back and forth for about a minute. Finally I say, “Okay, I’ll hit hybrid and leave you short.”  I take a mighty swing…..and toe the ball straight right about 40 yards into a water hazard. Our opponents were laughing. My partner wasn’t happy. 🙂  The guys we were playing with still bring it up and it was at least 15 years ago. 
 

The second one, which is in our course history now, my friend shows up late to the first tee. Guy in his 20’s, liked to drink it up a bit. He just makes it to the first tee. Hungover. He proceeds to hit his drive with a huge slice, down the right side, across the 9th fairway, across the right rough, over the fence, across the four lane road and hits one of the high rise buildings in the air. Ball must have gone 290, slicing and high to carry all that stuff. He put his driver in his bag, drove away, and went home. Still the worst opening drive I’ve ever seen on that hole and I doubt it’ll be bested. 

[@_the_crook]

me - long while back - I shanked a few right into the instructor I was waiting for.

 

arrived early for a lesson. 

hitting a bucket to warm up. no dividers between the stalls.

I was coming down really inside, what can I say?

the next stall up was empty and one more up was kind of a husky guy blasting shots.

that turned out to be the guy I was booked with.

first time I was mighty apologetic - caught him in the thigh. he was very gracious.

second time, he stiffened up and after a few words I moved down a couple stalls.

third time I whizzed one about six feet left of him.

 

we had reached my scheduled time, though things were abbreviated, shall we say.